THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE
UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
AHL
1855
8
2386





-








The Aestorians and their Rituals.








E C. Cooper, lith
Printed by C. Graf, 1.6 Castle St.
SHEIKH NASIR
The religious head of the Yeseedees


THE
Nestorians and their Rituals:
WITH THE NARRATIVE OF
A MISSION TO MESOPOTAMIA AND COORDISTAN
IN 1842-1844,
AND OF A
LATE VISIT TO THOSE COUNTRIES IN 1850 ;
ALSO,
RESEARCHES INTO THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE SYRIAN JACOBITES,
PAPAL SYRIANS, AND CHALDEANS, AND AN INQUIRY INTO
THE RELIGIOUS TENETS OF THE YEZEEDEES.
BY THE
REV. GEORGE PERCY BADGER,
One of the ponourable East India Company's Chaplains in the Diocese of Bombay.
VOLUME I.
LONDON:
JOSEPH MASTERS, ALDERSGATE STREET,
AND NEW BOND STREET.
MDCCCLII.


"'*?.
N
Vi
LONDON:
JOSEPH MASTERS AND CO., PRINTERS,
ALDERSGATE STREET.
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY


TO THE MEMORY OF
THE LATE
Most REVEREND FATHER IN God,
WILLIAM, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,
AND PRIMATE OF ALL ENGLAND,
AND TO THE
Right Hon. AND Right REVEREND FATHER IN GOD,
CHARLES JAMES, LORD BISHOP OF LONDON,
THESE VOLUMES
ARE RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED
IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF PERSONAL BENEFITS RECEIVED
AND OF THEIR LORDSHIPS' ZEAL AND CHARITY
IN BEHALF OF
THE NESTORIANS..





PREFACE TO VOLUME THE FIRST.
A CONSIDERABLE part of the information contained in this
volume was collected several years ago, and would have been
made public then, but for prudential considerations touching
the welfare of the Nestorians. The author regrets this delay
the less, since circumstances have permitted him to revist the
scene of his labours, and to add to the stock of information
acquired during his former sojourn in the East. Yet, notwith-
standing, it is with some diffidence that he now sends these
pages to the press: they were written in Mosul and its vicinity,
where he had no opportunity of submitting them to the revision
of any learned friend; and, being himself prevented from re-
turning to England for that purpose, they are sent to the
publisher with all the inaccuracies of style arising from the
author's limited attainments in this department of literature.
He is fully alive to his own backwardness in this respect, and
would, therefore, at the outset, candidly apprise his readers,
that if they anticipate gratification from the language in which
the following researches are narrated, they will most probably
be disappointed. Imagery borrowed from fancy sometimes in-
deed endangers the truthfulness of description, and conveys a
wrong impression of the things described; but, when legiti-
mately used, heightens the interest of objects when seen without


vi
PREFACE,
destroying their reality, and adds a charm to perusal which
every writer is bound to afford, to the best of his ability, who
solicits the attention of the reading public. As to his own
deductions from the facts and events recorded, these he well
knows will be canvassed as all other personal opinions are; but
if the result shall eventually tend to further the object which
he has in view in publishing these researches, he will feel that
he has not written in vain, and will be satisfied.
Now, although the author, for the reasons aforesaid, is de-
barred the pleasure of recognizing an extraneous help in the
compilation of this work, yet he is in duty bound to acknow-
ledge the kindly interest which our late venerable Primate and
the present Lord Bishop of London took in the personal welfare
of the agents engaged in the mission to the Nestorians, and in
the
progress and success of their labours. It was chiefly owing
to their influence that the enterprize was undertaken, and its
short duration and untimely end must be referred rather to the
unprepared state of the Church at home rightly and adequately
to fit her for the pious task of reforming the Christian com-
munities of the East, than to any want of zeal on the part of
their Lordships to promote and to support it. Similar acknow-
ledgments are due to the Lord Bishop of Gibraltar, to the Rev.
Ernest Hawkins, and to the Committees of the two Societies
which provided the funds for the mission, for their uniform
kindness and generosity towards those who were commissioned
to carry out the benevolent design of their instructions.
The author would furthermore be guilty of unpardonable
neglect, were he to omit mentioning his coadjutor, Mr. J. P.
Fletcher, now an ordained missionary of the Gospel Propagation
Society in India, whose ready co-operation in the work to
which both were appointed, and brotherly sympathy in seasons
of sickness, weariness, and fatigue, he will ever recall to mind
with feelings of lively gratitude.


PREFACE.
yii
To the courtesy of Robert Clive, Esq., the author is indebted
for the original portrait of Mar Shimoon, and for the two views
of an old Nestorian church contained in the second volume of
this work. A similar acknowledgment is due to C. F. Barker,
Esq., whose long residence in the East enabled him to make a
better use of the author's imperfect sketches than he could have
expected with less suitable aid. The task, however, of prepar-
ing these illustrations for the press devolved upon F. C. Cooper,
Esq., the artist who was associated with Mr. Layard, by the
authorities of the British Museum, to perpetuate by his pencil
the long-lost relics of the power and skill of the Ancient Assy-
rians. Mr. Cooper has lately been making a laudable effort to
communicate to the public a portion of his Eastern acquire-
ments, in a popular form, by means of a diorama of Nineveh ;
and, it is to be hoped, that he will ere long publish the contents
of a well-assorted portfolio, illustrative of oriental costume and
manners, which he collected during his sojourn in Mesopotamia
and Coordistan. The reader will not fail to perceive how much
these volumes owe to the talents of the above-named gentlemen;
and to Mr. Cooper especially, are the thanks of the author due
for his generous and unsolicited offer to undertake a task which
has cost him no little time and trouble.
One word on the principal design of this publication. If the
researches which it comprises, or the suggestions which the
writer ventures to make on the duty of the Anglican Church to
promote the spiritual welfare of the ancient Christian commu-
nities in the East, and the way in which such a work should be
undertaken and carried out, or the expressed goodwill of the
clergy and laity of those communities towards us, and their de-
sire to be more closely united to us in brotherly love and in the
confession of our common faith, as these favourable manifesta-
tions are made known in the following pages ; if these, or any
other portions of his work sball tend to rouse in the hearts of


vili
PREFACE.
British Churchmen a sincere desire to restore the Nestorians to
primitive orthodoxy in doctrine, and to the full enjoyment of
the great privileges of the Gospel, and further to exert them-
selves zealously in this charitable work, the author will deem his
labour most fully and amply repaid.
SYRIAN CONVENT OF Mar MATTAI,
August, 1850.
P.S. The MS. of these volumes was forwarded to England
and offered to several London publishers, who declined publish-
ing it at their own risk, and as the author was not in circum-
stances to incur the expense of sending it to the press, he had
well-nigh abandoned the hope of seeing the work in print. At
this juncture, an esteemed friend obtained for him the acquaint-
ance of Mr. J. Masters, who at once submitted the MS. to the
perusal of the Rev. J. M. Neale, Warden of Sackville College.
The favourable opinion formed of the work by that gentleman
induced Mr. Masters to undertake its publication, and the zeal
which he has manifested in its eventual success calls for the
author's sincere thanks. The kindness of Mr. Neale led him,
moreover, to offer his services to revise the proof sheets, and to
supply some notes in illustration of the text. The author most
gratefully acknowledges the obligation which this timely and
valuable assistance has conferred upon him,-an assistance the
more to be appreciated since it was proffered to a stranger.
ADEN, ARABIA FELIX,
October 28th, 1851.


NOTICE BY THE EDITOR.
The absence of the Author from England rendered it, of course,
impossible for him to revise the proofs of the present Work.
But it also did more than this. It deprived him of the oppor-
tunity of consulting the great writers, who, like Le Quien and
Asseman, have treated on the doctrines and history of the
Nestorians, and of verifying or modifying his statements by
their's.
Under these circumstances, he requested me to take
charge of the book through the press. I felt it a privilege to
be in any way useful in the publication of so very valuable a
contribution to the Ecclesiastical History of the East; but the
difficulties of the task have not been inconsiderable.
It is no part of my duty, as Editor, to recommend the work.
Still, I cannot but observe, that the second volume treats far
more satisfactorily of the rituals and theology of the Nestorians
than any book yet published in Europe : while the first sup-
plies a desideratum in Ecclesiastical History, the atrocious mas-
sacres of Bedr Khan Beg.
Two remarks, however, I must be allowed to make.
The first is, that Mr. Badger is throughout an advocate for
the Nestorians, and (naturally, perhaps laudably) takes an ad-
vocate's view of his client's side. Few, I suppose, would be
satisfied with the concordat he proposes, in which the character


х
NOTICE.
and sentiments of Nestorius are left an open question. And in
the same way, points of resemblance between the Nestorian and
English Communions are discovered with amazing ingenuity.
The second is, that while the schismatical interference of
Rome with the Orthodox Eastern Church cannot be too strongly
reprobated, the case is widely different in her dealings with the
Nestorians. If the Eastern Church makes no efforts among
them, why is Rome, any more than ourselves, to be debarred
from that duty ?
It is to be hoped, however, that English Churchmen will at
length awake to the necessity of having an ecclesiastical agent
accredited to the East by the synodal voice of the English
Church herself. If the following volumes shall in any respect
tend to such a result, they will have done yeoman's service both
to the Nestorians and to ourselves.
J. M. N.
SACKVILLE COLLEGE,
February 12, 1852.


INTRODUCTION.
It was during the existence of the Euphrates Expedition sent
out by the British Government under the command of Colonel
Chesney, R. A., in the year 1835, that the Nestorian tribes in-
habiting the mountainous districts of Coordistan, and other
Christian sects dwelling between the two great rivers which
almost insulate Mesopotamia, were brought into more general
notice. The information respecting these communities con-
tained in Rich's "Notes on Coordistan," is very brief, and after
him, until
very
lately, there
appears
to have been no European
traveller in those parts, who had made it a primary object of his
research to inquire into the condition of the native Christians.
Of the Nestorians in central Coordistan, scarcely anything was
known beyond their existence; their isolated position amidst lofty
and rugged mountains, as well as the temper of the fierce and
lawless Coords by whom they were surrounded, having hitherto
presented to the most daring adventurer almost insurmountable
obstacles to his attempting to penetrate within their secluded
boundary.
These impediments were in a measure removed by the partial
establishment of the Ottoman jurisdiction over a large portion
of Coordistan. This event took place in the year 1834, when
the Turks, roused to a sense of the danger which threatened
their eastern territory from the confederate Coords, who under
the famous Rawandooz Beg, had plundered and destroyed many
villages in the plains of the Tigris, sent a strong army against
them under Resheed Pasha, who succeeded in capturing the
rebel chief, and for a season effectually weakened the strength


xii
INTRODUCTION.
of his warlike followers. This blow, from which the Coords in-
habiting the district to the south-east of the Nestorian territory
have hardly yet recovered, together with other political intrigues
set on foot to that end, had a powerful influence in inducing
Noorallah Beg, the Emeer of the independent Coords of Hak-
kari, to sue for an appointment under the Pasha of Erzeroom,
and to be officially recognised by the Sublime Porte. Noorallah
Beg already boasted of having reduced the mountain Christians
to his obedience, so that the surrender of his own independence
virtually comprised the subjection of the Nestorian tribes to the
Ottoman sway.
Another event which gradually opened central Coordistan to
the researches of the traveller, and to the labours of the Chris-
tian missionary, was the appointment of Mohammed Pasha,
surnamed Injé Beirakdâr, to the government of the Mosul
pashalic. This individual, who from being a groom had risen
step by step to the high dignity of a provincial governor, was
as famous for his vigorous efforts to reduce to order the unruly
tribes comprehended within the limits of his jurisdiction, as for
his grasping ambition, and the tyranny with which he oppressed
all the subjects of the Sultan placed under his immediate autho-
rity. The Osmanlis, fully bent upon establishing Turkish rule
over the whole of Coordistan, found in Injé Beirakdâr a fit in-
strument for effecting the object aimed at, and in furtherance of
their purpose placed under his control the hereditary Pasha of
Bahdinân, who had hitherto been nominally dependent upon the
Pashas of Baghdad. It did not require any very great exercise
of political intrigue, at which Mohammed Pasha was a perfect
adept, to persuade the Porte that Ismaeel Pasha, then governor
of Bahdinân, was disaffected to its interests, and upon this plea
he was allowed to expel him from the strong fortress of Amedia,
and to extend the limits of his jurisdiction to the foot of the
Tyari mountains,—the border-land of the Nestorian tribes.
These machinations eventually led to a direct communication
between the government at Mosul and the Nestorian Patriarch,
who now placed between two enemies, the Emeer of Hakkari,
and Mohammed Pasha, both alike busy in fomenting divisions
among the Christians, in order the more easily to seize upon
their inheritance, was obliged to refer and submit sometimes to


INTRODUCTION.
xiii
one and sometimes to the other; and, it is to be feared, was not
unfrequently driven in his precarious position to side with that
party, which for the time appeared to be the stronger, or from
which he had the most to dread both for himself and for his
people.
The sad result to the interests of the mountain Nestorians,
brought about by the ambitious designs of these two rival Mo-
hammedan rulers, who were all along the agents (unconsciously
to themselves perhaps,) of the deep-laid policy of the Porte, will
be detailed in the course of the following narrative; they are
simply mentioned here in order to show by what instrumentality
God was pleased to throw open to the pious efforts of His
Church a new country, and a primitive Christian community
having many claims upon her sympathy and regard.
The facilities for holding intercourse with the mountain Nes-
torians, which these political changes introduced, having become
known in England through the reports of the Euphrates Expe-
dition, and especially through the information collected by
Messrs. Ainsworth and Rassam on their return to Europe
through Mesopotamia and Asia Minor, it was agreed upon by
the Royal Geographical and Christian Knowledge Societies, to
send these gentlemen on a special mission to Coordistan. The
general result of their journey Mr. Ainsworth has published in
two interesting volumes entitled “Travels and Researches in
Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, and Armenia ;” besides
which he drew up a separate report for the Society for Promot-
ing Christian Knowledge, wherein he gives a full account of
his visit to the Patriarch, Mar Shimoon, and the mountain
Nestorians.
Mr. Ainsworth's report, and other communications received
respecting the Christian sects inhabiting that district, induced
the Christian Knowledge and Gospel Propagation Societies,
chiefly at the suggestion of the Lord Bishop of London, to send
out another mission into Coordistan. The previous acquaint-
ance with the East, which the author had acquired during two
years' residence there, and especially his knowledge of the Syriac
and Arabic languages, seeming in a measure to qualify him for
the undertaking, he was deputed to be the bearer of letters com-
mendatory to several of the Eastern Primates from His Grace


xiv
INTRODUCTION.
the Archbishop of Canterbury, and from the Lord Bishop of
London, and to carry out the benevolent intentions of the two
Societies as contained in the following instructions :
“INSTRUCTIONS TO THE REV. GEORGE PERCY BADGER, ON
HIS DEPARTURE TO COORDISTAN.
In the year 1838, the Society for Promoting Christian Know-
ledge, gave instructions to Mr. Ainsworth and Mr. Rassam, to
make inquiry into the state of the Christians in Coordistan.
The result of that inquiry has been communicated to the Society
in a Report, transmitted from Mosul in 1840 ; by which it
appears that the Christians both in that country and in Meso-
potamia are in a state of very great depression, and that the
Patriarch Mar Shimoon, of Julamerk, who is the temporal and
ecclesiastical head of the Christians in independent Coordistan,
as well as others of the Bishops and Clergy, were anxious to have
a Clergyman of the Church of England to assist them in the
education and improvement of their people.
It appears also by letters recently received from Mesopotamia,
that a considerable number of the Chaldean Christians are very
desirous of restoring the independence of their church, and that
Mar Elîa of Alkôsh, who claims the patriarchate of the Chal-
deans, has proposed to enter into amicable relations with the
Church of England.
Under these circumstances it has been determined, with the
sanction and approbation of His Grace the Archbishop of Can-
terbury, and the Lord Bishop of London, to send the Rev. G. P.
Badger on a special mission to Chaldea and Coordistan, accom-
panied by Mr. J. P. Fletcher as his assistant.
Mr. Badger will proceed to his destination as soon as conve-
nient, travelling by way of Constantinople and Trebizond; and
if practicable he will pay a visit to Jerusalem in order to put
himself in communication with the Bishop of the United Church
of England and Ireland in that city, under whose jurisdiction
he will be placed.
The following are the points to which Mr. Badger will direct
his attention.
1. To testify to the Bishops and Clergy of those countries
the goodwill of our Church towards them, and the desire which


INTRODUCTION.
XV
is felt in England to see their churches restored to a flourishing
condition as branches of the True Vine, taking care to explain
to them the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England,
and to assure them that she claims no jurisdiction or authority
over them, or over any of the Churches of the East.
“2. To render such assistance to the Patriarchs, Bishops, and
Clergy, as he may be able to give in the work of Christian edu-
cation, and to take such steps as they may approve for the
establishment of schools, and for the instruction of the people
generally
“3. To make inquiries as to their wants in regard to the Holy
Scriptures, and to distribute copies of the Bible and of the
Arabic version of the English Liturgy wherever they may be
useful.
“4. To procure ancient MSS. of the Holy Scriptures and of
the Chaldean liturgies and rituals; and to ascertain what altera-
tions have been made in their rituals in modern times, and by
what authority, and how far these alterations have been approved
by the native clergy and people.
“5. To collect such Arabic MSS. and printed copies of the
Holy Scriptures and of ancient liturgies as may be serviceable in
the new translations of the Bible and of the Liturgy which are
being prepared by the Society for Promoting Christian Know-
ledge.
“6. To make particular inquiries into the state and condition
of the churches in Chaldea and Coordistan with respect to doctrine
and discipline, and to the numbers of their clergy and people.
“7. To make communications upon all these subjects to the
Bishop of the United Church of England and Ireland in Jeru-
salem, and also to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
in Foreign Parts, and to the Society for Promoting Christian
Knowledge.”
The following are copies of the letters commendatory above
alluded to:
“To the Right Reverend, our brethren in CHRIST, the Patri.
archs and Prelates of the Holy Eastern Church, William, by
Divine Providence, Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all
England, and Metropolitan, greeting in the LORD.
6


xvi
INTRODUCTION.
"We earnestly commend to your good will and brotherly
kindness our beloved in CHRIST, George Percy Badger, a Priest
of our United Church of England and Ireland, whom we have
charged, as occasion may be offered, to salute your Holinesses
in our name, and to express to you our respect and affection to-
wards
you, and our zeal and fervent desire for the welfare and
peace of your churches. He will tell you all things that you
may wish to know concerning our apostolical Church, and its
feelings of love and kindness towards the ancient and apostolical
churches of CHRIST in the East. Wherefore we entreat you to
receive him as a brother, and to accept at our hands the expres-
sion of our constant goodwill towards you, which we would de-
sire to offer by him.
“Given under our hand and seal, at our palace of Lambeth,
this thirteenth day of March, in the year of our LORD, one
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
"W.
L. S.
CANTUAR."
66
“ To their Holinesses the Patriarchs and other Prelates of the
Christian Churches in Mesopotamia and Coordistan, William,
by Divine Providence, Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all
England, and Metropolitan, greeting in the LORD.
Understanding that you have expressed the desire that we
would send to you one of the clergy of our Church, who might
assist you in the establishing of schools for the instruction of
children, and make known unto us more particularly the things
of which you stand in need, we have herewith sent to you our
beloved in Christ, George Percy Badger, a priest of our United
Church of England and Ireland, whom we have charged to
salute your Holinesses in our name, and to assure you of our
goodwill towards you, and our hearty desire to render
you
all
the assistance in our power. We earnestly commend him to
your Holinesses, and request you to receive him as a brother,
and to make known your wants to him, and we shall be rejoiced
to learn through him all things concerning you, and by what
means we may more effectually contribute to your prosperity
and welfare.
“Given under our hand and seal, at Lambeth, this thirteenth


INTRODUCTION.
xvii
day of March, in the year of our LORD, one thousand eight
bundred and forty-two.
" W.
L. S.
CANTUAR."
The next letter from our late Most Reverend Primate is the
same as that immediately preceding, with the exception of the
address, which is as follows :
“ To His Holiness the Patriarch and other Prelates of the in-
dependent churches of Coordistan, William, by Divine Provi-
dence, Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and
Metropolitan, greeting in the Lord.”
The next is from the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of
London.
“To the Most Reverend Father, His Holiness Mar Shimoon,
Patriarch of the Church of Christ in Coordistan, in the name
of Jesus Christ, (He is LORD of all,) health and peace.
By these letters we commend to your Holiness our beloved
son in the LORD, George Percy Badger, a priest of the ancient
apostolic Church of England, wherein I am an unworthy Bishop,
entreating you to receive him with fatherly love and kindness,
of which he is deserving. He will make known to your Holi-
ness the present state of our Church ; and our desire to act in
the spirit of Christian friendship and goodwill towards the
Church over which the Divine Providence has placed you. And
we have directed him to report to us concerning your welfare,
and the present condition of the ancient Church in Coordistan.
“We pray that ALMIGHTY GOD, the Father of our LORD
JESUS CHRIST, may
have
you
in His holy keeping, and protect
the Church committed to your care.
“ Your Holiness's humble servant,
“ And brother in CHRIST,
“C. J. LONDON.
“London, March 29, 1842."
L. S.
It not having been found convenient for him to visit Jerusa-


xviii
INTRODUCTION.
lem on his journey into Coordistan, the author was provided
with the subjoined additional letter from the late Bishop
Alexander.
“ To their Holinesses the Patriarchs and Bishops of the Chris-
tian churches in Mesopotamia and Coordistan, grace, mercy, and
peace, from God the FATHER, and Christ Jesus our LORD.
This is the sincere wish and prayer of Michael Solomon Alex-
ander, by Divine permission, Bishop of the United Church of
England and Ireland in Jerusalem.
“ It is one of the pleasing signs of the times in which we are
privileged to live, that a desire is felt in the different Apostolic
churches of CHRIST to hold out to each other the right hand of
fellowship, and to endeavour by word and deed to promote each
other's temporal and eternal welfare. We cannot but hail this
as an indication of the speedy approach of that much longed-for
period, when the kingdom of CHRIST shall be established, and
when the LORD shall be One and His Name One. It was with
a view to this, that I have, in the providence of God lately been
placed here, and I have much pleasure in adding my brotherly
salutations to those of His Grace the Primate, and the Lord
Bishop of London, and to join with them in the request that
your Holinesses will receive the bearer, our beloved in CARIST,
George Percy Badger, a priest of our holy Apostolic Church,
with all fatherly love and kindness, as he comes to you with a
message of peace and offers of assistance.
“It will at all times afford me pleasure to hear of you, and
of your church's welfare, and to be in any way instrumental in
promoting it. Praying that the King of Zion may bless His
Church and people everywhere, and hasten the coming of His
kingdom,
“I remain,
“ Your Holinesses' humble servant
and brother in CHRIST,
« M. S. ANGL. HIEROSOL.”
“ Mount Zion in Jerusalem,
August 15th, 1842.”
L. S.
The foregoing instructions will make the reader acquainted


INTRODUCTION.
xix
with the object of our mission, and with the nature of the re-
searches contained in the following volumes. Not that they are
confined to these topics ; for it was judged that even way-side
information respecting countries and people as yet but little
known would not be devoid of interest to the general reader, and
could in no way contravene the ends proposed by the Societies.
In these volumes, therefore, will be found many occasional
notices of the different places visited, the political, social, and
religious condition of the inhabitants interspersed with a narra-
tive of the usual incidents of travel, which, as when they occur,
often serve to relieve the tedium of a journey, so when told fre-
quently attemper the dryness of more important details. More-
over, in order to render a portion of this work serviceable as a
guide-book to those whom business or pleasure may hereafter
bring into Mesopotamia and Coordistan, the diary form has
been adopted, and the distance from one locality to another re-
corded with an ever-recurring precision, which the fire-side
reader may deem tedious, but which the actual traveller will
often refer to with eagerness and satisfaction.
A melancholy interest will attach itself to the following pages
on account of the details which they contain respecting the re-
peated massacre of the Nestorians by the barbarous Coords, the
flight of the Patriarch Mar Shimoon, the captivity and sufferings of
many of the Christians among the Moslems, their rescue, and the
means adopted to restore them to their homes, and the venerable
Patriarch to his ancient diocese. The part which the author was
called upon to take, in relieving the necessities of the refugees
and liberated captives, and in supporting the cause of the un-
fortunate Nestorians in various other ways, as also the full con-
fidence which was placed in him by Mar Shimoon, who deputed
him to transact the most important affairs touching the welfare
of the whole Nestorian community, put him in possession of
many facts relative to these disasters which have never yet been
made public, and gave him a full insight into the political rela-
tions existing between the Patriarch and the Coordish Emeers
of Hakkari, and into the intrigues which were set on foot by
the Ottoman Porte to compass the subjection of the inde-
pendent tribes.
Further, as the author resided in Mosul nearly a year after


XX
INTRODUCTION.
Mar Shimoon and many of his clergy and laity had sought
refuge in that city, he had abundant opportunity of acquiring
from the best sources ample information respecting the civil and
ecclesiastical government which had hitherto existed among the
Nestorians. To the Patriarch and especially to his worthy and
learned Archdeacon Kash’Auraha, who with his family were in-
mates of the author's house up to the date of his departure from
Mosul, he is indebted for the statistics of the churches, clergy,
and laity, belonging to his community. The correspondence
which he afterwards kept up with Mar Shimoon, and his own
researches during a second visit to the Nestorians in 1850, have
enabled him to continue their history up to the present time,
and to give a succinct narrative of the downfall of the confede-
rate Coordish chiefs their enemies, and of the final establishment
of the Ottoman rule over the mountain tribes of Central
Coordistan.
The Syrian Monophysites, or Jacobites, will frequently come
under notice in the ensuing pages, and a full account will be
given of their present condition as a Christian sect; for although
it formed no part of the author's instructions to make any
researches among this people, yet he was thrown into circum-
stances where duty called him to assist in a struggle which is
not yet ended between them and the dissenters from their body
who have joined the communion of the Church of Rome. In so
doing he was necessarily brought into friendly relations with
their Patriarch and Bishops, and during his residence at Mosul,
and when visiting the principal towns and villages inhabited by
this people, he found many opportunities of labouring for their
tre; and although truth forbids that he should give a very
favourable account of the state of religion and ecclesiastical dis-
cipline among them, yet he will ever cherish a pleasing recollec-
tion of the hospitality and kindness with which he was received,
when they knew him to be a priest of the Church of England.
The efforts of Latin missionaries are frequently noticed in
these volumes, the plans upon which their operations are based
shown, and the chief causes of their success, and its results,
considered. The history of the two modern communities, the
Papal Syrian and Chaldean, is also given, together with the part
which French political agents have acted, and are still acting, to


INTRODUCTION.
xxi
forward the interests of the See of Rome throughout Turkey.
Some remarks will also be made on the missions of Dissenting
Societies in that empire, and the impolicy and mischief of their
interference with ecclesiastical concerns proved, from the neces-
sary tendency of their doctrines and principles to produce lati-
tudinarianism in religious belief, and never-ending schisms,
among the Christians of the East.
Familiar intercourse with the Yezeedees, or Devil Worship-
pers as they are sometimes called, afforded the author frequent
opportunities for collecting many particulars respecting their
social habits and customs, as also of their religious rites and
ceremonies, which may throw light upon the origin of this sin-
gular people. Among these details will be found a description
of the Melek Taoos, or Brazen Cock, no authentic account of
which has hitherto been published, and of the processions and
festivities connected with the worship of that idol. Having been
fortunate enough to obtain from one of their Sheikhs the loan
of the only MS. which they appear to possess bearing on their
creed, the author was also enabled by the aid of this important
document to fortify the hypothesis which connected the tenets
of the modern Yezeedees with those of the ancient Magi of
Persia, and the results of this investigation, if not perfect or
satisfactory, may at least serve to guide the researches of future
travellers and scholars.
The geography of the route as laid down in the map accom-
panying this work is almost entirely drawn up from personal
notice. It has no claim whatever to scientific exactness, though
pains have been taken to render it as correct as the means and
capabilities of the author enabled him to make it. The posi-
tion of many of the principal localities is borrowed from the
labours of former travellers, who have fixed it by accurate astro-
nomical observation, and chiefly from Ainsworth ; but the inter-
mediate
spaces
have been filled up with the aid of a compass, a
good watch, a careful noting of the time spent in journeying
from place to place, and particular attention to the general
features of the country.
One word with regard to the occasional strictures passed upon
the statements and opinions of other travellers through the dis-
tricts visited by the author. He has gladly availed himself of


xxii
INTRODUCTION.
the assistance which the result of their inquiries afforded him in
his researches ; but when they appear to have been misinformed,
he has not hesitated, for the sake of truth and science, to correct
them. He himself is doubtless open to the same criticism, and
therefore without craving the indulgence of his readers to pass
over his faults, (which, by the way, they are not a whit more
likely to do for the asking,) he now leaves them to commence
his narrative.


LIST OF ENGRAVINGS.
VOL. I.
PAGE
Portrait of Sheikh Nasir
to face the title
Tomb at Amâsia
19
Sepulchral Monument of Henry Martyn
26
Three Inscriptions at Diarbekir .
39
View of Mardeen
48
Christian Females of Midyât
to face
55
Inscription at Nisibeen
67
Mosul from the Eastern Bank of the Tigris
to face 77
The Author's House at Mosul
to face 79
View of Nimrood
86
Cuneiform Inscription at Nimrood
88
Ground plans of the Syrian Church of Mar Behnâm and Mar Mattai to face 95
Syrian Convent of Mar Mattai
to face 97
Convent of Rabban Hormuzd
to face 102
Sheikh Adi from the South .
to face 105
Front of Enclosure facing the Temple of Sheikh Adi .
to face 106
Front of the Temple of Sheikh Adi
to face 107
Yezeedee Shaks
107
Ground plan of the Temple of Sheikh Adi
to face 108
The Melek Taoos of the Yezeedees
124
Bird from one of the Slabs at Nimrood
127
Plan of an Excavation at Amedia
204
Nestorian House in the Tyari
216
Plan of the Church of Mar Gheorghees at Asheetha .
226
Plan of Mar Gheorghees at Leezan
227
Citadel of Urfah
321
•


xxiv
LIST OF ENGRAVINGS.
PAGE
323
327
328
329
Syriac Inscription at Urfah .
Sepulchral Cave at Urfah
Hadji's House at Urfah
Headdress of Christian Females at Urfah
Ruins of Harrân
Jacob's Well at Harrân
Bas-relief in the Castle of Birejik
Ancient Sculptures found in the Castle of Birejik
Maps showing Mr. Badger's Route
342
to face 344
to face 351
to face 352
at end of vol.
VOL. II.
.
Portrait of Mar Shimoon
Eastern end of the Church of Et-Tâhara
Western end of the Church of Et-Tâhara
to face the title
to face
to face
20
21


ERRATA IN VOL. I.
9)
99
9)
.
Page 31, line 22, for Hussim
read
33
22 Koolverk
44
21 Antoore
60 28
». Temeloyo
62 24 the church or village ,
75
totally
78 note Basotha
81 line 32 Tekneeti
81 38 Zorogheel
82
10 El.Tâhara
91
note Jeirahan
96 line 14 a form
98 27 Eu-Nakoot
108
4
» Ziyanet
113
1 of the
125
10 these
138 31
163
7 inducted into
164
„ 17,19 , Coupperie
12 Thekboumi
13
» Djelon
36 place
27 dele and
24] 16 stone
2
284
16 have
308 33 Saracene
14
· junction
391 21 two
Hussein
Koolvenk
Antoon
Teweloyo
the church of the village
brutally
Baootha
Tekreeti
Zorongheel
Et-Tahara
Teirahân
to form
En-Nakoot
Ziyaret
of their
those
were choked up
invested with
Coopri
Thekhoumi
Djelou
plan
97
choked up
► 190
» 190
► 194
» 237
99
99
» 279
· refuges
stove
refugees
leave
Saracen
juncture
ten
» 372





THE NESTORIANS
AND
Their Rituals, &c.
CHAPTER I.
Departure from England, and arrival at Constantinople.—Mutran Behnâm, and
the Jacobite Churches.-French and Russian protection of the Greek,
Armenian and Latin Christians. ---Patriarchs at Constantinople.—Mode of
Electing the Greek Patriarch.—Missions of the American Independents in
the East.–Results of their operations.—Sir Stratford Canning.-Inter-
course with the Greek and Armenian Clergy.-Desirableness of rightly
making known the doctrine and discipline of the Anglican Churches to the
Churches of the East.- Plan of a work to that end.
Long shall I recall to mind, with sincere gratitude, the pious
valediction of our late revered Primate at Lambeth, and the
cordial farewell with which the present Lord Bishop of London
sped us on our way, and commended our persons and our work
to the blessing of the Almighty.
We left London bridge on the 2nd of April, 1842, for the
coast of France; but as the journal of an ordinary traveller
through that country would be of little interest to the generality
of readers, and contain, moreover, matter foreign to the design
of this work, I shall simply state, that after arriving at Mar-
seilles, touching at several seaports in the Mediterranean, spend-
ing some time on business at Malta, and visiting Syra and
Smyrna, we reached Constantinople on the 24th of June, where
B


2
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
it was proposed that we should make all the necessary arrange-
ments for our further journey eastward.
Here we were welcomed by the Rev. Horatio Southgate, a
missionary of the American Episcopal Church, who had been
sent out originally to labour among the Mohammedans of
Persia; but who was now directing his efforts to the ameliora-
tion of the spiritual condition of the Jacobites. Mutran
Behnâm, the Jacobite Bishop of Mosul, was residing at his
house, and from him, as well as from our kind host, I learned
much of the state of the Christians in Mesopotamia. He had
been sent to the capital by his Patriarch, to use all his in-
fluence with the Porte, for the restoration to their community of
several churches and church lands in the districts of Diarbekir
and Mosul, which had been seized upon by the dissenters from
their body, who had submitted to the see of Rome. This work
of proselytism commenced in Aleppo, towards the end of the
17th century, and gradually extended to other parts of Syria
and Mesopotamia, fostered as it was by the consular agents of
France, and abetted and protected by their ambassadors at Con-
stantinople. The result of this powerful co-operation on the
part of a foreign power, which laid claim to a protectorate over
all the adherents of the Pope in the Turkish empire, was the
alienation or division of many of their churches and church
property, and the consequent depression and impoverishment of
the parent body. The venality of the Turkish ministers had
over and over again been bribed by the two contending parties
to annul their preceding decrees; but up to this time the
seceders had triumphed, and the Jacobite Patriarch was now,
through his representative, seeking to obtain a reversal of the
imperial order, which gave his adversaries the partial posses-
sion of the churches originally under the jurisdiction of his
predecessors.
The question herein involved must be viewed apart from the
doctrinal orthodoxy or heterodoxy of the two communities, with
which it has no direct concern; and when so regarded, there can
be little doubt, that the decree which confirmed to the seceders
the possession of their spoil was a palpable injustice, perpetrated
by the strong towards the weak, in defiance of all right and
precedent. In other instances of late occurrence, the Porte


THE JACOBITE CHURCHES.
3
had acted, or, I should rather say, had been compelled to act,
differently. Thus, at Angora, out of 6,000, as many as 4,000
families had seceded from the Monophysite Armenian body;
nevertheless, the minority retained possession of the seven
churches in that town, and the dissenters were obliged to wor-
ship in a chapel of their own building. At Tocât, where similar
proselytism has taken place, the seceders were unable to make
good their claim to a single church. At Diarbekir, some years
ago, the whole Greek community of the town became Romanists.
The Greek Patriarch instituted proceedings against them for
keeping possession, and succeeded in forcing them to give up
the church which they had retained after their change of creed.
Why, then, it may be asked, were the Jacobites treated with
such injustice? The reason is evident, and serves to disclose
somewhat of those foreign machinations which exert so powerful
an influence in such matters on the councils of the Porte. The
Greek rayahs being of the same creed with the Russians, look
up to that power for its support, and the out-spreading wing of
the great eagle of the north casts its protecting shadow over the
spiritual interests of its co-religionists. And since so goodly a
portion of Upper Armenia was meekly ceded to the empire
of the Tsar by the treaty of Unkiar Skelessi ; and the Catho-
licos, or Patriarch of the Armenians, became a subject of the
Father of All the Russias, those also among the subjects of the
Porte who acknowledge obedience to him come in for a share of
the same powerful aid. The notoriety of this foreign influence,
and the pace with which it was advancing, may be gathered
from the following circumstance.
Being one day at the Armenian patriarchate in Constanti-
nople, the collector of the subscriptions for the Turkish Go-
vernment Gazette called for the amount due from the Arme-
nian subscribers. A long altercation took place between him
and an official, who acted as agent for the payment of the
money, the latter declaring that he would not disburse anything
on account of those who had been absent the whole or part of
the past year. On inquiry it turned out, that many of the
opulent Armenians were in the habit of taking a trip to Odessa,
or to some other Russian town, and after residing there a year
or more, received a passport as Russian subjects, and returned
B 2


4
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
to Constantinople, wbere the native authorities dared not to call
in question the rights of their new citizenship.
I do not know whether such international filching has received
any check within the last few years ; but of this there can be
no doubt, that Russia still exercises almost unlimited sway over
the affairs of the Greek Church in Turkey, and that the Arme-
nian rayahs look up to her for assistance, which for the extension
of her political influence, if for no other reason, she is never
backward to grant.
Causes such as these are sufficient to ex-
plain why the Greeks and Armenians have been able to make a
better stand against the encroachments of Rome than the poor
Syrians, whose comparatively small number, their distance from
Russia, and geographical position, render them of little impor-
tance to the political views of the great Tsar. And added to
this, in all their conflicts, they have had to contend single-
handed against the powerful influence of France, which arrogates
to herself the right of protecting all the “Catholics” in the
Turkish empire. This right, which has been put forth with so
much impudence, and which some years ago was seemingly ad-
mitted in the House of Lords, when a discussion took place on
the state of the Christians in Turkey, has no foundation what-
ever in any treaty made between France and the Porte. Let
the capitulations be searched, and the only superior right
granted to France is that of protecting the conventual estab-
lishments at Jerusalem, which a lax interpretation may extend
to the Latin missionaries in other parts of the empire ; but not
one word is said which in any way can be taken to entitle that
power to protect the subjects of the Porte who have joined the
Church of Rome.
The influence which the representatives of France at Con-
stantinople have exercised in behalf of emissaries from Rome,
and their intervention in favour of the proselytes made from
the different Christian communities in the Turkish empire, is
not kept secret by their own writers. The Jesuit, Mons.
Eugène Boré, thus writes in his work on Armenia, published
in the “Univers" :-"Si les catholiques n'avaient trouvé un
appui politique dans les ambassadeurs, et principalement dans
celui de France, le protecteur official de la religion des Latins,
ils n'auraient pu résister à la persecution.” And again :-


PATRIARCHS AT CONSTANTINOPLE.
5
“C'est dans cette circonstance que l'ambassadeur Français, Mon-
sieur Guilleminot, protecteur legal de tous les Catholiques de
l'empire Turc, opéra une réaction heureux au moyen de ses éner-
giques représentations." The effect of such powerful support,
whilst it has led to the encouragement of proselytism, and to
the extension of the authority of the see of Rome, has also
had an undoubted tendency to loosen the dependence of a whole
class of rayahs upon the justice and protection of the Porte,
and to augment a pernicious foreign influence.
There are four Patriarchs residing at Constantinople, viz.,
the Greek and Armenian, and the so-called Greek Catholic
and Armenian Catholic, who have large establishments here,
called Patrik-khaneh, or patriarchates. They are the medium
through which all the official affairs of their different commu-
nities are carried on at the Porte, to which end they receive a
Nishận, or decoration, from the Sultan on their election to office.
The incumbent of the Armenian Patriarchate, however, is gene-
rally a Bishop, who receives the honorary title of “Patriarch,”
in order to put him on a level with the heads of the other
Churches : the Armenians, like ourselves, having no Patriarch,2
but a Catholicos or Primate, who resides at Etchmiadzine. The
Jacobites have no representative at Constantinople, but their
official correspondence with the Porte is carried on through
the Monophysite Armenian Patriarch ; and this doubtless is
another cause why their ecclesiastical interests have been so
much neglected. The affairs of the Chaldeans of Mesopotamia
are in like manner committed to the care of the Armenian
Catholic Patriarch.
During our residence at Constantinople, the Greek Patriarch
died, and two days after a successor was appointed in the person
of the Bishop of Lepxai, which is one of the largest dioceses
in the empire.
It derives its name from two small islands in
the Black Sea called Aspxa1,3 but commences at Therapia, and
includes a large extent of country around the capital. Some,
I understand, proposed the late Patriarch, who had been de-
posed at the instance of Lord Ponsonby :4 but doubts arising
whether he would be recognized by the Porte, another was
appointed.
The mode of electing a new Patriarch is as follows: the


6
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Holy Synod, consisting of twelve Bishops, together with a
number of the lower clergy, the principal influential laymen,
and the heads of the trade corporations, assemble in the great
hall of the Patriarchate, where they deliberate with closed doors,
whilst a crowd generally fills the outer court anxiously awaiting
the result. The senior member of the Synod then proposes
an individual, and if approved of, the rest cry out "Ačios, He
is worthy; if they disapprove of the selection, they exclaim
'Arágios, He is unworthy. It seldom happens, however, that
there is any division in their councils, as the whole is previously
concerted by the four principal laymen, who exercise great
influence over the Bishops. In the present instance there was
no dissenting voice, and when the name of the successful can-
didate was announced to the people without, it was received
with a general shout of Agios! "AÇOS !
It will not be out of place to give here some account of the
proceedings of the American Board of Foreign Missions in
Constantinople, whose agents belong to the Presbyterian, In-
dependent, Dutch Reformed, and other dissenting bodies,
especially as my conduct towards them during my residence
at the capital was publicly censured by certain periodicals. It
is well known to every one, that many of the doctrines, and
the entire constitution of these sects, are as opposed to the
teaching and discipline of the Anglican Church, as they are to
the faith and ecclesiastical government professed by all the
Eastern Churches. Yet, notwithstanding this wide difference
existing between us, they designedly or otherwise give it to be
understood that they hold the same faith as we do, and differ
only on the most trivial points. This opinion has been so deeply
impressed upon the great mass of the native Christians, and
has been so strengthened by the manner in which many of our
own missionaries have fraternized with them, that I have found
it a most difficult task to persuade them to the contrary; and
their missionary proceedings have been carried on upon prin-
ciples so diametrically opposed to those professed by our Church,
that any efforts on our part have come to be regarded not only
with suspicion, but to be treated as pernicious by all the Churches
of the east.
The right, moreover, which the committee of the American


AMERICAN MISSIONS IN THE EAST.
7
Dissenting Board arrogate to labour among the eastern Chris-
tians, is as ludicrous as it is presumptuous, and savours much
more of exclusiveness, which they are so fond of attributing to
us, than any measures yet undertaken by the Church of Eng-
land for the benefit of the ancient communities in these parts.
Take for instance the following extract from their report for the
year ending September, 1841, in which the right of the English
to labour among the Nestorians is more than called in question :
“Not long after Dr. Grant's second visit to the Independent
Nestorians, the Patriarch was visited by Dr. Ainsworth, agent
of the English Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,
accompanied by Mr. Rassam, who is of Nestorian origin, and
now English Vice-Consul at Mosul. Dr. Ainsworth was un-
derstood by the Patriarch to offer, in behalf of the English
National Church, to establish schools among them, and to aid
them in other ways; but the Committee have not seen his own
report of the matter. The Committee have been assured, how-
ever, on competent authority, that it is not the intention of
their English brethren to attempt a mission among the Nes-
torians. Some consequences have resulted from this partial
interference, that of course were not anticipated by Dr. Ains-
worth and his associate, but which show the importance of care-
fully avoiding whatever would tend to awaken the thought
among the Nestorian ecclesiastics, that there are rival Protestant
sects and interests, upon which they may practise for the private
gratification of avaricious desires."
Nor is this the only instance in which our right to labour for
the benefit of the Oriental Christians, as our own Church may
deem most fit, is called in question by the same body. The
establishment of an Anglican Bishopric at Jerusalem is thus
commented upon by Dr. Anderson their secretary: “ This mis-
sion, [to Syria,] Dr. Anderson stated, is threatened with expul-
sion from the country by the influence of a spirit which threatens
all evangelical Churches. From one of its most conspicuous
manifestations it is called Puseyism ; but it is found in all Pro-
testant sects. Its object is to extend the power of The Church.
It treats the establishment and extension of church power as the
end to be attained, and is therefore directly at war with the true
missionary spirit, which makes the publication of Gospel truth


8
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
for the salvation of men the great object of its labours, and
regards Churches as mere agencies for effecting it. This
spirit at the present moment portends more evil to the cause
of truth and piety throughout the world than it is in the
power of the whole Popedom to inflict. Prudential considera-
tions have hitherto prevented the full disclosure of what the
Committee know on this subject, and must still prevent it in
some degree. It is time, however, to announce that our mis-
sionaries are threatened by an extended interference from a great
ecclesiastical power, which denies our right to preach the Gospel
anywhere. This interference is connected with the late appoint-
ment of an English Bishop at Jerusalem, who, the newspapers
announce, has sailed for Joppa in the steam-ship Devastation.'"
The following, bearing a later date, was doubtless intended as a
recantation of the preceding, but the same jealousy lurks in
every line: “Dr. Anderson said, The English Bishop, whose
appointment for Jerusalem was mentioned at the concert in
January, arrived at Jerusalem on the 21st of that month.
We have lately seen a printed statement of proceedings relative
to this bishopric, published by authority of the Archbishop of
Canterbury, together with a pamphlet of about one hundred
pages, printed in London and dedicated, by permission, to the
Bishop of Oxford, on the nature of the intercourse which is
desirable between the Church of England and the Oriental
Churches. The effect of establishing this bishopric in Syria
upon our mission in that country must depend in great measure
upon the personal character of the Bishop; but it is beyond
question, so far as the parties in England are concerned, that
the whole operation is based upon high, exclusive, church prin-
ciples; though the impression we first had connecting it with
Puseyism, (which grew out of a letter, apparently of high autho-
rity, from a distinguished Puseyite, published in the London
"Times' newspaper) is not sustained, I am happy to say, by the
official documents. These documents declare the Bishop's mis-
sionary duties to relate chiefly to the Jews. He is himself, as
is well known, a converted Jew."
Added to the above grounds, several instances of their un-
friendliness to him and to his work, and of their unwarrantable
sectarian proceedings among the Armenians, as related to me


AMERICAN MISSIONS IN THE EAST.
9
by the Rev. H. Southgate, confirmed me in the opinion that I
ought to hold no intercourse with them, and decided me not to
return the visits which one or two of the missionaries obligingly
paid me, though I did not see them, being absent at the time.
In thus acting I did violence to my own natural feelings, for I
had been personally acquainted with these gentlemen years be-
fore, and held them in high esteem for their uniform kind--
ness and other excellent qualities. But I had a duty to perform
for the Church, I was commissioned by my superiors to seek
intercourse with the heads of the Eastern communities, and to
make known to them, not only our good-will towards them, but
our doctrines and constitution, and I sacrificed my feelings to
what I deemed to be a solemn and imperative obligation. For
how could I rightly perform the latter, if at the same time
friendly intercourse with those who were doing all in their power
to create schisms in the Churches, pointed me out as their asso-
ciate ? or how could I justify such intercourse with my repeated
expositions and assurances to them that the Independents were
not of us, but originally Separatists from the Church of Eng-
land, and held doctrines widely differing from our own ? It was
impossible; and any such fellowship on my part would have
been hollow and insincere. And why should the Independents
object that their peculiar doctrines should be made known to
the Eastern Churches? If true, he who exposes them will serve
as their minister ; and if false, the sooner they abandon them
and return to the Catholic faith of their ancestors the better.
If the differences which separate us are as trifling as they would
make them, then their continuance in schism is the greater sin,
and they must feel persuaded that, if united with us, their work
would be far more likely to be blessed among the Christians of
the East.
Let it not for a moment be thought that any ill-will has dic-
tated the above. As a body of men the American Independents
are exemplary in their lives and conversation, and my heart's
desire is that they may see the great hindrance which their con-
tinued separation causes to the success of Eastern missions, and
be led to join with us in the confession of “one Lord, one faith,
one baptism.”
During our stay in Constantinople the American dissenting


RESULTS OF THE AMERICAN MISSION.
11
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
I had some conversation with several of their principal converts,
who called upon me of their own accord in Beyroot and Aleppo
as late as 1850, and the truth of the above remarks forced itself
upon me.
Talk of the infallibility of the Pope ! these young
men seemed to lay claim to inspiration, and decided what was
truth and what was error with the assurance of Apostles.
Another thing which struck me also in their conduct, was the
importance which they attached to Protestantism, by which I
mean the bare rejection of certain doctrines held to be true by
the communities from which they had seceded.
Theirs was
evidently a religion of negation ; for, these errors discarded, it
did not appear with them a matter of much importance what
truths were embraced and what were rejected. As to all out-
ward forms and sacred rites, these they looked upon with con-
tempt, and it made one's heart sick to hear these children of
yesterday treat with scorn and derision things which their fore-
fathers and the holy Church throughout the world had revered
from the beginning of Christianity.
Sad, sad indeed, is it to think what the necessary conse-
quences of such teaching must be! The leaven has already
begun to work, and unless stayed in its progress, will sooner or
later taint the Eastern Churches with a latitudinarianism and
rationalism, far more pernicious than the errors and supersti-
tions with which they have so long defaced the pure truths of
the Gospel. It is time indeed, that the Church of England
should awake to a sense of her responsibilities towards the East,
from which she first received a knowledge of Christ, and to
emulate the zeal of the Independents, whose large band of mis-
sionaries, extensive scholastic establishments, and sumptuous
residences, betoken an earnestness and liberality worthy of our
imitation.
During our stay at the capital I was honoured with several
interviews with Sir Stratford Canning, whose courtesy and
friendliness I shall ever remember with gratitude.
then as since, doing all in his power to obtain an amelio-
ration of the condition of the Christians in Turkey, and his
benevolent efforts have not been in vain. Unswerving in his
He was


12
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
integrity, firm in his just demands, and spurning the question-
able expediency of ordinary diplomatists, he has wrought for
himself a name for uprightness and inflexibility of purpose and
principle which even the lax Turks have learned to honour and
to applaud.
The hot season having set in before our preparations for
departure were fully made, we decided to remain at Constanti-
nople, where for the space of three months, I had frequent
opportunities, in company with Mr. Southgate, of conversing
with many of the Greek and Armenian Clergy, and of explaining
to them the doctrine and discipline of the English Church. For
the reasons already given, they were profoundly ignorant of us,
and in most cases looked upon us as a sect of Protestants,
differing little, if at all, from the Independents. It has ap-
peared to me, that, if a treatise were written with the sanction
of our Bishops at home, and dedicated to the Patriarchs and
other clergy of the East, in which our Church and her relations
to other Churches should be fully explained, the effect thereof
would greatly tend to remove the many suspicions, misconcep-
tions, and erroneous notions, which at present exist among them
in regard to ourselves. The following should be among the
points treated of :—History of the foundation of the British
Churches; the commencement of Papal domination; the dif-
ferent conduct of our Church under the Papal yoke ; causes
which led to a reform; the Reformation explained and vindi-
cated; the doctrines and corrupt practices which were then
discarded ; why others not corrupt were suspended or disallowed ;
an exposition of our faith as contained in the Creeds, Articles,
Rituals, Homilies, and Canons ; causes of our little intercourse
with the Oriental Churches, arising out of our former subjection
to the Pope, the Reformation and subsequent events, extensive
colonies to provide for, our isolated position, &c.; attempts
formerly made to bring about communion with the holy East-
ern Church: these altogether distinct from the late efforts of
Dissenters which are not recognized by our Church ;. what are
the religious principles of Dissenters in the United States and
in England; the Church of America shown to be a sister Church;
our amicable designs and wishes on behalf of the Eastern
Churches; the blessings which may be anticipated by a re-union


CITY OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
13
of the East and West, &c. I am persuaded that a work of this
kind would be well received, extensively read, and be productive
of much general good.
So numerous are the published journals now-a-days of tra-
vellers who have visited Constantinople, that I must refer the
reader to them for a full account of the modern Byzantium. Its
unrivalled situation and genial atmosphere, its sea-river lined
with sumptuous palaces and sylvan valleys, its Golden Horn
traversed by many a light caïque, its magnificent mosques, and
extensive cemeteries, over which forests of cypress throw a
perpetual shade, its gaudy and rich bazaars, crowded with
merchants and spectators from every eastern clime, all these
deserve a detailed description ; but this task I must leave to
others and betake me to my onward journey.


14
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER II.
Departure from Constantinople and arrival at Samsoon.—Description of Samsoon.
-Amâsia, the ancient Amasea.—Intercourse with Armenian clergy.--Tocât,
its trade and population.-New Papal Armenian Church.— Intervention of
France to obtain the erection of new churches.—Grave of Henry Martyn.-
Tocât, anciently Eudocia, and not the Comana Pontica.—Jews at Tocât.
WE bade farewell to our kind friend Mr. Southgate at Therapia
on the 30th September as we embarked on board the Austrian
steamer “Prince Metternich," and shortly after found ourselves
on the troubled waters of the Euxine. At 6 A.M. we reached
Sinope, a small sea-port of ancient Paphlagonia, where we re-
mained but half an hour to disembark a few Turkish passengers,
and at 1 P.M. we cast anchor in the roadstead of Samsoon.
Notwithstanding that this is a place of growing importance, at
which the steamers from Constantinople touch in their weekly
voyages to Trebizond, such is the neglect of the Turkish govern-
ment that it cannot boast of a quay or pier, and men and
merchandize are landed on the shoulders of porters who wade
up to their middle in order to come at the boats. The remains
of an old pier are visible on the beach, but like every thing else
in this empire, that which begins to decay is left to perish, nor
does aught but stern necessity drive the government to attempt
any restoration.
Samsoon is situated at the foot of a range of high hills which
border the shores of the Black Sea from east to west as far as
the eye can reach. It was anciently known as Amisus, a name
given to it by a colony of the Miletians who settled here, and
who were afterwards joined by emigrants from Cappadocia, and
by a band of Athenians who fled hither from the tyranny of
Aristion. Nothing however remains of the former attractions


SAMSOON.
15
which induced Pompey to select it as his favourite residence.
On a hill to the west of the town are a few ruins, which have
been supposed to point out the site of the ancient acropolis, but
this is
very
doubtful. The modern town is a miserable assem-
blage of wretched houses, said to contain three hundred and fifty
Mohammedan families. A crime committed by a member of
the Greek Church some years ago was considered sufficient
ground to exclude any Christian from taking up his residence
within the town, and the descendants of the citizens of ancient
Amisus inhabit the large village of Cadi-kieui, about three hours
distant from Samsoon, where they have a church and two priests,
one of whom is the village schoolmaster. They are all of the
Greek rite, and belong to the diocese of Trebizond.5
A lodging was provided for us in one of the town houses
through the kindness of Mr. Richard Stevens, the British Vice-
Consul, where we put up for the night. In the meanwhile
our Tatar was engaged in making the necessary arrangements,
such as hiring horses and mules, and procuring provisions for
our departure on the morrow. I had been advised by travellers
who had gone over our projected route by no means to go un-
accompanied by a Tatar, and now at the outset, as well as during
the whole journey, we found the services of old Kushker Oghloo
almost indispensable. Had he been a little more conscientious
in the fulfilment of his engagement, we should have been spared
some few inconveniences and extra expenses which his duplicity
and avarice imposed upon us; but my former experience in
eastern travelling prevented any disappointment on this score,
and on the whole we had much cause to be thankful for the
important services which he rendered us. Without his assist-
ance we should often have been obliged to encamp in the open
air, more frequently to have put up with scanty food, and re-
peatedly to have suffered impositions without any possibility of
redress. His semi-official character generally ensured respect
to our party, and added weight to the imperial firman which we
had obtained before leaving Constantinople. It was ludicrous
in the extreme to witness his first interviews with several of the
pashas on the road. After some preliminary inquiries as to
what was going forward at the capital, he was generally asked
whether his protégés had a firman. “Boo kadar," said Kushker


16
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Oghloo, stretching out his fat arms to their utmost extent, as
if to intimate that the document in question was two yards long
and adequately stringent in import.*
Oct. 3rd.—After breakfasting with the Consul we set off from
Samsoon at 10 A.M., our road lying over a hilly country well
clothed with wood, particularly the stunted oak and several
species of acacia. In about three hours we entered the skirts
of a forest, but were soon obliged to leave the caravan route and
to take refuge in a miserable Moslem village called Chakal-
kieui, as the rain now descended upon us in torrents. Here
our accommodations were of the worst description : a sorry
beginning to those of our party who had not been accustomed
to eastern travelling. The khan of the village being full, and
moreover open in every direction to the impending storm, we
were obliged one and all to take up our abode in a wretched
hovel, about ten feet by twelve, the mud floor of which was
covered with piles of wild apples, which grow in the woods
around. This fruit is gathered by the villagers and sent in
large quantities to Constantinople, where it is used for culinary
purposes.
Besides the apples, a number of agricultural imple-
ments and articles of household furniture of the most rustic
description were left to encumber the only room of the poor
tenants who had been dislodged for our temporary accommoda-
tion. Uncomfortable as we were under these circumstances, the
discomfort was nothing compared to what we suffered during
the night from the swarms of fleas, which prevented any one of
our party from sleeping a wink, until the morning dawn bade us
to prepare for our departure.
Oct. 4th.—Left Chakal-kieui at 7 A.M. and in two hours and
a half reached Cavak, a Mohammedan village of about forty
mud and log huts, with a small mosque, where we exchanged
horses at the Menzil-knaneh, or post-house. The road hither
led us through a continuation of the forest which we entered
yesterday, and was romantic in the extreme. Here and there
* This class of men is gradually becoming extinct since the establishment of
a bi-monthly post from the capital to the eastern provinces of the empire. In
former times they were the confidential couriers of the Porte and of the different
Pashas who employed them, and who from them obtained their principal infor-
mation of the intrigues which were working at the capital and at the distant
pashalics.


LADIK.
17
were patches of tilled ground which had been cleared by the in-
dustry of the peasants, whose isolated cottages, perched high up
above the valleys, gave a picturesque and lively appearance to
the whole.
After resting an hour at Cavak, we pursued our journey over
a plain, tolerably cultivated, and then entered again upon a hilly
district, with less wood than that which we passed yesterday.
At half-past 3 P.M. we reached Ladik, romantically situated at
the foot of a range of high hills covered with verdure. Here we
were lodged in the house of an Armenian, and fared much
better than we did at Chakal-kieui. There are fifteen Armenian
families at this place, with a church and priest : the Moham-
medan population is reckoned at two thousand souls. Ladik, a
name given by the Turks to several other towns in Asia Minor,
which were called Laodicea, bespeaks for it an ancient origin;
and this conjecture is confirmed by a few relics of ancient archi-
tecture still extant, among which is an octagonal building with
Doric columns, supposed by Ainsworth to be the ruins of a
Greek church. The modern town contains two large and well-
built mosques, about twenty smaller ones, and two convents of
Derwishes. The minarets of the mosques, rising above the
thick trees, reminded us at a distance of some of the village
spires of our native land. Would that they were Christian
temples !
Most of the Mohammedans here wear the green turban, a
sign of their relationship to the arch-impostor, and their being
a privileged race accounts for the tolerable degree of comfort and
security which seemed to reign throughout the place. The
houses are better built, and the streets more cleanly and regular,
than in any of the villages which we passed through on our
journey. This evening being the first of the Ramadhân fast, we
were disturbed throughout the night by the frantic howling and
whirling of the Derwishes in a large mosque close by our
lodgings.
Oct. 5th.—Left Ladik at 7 A.M. For three hours our road
lay over the same hilly country, where we met two foot guards
placed here for the protection of travellers. Whether true or
false, they strove to persuade us that banditti had been seen
с


18
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
lurking in the wood, and that it was necessary that they should
escort us through the hills ; a baksheesh being more the object
of their anxiety than our safety. Until 1 P.M. when we reached
the narrow and winding valley of Amâsia, our route lay over an
uninteresting and uninhabited tract of country, with an exten-
sive wild of sand on our right. On entering the valley we
crossed one of the principal tributaries of the Yeshil Irmak, or
ancient Iris, which joins that river about sixty miles to the east.
This stream flows through the gorge, which is well cultivated,
and abounds in vines, mulberry, and other orchard trees,
especially the apple, the fruit of which is reckoned superior to
any in Asia Minor.
After journeying for three hours through
a continued garden, artificially watered by numerous irrigating
machines, which are turned by the force of the current, we came
in sight of the town, situated on the eastern bank of the river,
and hemmed in by lofty precipices. Here the bed of the river
is about sixty yards wide, and is spanned by three bridges, two
of wood and one of stone, the latter built entirely of the remains
of ancient Amasea. Many other relics are still to be seen
about the streets, but none worthy of particular notice. The
mountain opposite the town rises to the height of five hundred
feet, and forms an impregnable rampart along its whole extent.
On a projecting peak of this natural barrier are the ruins of an
extensive castle, the colossal walls of which are carried over pre-
cipices seemingly inaccessible. At sunset the sound of fife and
drum announced to a few soldiers, who garrison a small barrack
of modern construction within the citadel, that the hour of
feasting after fasting had arrived.
Below the castle, on the perpendicular sides of the mountain,
are many sepulchral grots, supposed by some to be the tombs of
the kings of Pontus, whilst others have referred their original
construction to the Zoroastrians of Persia, to which monarchy
Amâsia belonged, and formed the capital of the third satrapdom
as far back as three hundred years before Christ. The several
Greek inscriptions which are to be found over these tombs, but
which are so defaced by time as to be illegible, may have been
added in after ages by some of those states which took posses-
sion of Amâsia after the destruction of the Persian dynasty by


AMASIA.
19
Alexander. The following is a correct sketch of one of the
principal tombs, which I take the liberty of copying from
Ainsworth,

Strabo, who as is well known was born at Amasea, has left us
a faithful description of that city. The natural features of the
place remain as they were when he wrote, but the splendid
monuments of art which once ornamented his native town bave
long since disappeared. A French writer suggests the following
as a principal cause of this destruction : "To say nothing of
the ravages of war and barbarism, there is another species of
devastation which goes on from day to day, owing to the general
custom prevalent in Anatolia, of constructing the houses with
flat mud roofs, which serve as yard, garden, and sleeping apart-
ment, to the inhabitants during the hot season. These being
split into a thousand cracks from exposure to the sun, would
serve as a poor protection against the rains of winter, if the
occupiers did not take the precaution of constantlyrolling them
with a large cylinder, which unfortunately is not taken from the
quarry,
but from the ancient edifices and tombs. If we calcu-
late that Amâsia contains about six thousand of these terraces,
and that each terrace has its roller, it is easy to conceive what
ruin this cause alone has wrought.”
Amâsia is governed by a Mutsellim, or deputy governor,
appointed by the pasha of Siwâs, to which pashalic it belongs,
and may be reckoned one of the most flourishing towns in this
c2


20
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
It contains two large and well-built mosques, besides
many smaller ones, the bulk of the population being Moham-
medan. The Armenians at Amâsia number five hundred
families, who possess three churches, and are under the juris-
diction of the Bishop of Tocât,6 the person at present filling that
See being a deposed Patriarch. There are also fifteen families
of the Greek rite at Amâsia, who have a church, a priest, and
a school. These know no other language than Turkish, which
is spoken by all the Christians in this district. I was told that
there were three villages in the vicinity inhabited entirely by
members of the same community, who as well as those of
Amâsia belong to the diocese of Sinope.7
The Mutsellim gave us a lodging in a house annexed to one
of the Armenian churches, where we were kindly entertained.
In one of the lower rooms was a school in which upwards of
sixty boys were assembled. On the master's table I observed a
number of books and tracts in Armenian and Armeno-Turkish
from the press of the American Independents at Smyrna, which
had been sent to Mr. Krug, a Swiss mercantile agent, and the
only European in Amâsia, to be distributed among the people.
On inquiry, I found that the introduction of these works had
not received the sanction of the Bishop. The master's idea
was, as it was the idea of the three Armenian priests who
called upon me, that they contained the teaching of the English
Church, and it was some time before I could convince them to
the contrary.
In the evening we had a visit from Mr. Krug, accompanied
by Yakoob Nuah Oghloo, a young Latin Armenian, and the son
of a rich Baghdad merchant, who resides here for the purposes
of trade. We received much courtesy and kindness from these
gentlemen, which was the more to be appreciated as being shown
to perfect strangers.
The conversation soon turned
upon
Church matters, in which both appeared to be alike interested.
The young Armenian was strongly prejudiced against the Eng-
lish, because, as he said, they denied the efficacy of the Sacra-
ments, had no Bishops and consequently no valid orders, paid
no reverence to saints, despised all pictures, even the emblem of
the cross, observed no festivals or fasts; and several other cus-


JOURNEY FROM AMASIA.
21
toms and practices he enumerated which no more applied to us
than they did to his own communion. I saw at once that he
was confounding us with the Independents, some of whose tracts
he had read, and that he had no idea of any other English
Church than that which he himself had described. Fortunately
he read modern Greek remarkably well, and taking out the only
copy of our book of Common Prayer in that language which I
possessed, -one of the last edition printed by the Society for
Promoting Christian Knowledge, -I succeeded in proving to
him the existence of a Church in England with doctrines, rites,
and ceremonies, different from those which he had attributed to
her. The youth was delighted in the extreme, and begged so
hard for the Greek copy of our ritual that I presented it to him.
The distribution of our Prayer Book in the Eastern language
is an excellent means of making the native Christians better
acquainted with our Church.
Our interview lasted till midnight, but our kind visitors did
not suffer us to depart on the morrow without sending us a
token of their remembrance in a present of excellent apples and
several loaves of Frank bread.
The principal product of Amâsia is silk, of which six hundred
bales are annually exported to Europe.
Oct. 6th.—We started from Amâsia at 7 A.M., and continued
our journey through the well-cultivated valley, at some distance
from the river. When about one hour from the town our mule-
teers pointed out to us a small ruined building, beneath which
he said was a spring of water, believed by the Greeks to have
gushed forth miraculously when the corpse of S. Chrysostom
was laid upon the spot, as it was being borne in triumph to
Constantinople from Comana Pontica, the place of his exile
and death.
After leaving the valley, our road lay over uncultivated plains
bounded by low hills, sometimes barren and sometimes scantily
covered with furze. At 1 P.M., we put up at the Mohammedan
village of Ina Bazaar, containing about thirty mud huts and a
small mosque. Here we were lodged in the Konagh, or house
which the villagers in these districts provide for the accommo-
dation of government officials, or for other travellers, in order
not to be subjected to the inconvenience and impositions with


TOCAT,
23
villages. Three hours before entering Tocât we journeyed
through the pleasant orchards for which this town is justly
celebrated. The town itself covers the bases of three hills
which unite towards its centre. The houses are well built,
the streets clean and regular, and the bazaar spacious and well
supplied with merchandize. A branch of the Iris flows through
the town and waters the picturesque vineyards and gardens
which fill up the environs. The grapes and pears of Tocât are
considered superior to any in this part of the country, but from
some opposite property, supposed to exist in the atmosphere,
the inhabitants are obliged to send their grapes to Siwas to be
made into wine, as that prepared by themselves is of a very
inferior quality
Tocât was formerly one of the great centres of Asiatic com-
merce, but since the establishment of steam communication
between Constantinople and the shores of the Black Sea, Tre-
bizond and Erzeroom have become the principal caravan route
to the Persian and other eastern markets. Some years back it
possessed many large calico printing manufactories, but these
have well nigh disappeared, the owners here, as in other towns
of Turkey, having found it impossible to compete with the cheap-
ness and superiority of British exports, the produce chiefly
of our Manchester and Liverpool machinery. The principal
trade of the place at the present day is in copper utensils,
wrought out of the metal brought from Arghana Maaden in the
Taurus, and from hence sent to every part of the empire. I
met here an Austrian engineer who was engaged in putting up
a machine for purifying the copper ore which was to be worked
by the water of the river. The only other Frank at Tocât was
a young man from Trieste, who acted as agent to an extensive
company established in Austria for trading in leeches. This
gentleman informed me that the natives caught them by enter-
ing into the pools and streams, having their legs covered with
felt stockings to which the leeches adhered, and were thus easily
secured.
Tocât is governed by a Moohassel, or collector, appointed by
the pasha of Siwâs, who ordered us a lodging at the residence
of the Papal Armenian Bishop. The Bishop being absent, we


24
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
were welcomed by two priests, who had been educated at the
Papal Armenian convent in Mount Lebanon, and afterwards
went to the Propaganda at Rome. Connected with the epis-
copal residence is a neat church, large enough to contain six
hundred people, which has been built within the last four years,
partly by subscriptions raised in this country, but chiefly by
contributions from France and Rome. The
necessary
firman
for erecting the church was obtained, it is said, gratuitously;
and the same imperial sanction has lately been accorded to the
Romanists to erect several new churches in Baghdad, Urfah,
and other towns of the empire. This concession on the part
of the Turks is in direct contravention of a Mohammedan law,
which prohibits the building of any new Christian temples, and
only allows the repairing of such as existed at the time of the
Mohammedan conquest.
This fact also serves to show the
great influence exercised by France in behalf of the Latin mis-
sions in the east; for while such privileges were being granted
to her protégés by the Porte, it refused permission to us, chiefly
upon the ground of the law alluded to, to erect a church at
Jerusalem. There is reason to believe that such favouritism
having become known, the British government finally in-
sisted upon the concession which they had so long solicited
in vain.
And this sort of indulgence, which France has demanded and
obtained from the Porte, has not been the least cause of the
success of the Roman missions in Turkey. I have myself met
with numerous instances of village churches belonging to the
Jacobites and Nestorians, which were going to ruin, and the
people obliged to worship in a private house, because the pro-
vincial authorities prevented their restoration unless the neces-
sary
firman was first obtained. To procure this a large sum
is always demanded, which they were unable to pay; whilst
the dissenters to Rome, by applying through their Bishop
or Patriarch to the nearest French consul, or to the French
ambassador at Constantinople, obtained the requisite sanction
without any trouble or delay. It is chiefly in respect of such
concessions that Monsieur Boré thus writes : "Les Catholiques
n'auraient pas obtenu leur émancipation, si la Porte, affaiblie


GRAVE OF HENRY MARTYN.
25
par
la perte de la Grece, rendue à la liberté, et par ses dernières
guerres avec la Russie, n'avait craint de s'opposer aux vives
réclamations de la France."
The bulk of the population of Tocât is Moslem ; the Papal
Armenians number 150, and the Armenians 2,000 families,
with seven churches and two monasteries in the vicinity of the
town. The Greeks are estimated at 1,000 souls, with one
church and three priests included within the diocese of the
Bishop of Neo-Cesarea.
Oct. 9th.—This being the Lord's day, we went in the after-
noon to the Greek church, which vas opened for us by one of
the three nuns who occupy an adjoining house. Having brought
our Bibles and Prayer Books, we read together the Evening
Service for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. No sooner
did the old clerk perceive that we were performing our devo-
tions, than he lighted two.candles and placed them before the
altar screen. The service ended, we had an opportunity of ex-
plaining to a number of persons who had assembled as spectators,
whence we were, and the order of the prayers which we had
been offering
On leaving the church, we engaged the services of an Ar-
menian priest to show us the grave of Henry Martyn, who
closed his pious labours at Tocât in the year
1812.
singular coincidence that we should have lighted upon the very
individual who had performed over his remains the rites of
Christian burial. After straying for some time among the
tombs of a large cemetery, he pointed out to us a small marble
slab, which covers the resting-place of this devoted missionary.
I recalled to mind upon the spot the fervent zeal and ardent
piety of the departed, and lifted up a secret prayer that God
in His mercy would raise up many of a like spirit to labour
among the benighted Mohammedans of the east. Amidst all
the invidious detractions of the Jesuit, Mons. Boré is reluctantly
obliged to record this testimony of our departed brother: “Il
était ami du bien, et du ceux qui l'aiment. Il désirait redresser
les vices deshommes et les rendre heureux."
The following is a transcript of the stone and epitaph raised,
as the concluding initials inform us, by the piety of Mr. Rich,
the then British resident at Baghdad. By some inadvertence
It was a


26
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
the name
William ” has been substituted for that of “ Henry"
in the inscription.
REV.VIR
CUC • MARTINO
SACER.AC. MISS ANGLO.
QUEM.IN. PATR. REDI.
DOMINUS
HIC. BERISÆ AD.SB.VOC.
PIUM.D. FIDEL.Q. SER
A.D.M.DCCCXII.
HUNC.LAP.CONSAC.
C.T.R.
A.D.M.DCCCXIII.
Whilst we mused over this spot, which must ever be hallowed
in the heart of every true member of the Church, Mrs. Badger
sought out and planted a row of wild flowers round the tomb.
Long may their shadow and perfume deck the grave of this
departed follower of CHRIST!
On leaving the place, I put into the hand of the priest a
small present for his trouble, whereupon taking off his turban,
and standing at the head of the grave, he offered up a devout
prayer for the rest of the soul departed, that with patience and
resignation he might wait for and attain perfect consummation
and bliss in body and soul in eternal and everlasting glory, at
the great day of final retribution.
Tocât, which the Armenians call Evtogia, probably derives its
name from the Empress Eudocia, and is situated on the Iris,
about six miles from Comana Pontica, with which Ainsworth
confounds it. Of this latter city which, like the Comana of
Cappadocia, was once so renowned for its heathen hierarchy and
its impure Pagan rites, scarcely any thing remains but a good
stone bridge, to which the Turks have added an arch composed
of fragments of pillars, and other relics of ancient art. It is
not improbable, that when the site of the city was changed, the


TOCAT,
27
remains of Comana served as materials for the erection of the
new city of Eudocia. Several mutilated Latin inscriptions are
to be found in the modern Tocât, especially near the citadel,
the foundations of which are probably coeval with the first
building of the town.
There are a few Jewish families at Tocât, with a small syna-
gogue. They are for the most part pedlars and petty traders,
and appear
to be
very poor.


28
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER III.
Departure from Tocât.-Guard-house in the mountains.—Siwâs, its ancient
history, present trade, and population.- Pass of the Two Brothers.—How
to secure a good wife.- Hekim Khan.-Subterranean church.-Kabban
Maaden and its silver mines.- Entrance of a pasha into Kharpoot.-Inso-
lence and oppression of the provincial governors.—The Geoljik lake.-
Grandeur of the Taurus.-Arghana Maaden and its copper mines.-Arghana.
-Ragged escort to a Coordish encampment.-An unprejudiced Mohamme-
dan.- Arrival at Diarbekir.
Oct. 10th.—We left Tocât at 8 A.M., accompanied by two
guards sent with us by the governor, and travelled over a wild
and rugged district until we reached a Derbend called Coord
Beli. It snowed much all the morning, and our journey was
rendered more difficult because Mrs. Badger and I had taken
the winter in preference to the summer road, the former being
the shorter of the two. We reached the Derbend, which is
situated in a mountain pass, at 11 A.M., where we alighted to
await the remainder of our party. Here we were welcomed by
the guards, who put fresh fuel to the fire round which they were
seated, and then busied themselves in drying our cloaks, which
were thoroughly wet. The Tatar, who had a good appetite and
seldom forgot to carry with him a supply of provisions, had
brought a leg of mutton from Tocât slung to his saddle. This
was soon artistically cut up, the ramrod of a musket served as a
spit, and in a short time we were regaled with a good luncheon
of cabáb, and a draught of sour milk, which the guards kept
preserved in a bladder, and which when diluted forms an agree-
able beverage. The hut was built of logs and mud, and was
furnished with a couple of rough stone divans, several pieces of
old carpeting, a few cooking utensils, and a bed quilt or two.
The room itself was not more than twelve feet
square,
and yet


SIWAS.
29
six guards, two large Coordish dogs, and a sheep, seemed to find
a comfortable shelter under its roof. The walls were hung with
matchlocks, swords, pistols, and other weapons of defence, and
the novelty of the scene as well as the good humour and
cheerful songs of the weather-beaten soldiers soon made us
forget the fatigue of our morning ride.
We left the Derbend at l P.m., and in two hours came in
sight of the lofty Yulduz Dagh, or Mountain of the Star, which
rises like an immense pyramid from the surrounding plain. The
heavy clouds which were being fast drifted by the wind occa-
sionally hid its snowy summit from our view, and then ever and
anon sparkled gloriously in the rays of the sun, which shone
forth from an expansive field of blue. Yulduz Dagh is within a
few miles of the large Mohammedan village of Ghirkhen, which
we reached at 5 P.M.
Oct. 10th.–Our road from Ghirkhen, from whence we started
at half-past 6 A.M., lay over a high table land, which stretches
almost to the entering of Siwâs. The only object of interest in
a long nine hours' ride was a copious spring, six inches in
diameter, which literally gushed out of the soil into an adjoining
stream. The country around was only partly cultivated, and
though we saw some villages in the distance, a solitary Derbend
was the only human habitation in the direct road.
The entry to Siwâs we found dirty in the extreme, arising
chiefly from the narrowness of the streets and the numerous
streams which flow through the environs. A good wall and two
citadels built, as an existing inscription informs us, by Aboo’l
Fettah, A.H. 621, and rebuilt by order of Sultan Mohammed,
the son of Moorad Khan, in the year 861 of the same era, once
surrounded the town, but like the town itself are at present in a
most dilapidated condition. The pasha of the province, who
resides here, allotted us a lodging in the house of a respectable
Armenian, who received us kindly, gave us a good supper, and
gladly chatted with us about the affairs of his church and peo-
ple till near midnight.
Cabira, the treasure city of Mithridates, and the ancient name
of Siwas, was first changed by Pompey into Diopolis, and after-
wards into Sebastia, from whence the modern appellation is
derived. At the time of Justinian it became the capital of


30
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
at 8 A.M.,
Lesser Armenia, but in 1080 it reverted to the Byzantine em-
pire, from which it was shortly after taken by the Seljukians. It
finally fell into the power of the Osmanlis under Mohammed I.,
who wrested it from the Turcomans in 1415.
One-fourth of the population of Siwas consists of Armenians,
who number here 1050 families, with three churches, several
priests, and a bishop. The Papal Armenians do not amount to
more than fifty persons, and hold their services in a private
house. The Greeks, who reckon but twenty families, have a
small church and a priest.
Siwâs is renowned for its excellent honey. Its chief export is
wool, which is also manufactured here into hose, gloves, &c.,
and sent to all parts of the empire.
Oct. 12th.--Accompanied by six mounted guards we left Siwas,
and in one hour crossed the broad bed of the Kizzil
Irmak, the ancient Halys, over a bridge of eighteen arches.
The road now led over a continuation of the same high table
land that we had traversed yesterday, and at half-past 10 A.M.
we reached a pass in the hills called Tcifté Kardash, or the
Couple of Brothers, consisting of two narrow pathways separated
by a mass of rock, and which, according to tradition, derives its
name from two brothers having crossed without meeting, whilst
one was on his way from Constantinople to visit his brother,
and the other journeying from Baghdad to the capital for the
same purpose. In a valley beyond this is a salt spring, from
which large quantities of salt are procured during the summer
season by evaporation. After travelling over an uninteresting
route for five hours and a half we reached the village of Oolash,
containing about sixty Armenian families, engaged principally as
agriculturists and shepherds. The mud hovels of these Chris-
tians were dirty and comfortless, and the poor
and
oppressed
people themselves seemed equally miserable. There are three
priests and a small church in the village, and I was informed
that an American Independent missionary, who had preceded
me by a few days on his way to Mosul, had distributed nume-
rous tracts among
the villagers.
Oct. 13th.—Started from Oolash at 6 A.m., and in four hours
reached Delikli Tash, or the Riven Rock, inhabited entirely by
Moslems, where we changed horses and guards. The place


KANGAL-HEKIM KHAN.
31
derives its name from an adjacent cliff containing two natural
apertures, through which the superstitious villagers believe it
impossible for a criminal to pass, and that if any one succeeds
in entering in at one and coming out at the other he is sure to
obtain a good wife when he is in need of one.
After resting an hour we travelled over a wild and barren
country, and at 3 P.M. put up at Kangal, a village containing
twelve Armenian and twenty Mussulman families. The former
have lately rebuilt their little church, and invited a priest from
a large monastery about four hours distant to reside among
them. On account of the heavy falls of snow in this district the
houses are built very low and partly under ground. They
generally consist of one room, which is shared by the villagers
and their cattle. The poor people willingly resigned to us their
portion of the apartment, but as they could not dislodge their
animals we had to pass the night in close contact with sheep,
goats, mules, and asses.
Oct. 14th.-After going six hours over a barren country we
reached the miserable Mohammedan village of Alaja Khan, the
limit of the pashalic of Siwâs. The day after we traversed a
district called Soofoolalloo, cultivated by Kizil-bash Turcomans,
the followers of Hussim, and in seven hours reached Hasan
Tcelebi, where we put up for the night. Wishing rather to
spend Sunday among Christians than among Mussulmans, we
left the latter place very early in the morning, and in four hours
came to Hekim Khan. To our great disappointment we heard
that most of the Christians had been obliged to quit the village
on account of the continued tyranny and oppression of their
Mohammedan neighbours. Only twelve out of forty Armenian
families now remained in the place, and their abject condition
bespoke the harsh treatment which they had received from their
infidel masters. Poor people! they looked up to us with hope-
ful interest, and entreated that we would do something to relieve
their misery
Towards the evening, we visited their little church : it was
such a place as we may imagine the early Christians to have
worshipped in, when they were obliged to resort to caves and
dens of the earth, to conceal their persons and sacred rites from
the fury of their heathen persecutors. Like the rest of the


32
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
buildings, it was partly under ground; and receiving no light
from without, we were obliged to crawl through a narrow pas-
sage, which led into the interior, with tapers in our hands. The
body of the church was about eighteen feet square, and seven
feet high, the roof was supported by four upright beams, a few
rough boards separated the sacrarium from the nave, on each
side of the altar hung a tolerable painting, and in a corner was
a chest containing the shattered remains of their rituals. One
priest continues faithful to his flock, and it was a touching
spectacle to see how the poor people loved and revered him. To
my great surprise all the children were able to read, and I
heard from them that the missionary already alluded to had left
them a few tracts when he passed through their village. The
priest offered to sell me several Roman coins which he had
picked up in the vicinity, and he literally wept as he parted
with his little treasure. The villagers being unable to support
him, he is obliged to work in the fields like a common labourer.
He informed me that Hekim Khan was within the diocese of
the Armenian Bishop of Cesarea, who has a Chorepiscopos at
Malatiyah.
The Mohammedans here have a mosque, and I was informed,
that over the gateway of what served now as a khan, there was
a long Greek inscription.
Oct. 17th.-Eleven hours' travelling brought us to the Mos-
lem village of Tahir-kieui, and it took us about the same time
to reach Kabban Maaden on the following day. For the sake
of brevity, as well as not to weary the reader with such like
repetitions, I must refer him to the map for the general features
of the country over which we passed. Before reaching the
town, we crossed the Euphrates, which at this place is about
one hundred yards wide, in large open boats resembling in form
a huge slipper. Into these our horses and mules entered with-
out any ado, and in a few minutes, we were all comfortably lodged
in the house of a respectable Armenian.
Kabban Maaden appears to be in a very flourishing condition,
and we remarked that the Christians here did not complain of
oppression. The town contains twenty families of the Greek
rite, with two churches and a Bishop, besides a monastery
in the vicinity. The Armenians, who are under the Bishop


MEZRAA-KHARPOOT.
33
of Siwâs number four hundred families and possess two
churches.
We paid a visit to the smelting furnaces, of which there are two
in the town, one worked by Greeks, which produces daily ten
pounds of mixed metal, and the other by Germans and Hunga-
rians, which produces double that quantity. The silver is sepa-
rated from the lead at a different furnace, worked exclusively by
natives, and from this is forwarded to the capital. The whole
business is under the superintendence of a Frank overseer.
Oct. 19th.—Six hours after leaving Kabban Maaden, we
reached the Armenian village of Arpaoot, where we had hoped
to remain for the night ; but finding that a troop of Albanians
had been quartered upon the poor Christians for the last fifteen
days, and were still eating up their scanty provisions like a flight
of locusts, we continued our journey for an hour longer, and
put up at the Mohammedan village of Pelté. Here we had
some difficulty in obtaining a lodging in a filthy hut from which
we were driven by swarms of vermin, so we finally spread our
carpets for the night under an open shed.
Oct. 20th.-Three hours after leaving Pelté we reached Mez-
raa, where we were obliged to halt in order to change horses. On
our way, we passed the large village of Koolverk, near which is
a monastery, both inhabited by Armenians. The pretty plain
in which Mezraa is situated reminded us of some country places
in our native land; but how different is the condition of the
villagers who inhabit those little dwellings, from which the
curling smoke is ascending towards an azure sky, and whose
labour it is that renders the scene around so gay and beautiful,
from the husbandmen of happy England! The heart sickens
at the contrast, which only those can enter into who have wit-
nessed the baneful effects of a despotic and infidel government.
Mezraa is situated on the plain immediately below the large
town of Kharpoot, which stands upon a rocky hill about two
miles distant, and is the residence of a Jacobite Bishop, whose
diocese joins that of Urfah, and includes five hundred Syrian
families.
Whilst resting at the post-house, we witnessed the entry of a
new Pasha into Kharpoot. The number of officials of all ranks
from the towns and villages, the large assembly of Coordish
D


34
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
chiefs, Moollahs, and Oolema; as well as the immense crowd of
merchants and tradesmen who had met together, clad in their
gaudy oriental apparel, to greet the new comer, made the spec-
tacle at once gay and attractive. A troop of Albanians in their
rich dresses, and a company of Turkish infantry were drawn up
to salute his Excellency as he passed, whilst two cannon kept up
a constant fire in honour of the event. But amidst all this pa-
geantry, one could not help reflecting how much misery this
new appointment had already occasioned, and how much it was
still destined to occasion to the unfortunate subjects. At what-
ever town or village a Pasha and his suite, in this instance it
consisted of three hundred mounted followers), put up during
their journey, the poor
inhabitants are obliged to supply all their
wants gratuitously, and not unfrequently get abuse and stripes
into the bargain. This is the third appointment to the pashalic
of Kharpoot during the current year; and as every new gover-
nor generally attains to office by a large bribe, he naturally
seeks to make good his advance with interest during his uncer-
tain continuance in office; and to come at this, the poor subjects
are ground to the dust by the fresh exactions of each succeeding
tyrant who is sent to rule over them. They may talk of the
Hatti Shereef, that vain chapter of privileges, in London or Paris,
and praise the toleration and justice which it awards to all
classes of the Sultan's subjects; but beyond the immediate eye
of the ambassadors, this far-famed Magna Charta is no better
than a mockery.
Four hours after leaving Mezraa, we reached the small Mo-
hammedan town of Moollah-kieui, where we found it difficult
to obtain shelter, as every house was occupied by Albanian
troops.
Oct. 21st.—Left Moollah-kieui at 4 A.m., and after ascend-
ing the rugged hills beyond, we came in sight of the Geoljik
Barmaz Ovasi lake, just as the sun rose from behind the mighty
Taurus, shedding a grandeur over the mountain scene which no
language can adequately describe. The lake, which appeared to
be about twelve miles long and five wide, is hemmed in by
gigantic rocks, and presents the appearance of a huge basin.
After crossing its northern extremity, we entered the Anti-
Taurus, and having forded one of the sources of the Tigris, we


PASSAGE OF THE TAURUS.
35
rested awhile at a khan, before beginning the most fatiguing
part of our journey, which still lay before us.
We then began the ascent of the Taurus, winding our way
now through valleys, and now over the sloping sides of preci-
pices, in continual danger of being precipitated from the narrow
foot-path into the deep gorges below. The mountains here as
well as for miles around are almost barren, having been stripped
of their wood to supply fuel for the mines at Arghana Maaden ;
but still the scenery is grand and even beautiful, and the
traveller can hardly help feeling as he traverses these majestic
heights, how insignificant man is, and how infinite must be the
power of Him Who created these gigantic masses of earth,
enriched them with never ending stores of wealth, fashioned
them at His pleasure, and fixed them so that they cannot be
moved by a power less than almighty.
On reaching the summit of the Taurus, we commenced the
difficult descent to Arghana Maaden, a small town situated on
two sides of a deep gorge, and so shut in by the encompassing
hills that our entrance into it was as sudden as it was welcome.
We had travelled for thirteen hours over a toilsome road in heat
and cold, and Mrs. Badger, who had hitherto borne up against
fatigue, fainted as soon as she left the saddle.
There are at Arghana Maaden 150 Moslem, 200 Greek, and
190 Armenian families. The Greeks have a church, four priests,
and a school in the town, which is the only place on our road
where we found this people speak their own native language;
those we had met with hitherto spoke Turkish, which they write
in Greek characters. They are reckoned within the diocese of
Kabban Maaden. The Armenians, who also have a church
here, are under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Arabkir. As
might have been expected, they knew nothing of the English
Church, and had only heard of us as being Lutherans.
Most of the inhabitants of the place are engaged in working
the copper mines in the vicinity, which are generally let by
government to a company of native merchants, who are supplied
with fuel, and receive ten twelfths of a penny for every pound
of metal which they remit to the refiners at Tocât. There
being scarcely any wood left in the vicinity, the poor Coords are
obliged to bring it from a distance of seven days' journey for a
D 2


36
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
mere trifle. No less than nine furnaces are kept constantly
at work, which produce from 2,800 lbs. to 3,000 lbs. of metal in
twenty-four hours.
Excellent wine is made here from the grapes which grow
almost wild in the mountains around.
Oct. 22nd.—We left Arghana Maaden at 6 A. m., and after
travelling about five miles crossed another tributary of the
Tigris over a good bridge. In three hours we reached Arghana,
situated on the sides and summit of a high hill, and inhabited
by 400 Armenian and 200 Mohammedan families. There are
two churches in the town, and a large monastery built upon à
craggy eminence, and commanding an extensive view of the
wide plain which stretches to the south so far as the eye can
reach. Our guard from the mines was here exchanged for two
of the most miserable apologies for soldiers that can be
imagined. One was armed with an old rusty sword without a
scabbard, and the other carried a musket, but noammunition. The
poor fellows, who were almost naked, had evidently been pressed
into our service from the streets ; but they trudged on cheerily,
keeping up with our horses for five long hours over an arid
waste, till at 4 P.M. they delivered over their charge in safety to
Bektash Agha, the chief of a branch of the Omeryân Coords,
who with about one hundred followers was encamped in the plain.
The Agha received us kindly, and ordered one division of his
large tent to be prepared for our reception. We had scarcely
seated ourselves when Osman Pasha, with about thirty Turkish
horsemen, arrived on his way to greet the new pasha of
Kharpoot. These gentry soon made themselves at home,
ordered forage for their horses, and sat down to devour the
past which the Coords had prepared for themselves. Osman
Pasha was accommodated in a division of the tent adjoining
ours, and hearing that an English traveller was his near neigh-
bour, he begged me to dine with him. He sat in the tent with
his watch in hand, now looking towards the west, then at the
dial-plate, anxiously awaiting the legal hour to break the fast
of Ramadhân. He then set to in good earnest, and after going
through his ablutions begged that I would amuse myself until
he had performed his devotions. A lesson this worthy the
imitation of Christians.


ARRIVAL AT DIARBEKIR.
37
Whilst my host was dilating on his attachment to the Franks,
and especially to the English, a flock of geese approached
within a few yards of us, and set up a most dinning cackling.
“Do you hear those birds ?” said my unprejudiced companion :
“such are the notes of the unbelievers in hell.”
Oct. 23rd.--Five hours' ride from the encampment over the
same plain which we had crossed yesterday, brought us to the
gates of Diarbekir, where we were quartered by the governor in
the house of a papal Syrian who bade us welcome, and hospi-
tably entertained us during our short stay.


38
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER I V.
Diarbekir, the ancient Amida.—Ruins of an old church.-Greek and Latin in-
scriptions.-Description of Diarbekir.-Trade and population.- Armenians
and their churches.-Papal Armenians.-Greeks.-Chaldeans.-Jacobites.-
A novel painting.–Papal Syrians.—A Capuchin's complaint of intolerance.
-Female costume.-Character of the people.
INSTEAD of dividing the items of information which I collected
at Diarbekir during this and two succeeding visits, I shall sum
up the whole in the present chapter, and shall endeavour to lay
it before the reader in as interesting a form as possible.
Diarbekir, the ancient Amida, and still known to the Turks
as Kara Amid, or Black Amida, on account of the colour of the
basaltic rock in the vicinity from which the town is built, stands
on the western bank of the Tigris and on the extreme border of
Asia Minor. It does not appear to be mentioned in history
before the fourth century of our era, when according to the
Syriac chronicle of Edessa, as given by Assemanni, it was
enlarged by the emperor Constantius, A.D. 349. During the
numerous and protracted wars between the Romans and Per-
sians, it became a place of considerable importance, the posses-
sion of which was several times warmly contested by the two
rival powers who successively lost and regained it.
The principal relic of ancient art extant at Diarbekir is near
the Great Mosque, to which it now forms a court, and is sup-
posed to have been a Christian Church. It consists of an open
area measuring 230 ft. by 115 ft., the eastern, western, and part
of the northern walls of which are still standing. Along these
is a double row of Corinthian pillars, one above the other, the
lower measuring 18 ft. and the upper 10 ft. in height, both sur-
mounted with rich friezes, upon which some fine ornamental
Cufic inscriptions have been engraved. In the eastern wall,
which appears to have served as the screen, is a fine Grecian


INSCRIPTIONS AT DIARBEKIR.
39
arch; but no traces of the sanctuary remain; the part which it
probably once occupied now forms a wing of the bazaar. In the
western wall there is a similar arch occupying the place of the
principal entrance. The northern wall of the modern mosque
was most likely the southern wall of the church ; but, if so, it
has been plastered and filled up in order to correspond with the
general character of the mosque, which is a plain building, with
a sloping roof, and a square tower which tradition affirms to have
been once a belfry.
Near the northern gate, called Bâb-ool-Jebel, we discovered
the following fragment built into the wall upside down, a clear
proof that it does not occupy its original position.
ΘΕΟΔΩΡΟΥ
ΟΙΡΑΤΗΛΑΤΟ
ТОЛЛАТА ЄT
AIAMINHTOT
TWNPWMAI
Higher up, on the same side of the gate, is another inscription
which is not in so good a state of preservation. It is as follows:
TETT DYAHIAIS
ΔΙΑΚOΙΚΟΔΟΗΥΑΝΘΗ
TOICEE NETANAW
HATWNANAPWNW
NATIAYIYNAT "TAONOHENPP.ZWHO
ΕΤΟΥΣ ΘΕΥΤ
The next is a Latin entablature which has been partially de-
stroyed by a cannon-ball, and records the names of the emperors
Valentinian, Valens, and Gratian.
VIRTVTEPRECIPVISLYVESTIS
IMPERATORIBVS SALVIS
VALENTINIANOVA
GRATI ANO,PERPE
ACTRIVM FATORIBVSIM
PERAVCCCCIVITAS
PIETATISE OR VIYTID
FABRICA VAT


40
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Besides the above there are some fine specimens of Cufic in-
scriptions, and several rude figures of birds and lions engraved
upon the city walls. Numerous fragments of pillars of black
basalt, especially capitals, are also to be found in every street of
the town. These are of the same material as well as order with
those so common in the north of Syria, especially about Aleppo
and Mumbej, the ancient Hierapolis.
The modern town, which is about four miles in circumference,
is of a circular form, and is surrounded with a good wall fortified
by several hundred turrets. In this are four gates facing the
cardinal points of the compass, viz., Bâb-ool-Jebel, Bâb-Mardeen,
Bâb-ool-Jedeed, and Bâb-oor-Room. The environs on the
northern and western sides are covered with graves, to the east
flows the Tigris, and on the south are some extensive and plea-
sant gardens. Many of the houses are well built, and some of
the entrances to the numerous mosques are fine specimens of
elaborate Saracenic architecture. There is also a large Khan in
the city, known as Hasan Pasha's, and now formed into a bar-
rack for the troops. The khan is constructed of alternate layers
of rectangular blocks of white and black stone, and is deservedly
admired for its size and the symmetry of its parts. Many of
the common dwellings, however, are built of rough stone over-
laid with mud, and the streets are generally narrow and dirty in
the extreme. The citadel and palace are situated to the north-
east, and are separated from the rest of the town by a mud wall;
the former is nothing more than a heap of rubbish, and the few
cannon which defended it seemed totally unfit for use. The
enclosure, besides the private residence of the pasha, comprises
a mosque, several sumptuous tombs, and the ruins of an ancient
church which now serves as a magazine.
The same cause which has turned the current of trade from
Tocât has also operated to deprive Diarbekir of much of its for-
mer importance as a commercial city; nevertheless it appeared
to be in a thriving state. Provisions of all kinds are cheap, and
fruit abundant, especially melons, which attain to so large a size
that two sometimes form a mule-load. I was not a little sur-
prised during my second visit to see in the bazaar large piles of
vegetable rhubarb, which is used here as an acid in cookery.
Mrs. Badger could not resist her home associations, and deter-


INHABITANTS OF DIARBEKIR.
41
mined to test its qualities ; so a rhubarb pudding was made, and
our host was not a little surprised to see us eat it with sugar.
The principal export of the place is silk, the cultivation of which
has been introduced within the last few years, and is manufac-
tured and sent from hence to all parts of Coordistan.
Turkish and Coordish are the two languages generally spoken
by the inhabitants, Arabic being but little known. The popu-
lation of the place is more than half Moslem, including Turks,
Arabs, and Coords; of the Christians I shall speak more in
detail.
According to the last census, the Armenians of Diarbekir
number 1700 families, with two churches, a Bishop, and thirty
priests; there are besides several villages of the same rite in the
vicinity of the town. The churches, one of which has been
lately rebuilt, are spacious edifices, and connected with each is a
school in which 300 children receive regular instruction in
ancient and modern Armenian. Bishop Egop being absent, I
had a long interview with his archdeacon and with many of the
priests, who were anxious to hear of our Church and people.
They were surprised to learn that we had bishops in England,
and that in other important respects we differed from the In-
dependents.
Until lately the papal Armenians worshipped with the Chal-
deans, but they have now built a splendid church. They num-
ber about seventy-five families with two resident priests, and
their numbers are said to be on the increase.
The Greeks have a small church in the town, consisting of a
transept, in which are the tombs of S. Cosmas and S. Damian
to whom the church is dedicated, and a semi-circular nave sur-
mounted by a dome. On my first visit there were only fifteen
members of this rite left, all the rest, to the number of fifty
families, having submitted to Rome. The orthodox Greeks
were then left without any spiritual guide, if we except an occa-
sional visit from a priest who came from Kabban Maaden,
whilst the Romanists made all haste to secure their ground by
taking possession of the church, and by sending a bishop to
look after the interests of the new converts. The Greek Patri-
arch succeeded in reclaiming the church, and I am happy to
say that within the last three years, the dissenting bishop and


42
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
most of his flock have returned into the bosom of the Greek
Church.
The Chaldeans of Diarbekir number 120 families, with a
bishop and three priests; there are also a few of the same rite
in the adjoining villages of Tcarookhia and Ali Pasha. The old
church, which was rebuilt twelve years ago, is enclosed within
two courts, (in one of which is the episcopal residence,) and is a
good substantial building. Like most of the other churches
here, the nave is nearly square, and is divided into three aisles.
The sanctuary is separated from the nave by a screen containing
three arches, one in front of each of the three altars [that is,
the Altar, properly so called, the Prothesis, and the Table in the
Diaconicon] generally to be found in the Eastern churches. In
the old Armenian church at Diarbekir there are no less than
seven altars. A part of the nave is set apart for the female
portion of the congregation, who are separated from the men by
a partition of lattice-work. In the new Armenian Church more
attention has been paid to ecclesiastical architecture. The three
entrances, before which is a spacious portico, a deacon informed
me were intended to represent the three cardinal virtues, re-
pentance, faith, and obedience; the double row of four pillars,
the four evangelists; the twelve lower painted windows, the
number of the Apostles; and the twenty-four upper windows,
the Prophets. A square railing in front of the principal altar
serves for a sanctuary, and the font is generally placed near the
prothesis.
We interchanged visits with Mutran Botros, the Chaldean
Bishop, who was very polite to us, and readily answered all our
questions. He is of Nestorian origin, and was sent to Rome
when young, and educated at the Propaganda. Like most of
the Chaldeans at Diarbekir who are descendants of the old Nes-
torians, he is a zealous supporter of the papacy, and it was once
thought that he would have been raised to the patriarchate
instead of Mutran Zeyya of Salamast. On inquiring whether
he spoke French, he replied in the negative, giving as a reason
that he happened to be at Rome just after Napoleon's retreat,
and that the Italians were so prepossessed against anything
French, that he was not permitted to study their language. He
informed me that the tombs of the Chaldean Patriarchs Joseph


JACOBITE CHURCH IN DIARBEKIR.
43
II. III. and V., of whom more will be said bereafter, were in a
cemetery without the city walls. Joseph I. and IV. were buried
at Rome.
Having received letters from Mutran Behnam to the Jacobite
Syrians, we were hospitably welcomed, and treated with much
attention by them during our stay. Mutran Girgis of Khar-
poot, as well as all the clergy and principal laymen were invited
to meet us at dinner, and to these I had abundant opportunity
of explaining the doctrines and discipline of our Church, of
which they were profoundly ignorant. They begged us to send
them a few copies of our Prayer Book in Arabic, which I after-
wards did, as also some other useful works printed by the Church
Missionary Society at Malta. They had obtained possession of
a polemical treatise written by the American Independents, in
which several important doctrines common to us and all the
Eastern Churches are impugned, and they were not a little
pleased to hear that in these respects there was no difference
between themselves and the teaching of our ritual.
We next proceeded to visit their church, which, like all the
rest in this city, is situated in an open court into which we
passed through a door not more than three feet high. Some
say that this narrow entrance is intended to teach humility of
mind to such as go to worship; but it is more likely designed
to prevent the ingress of horses and other animals into the
court-yard. The church, which is dedicated to the blessed
Virgin, differs little from those already described. Within the
Sanctuary are two thrones for the Patriarch and Bishop, and
immediately adjoining the church is a square chapel, dedicated
to S. James, in which the baptismal font is placed. Several
large paintings, or rather daubs, deface the walls, one of which
deserves to be noticed as well on account of the doctrines which
it illustrates, as for the novelty of the figures which are intro-
duced into it. The subject was the final judgment, in which
an angel is represented as weighing the souls of the departed,
whilst Satan in human form, painted black, with a long tail and
two horns, is taking down into hell such as are found wanting,
amongst whom were two conspicuous figures intended to repre-
sent Adam and Eve.9 In another part of the picture an angel is
announcing to the righteous that the LORD has finally prevailed


44
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
against the Serpent; and just above the fire are seven small
figures which my informant told me typified the state of infants
who die unbaptized.
I found the Jacobites here as elsewhere inferior to any of the
native communities in general intelligence: their ecclesiastical
affairs are very badly administered, and their bishops and priests
far behind the clergy of all the other sects. But as I shall have
to speak of them more fully hereafter, I shall on the present
occasion restrain any further remarks on this subject.
On my second visit to Diarbekir I met with Mutran Abdool-
Messiah, generally known to us as Athanasius, who was ac-
quainted with Bishop Heber in India. He had gone over to the
Romanists and returned again to his own community, and was
then living at one of the Jacobite villages in the vicinity, of
which there are several around Diarbekir. When I last passed
through the town he had gone to his final home.
Diarbekir is not the seat of a Jacobite Bishop, but is under
the immediate control of the Patriarch, who occasionally sends
a Bishop to act as his delegate. There are about 250 Jacobite
families in the city; the papal Syrians number forty families
with two priests, who are under the jurisdiction of Mutran
Antoore of Mardeen. The religious services of the latter are
conducted in a private house.
Before leaving the city we had a visit from one of the Italian
Capuchins, who have a convent here. He complained much of
the treatment which he had received from the Armenians at
Urfah, whither he had gone to create schisms among them, and
where the Latin Monks have at length succeeded, through the
influence of France, in building a new monastery. These men,
like some other missionaries, seem to deem it a strange and very
wicked thing that the native churches should resist the encroach-
ment of Romanism or dissent.
The costume of the females at Diarbekir resembles that of
Aleppo, and consists of a tight silk or satin dress, open in front,
with long pendent sleeves, which is bound round the waist with
a rich girdle. A small red cap, with a long tassel made to hang
in front of the left shoulder, and a neat turban fringed with
gold braid, over which a gauze handkerchief is lightly thrown,
forms the common in-door coiffure. In the streets they go


CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE.
45
unveiled, enveloped in a large white or blue sheet, (I can call it
by no other name, as my lady readers would not understand
the native word tcertcef,) which envelops the whole person, and
is drawn over the head or face as much as convenience or modesty
may dictate. Wide yellow boots form part of the ordinary
walking attire, but these are laid aside in the house for neat
fantastic slippers, in the choice of which the Eastern dames are
as fastidious as the most fashionable belles in Europe.
One word upon the general character of the people of this
city. A popular Arabic adage when translated runs thus: “In
Diarbekir there are black stones, black dogs, and black hearts."
The latter attribute I declare to be set down in malice; for though
perhaps less refined and cultivated in their tastes than the
natives of Syria and Baghdad, they are equally courteous and
hospitable, and happily free from a laxity of morals which I am
sorry to say has been introduced into those parts chiefly by
Europeans.


46
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS,
CHAPTER V.
Departure from Diarbekir.—Coordish complaints of Turkish oppression.-Ap-
proach to Mardeen.-Horrible spectacle in the market-place.—Massacre of
the Coords.—Town and population of Mardeen.- Description of Deir
Zaaferân, the residence of the Syrian Jacobite Patriarch.-Library.-Origin
of the convent.-Tradition of the “. Woman's Castle." - Instance of Mo.
hammedan bigotry.—Journey through Jebel Toor in 1850.—Killeth.-
Midyât. - Ignorance of the Jacobites.—State of the Jacobite Church at
Azekh.- Arrival at Jezeerah.-Harsh conduct of the Syrian Patriarch.
Oct. 26th.—The pasha having ordered the gates to be opened
to us at an early hour, we left Diarbekir at 2 A.M., accompanied
by ten horsemen, and after twice crossing the Tigris over two
good stone bridges, we pursued our journey through the plain
beyond till we reached the Geok Soo. Here the country begins
to be hilly, and continues so as far as Mardeen. We rested an
hour on the road, and finally put up at the Coordish village
of Khaniki Djori at 3 P.M.
We had now fairly entered upon the Coordish district, as
nearly all the villages from Diarbekir to Mosul are inhabited
by this race. So many and grievous were the complaints of
these peasants against the cruelty and oppression of their
Turkish rulers, that the stand which they made
years after under Bedr Khan Beg, the Emeer of Jezeerah,
is not a matter of surprise. I frequently inquired why so
many of their countrymen became rebels, and they uniformly
replied in language to this effect : “What can we do? If we
descend into the plains, build us villages, plant vineyards, grow
corn and barley, and till the barren soil, we are so overwhelmed
with taxation and impositions of every kind, that our labour,
though blessed of God, is of no profit to ourselves. We con-
tinue poor and wretched, and are subjected to the most unheard
a few


TYRANNY OF THE TURKS.
47
of tyranny. Our inability to satisfy the demands of our ra-
pacious masters is looked upon as a crime, and in revenge our
villages are razed, our very beds and implements of husbandry
are taken fromus, some of our people are murdered, and others
are carried away captive. What, then, remains to us? We
leave our homes, and seek refuge among our brethren in the
mountains who are more out of the way of oppression ; but
even there we are liable every year to be hunted like partridges.
Such is our lot ; but Allah kereem ! God is merciful.” The
village where we stayed the night is an instance of this tyran-
nical system : the Turks bad already exacted from its forty
houses no less than £120, and still demanded £6 more as the
amount of their annual taxation. The inhabitants declared that
they had not wherewith to pay the additional sum, and on this
account many had already left, and others were preparing to
leave for the mountains. I am persuaded, that under a righteous
government, the Coords might be made an obedient and useful
class of subjects, for even at present, were it not for them, this
whole district would be a barren waste.
Oct. 27th.-Seven hours' ride through a rough and barren
country, brought us to the foot of Mardeen, situated on one of
the boldest summits of Mount Masius, the ascent to which,
though rugged and difficult, is covered with vineyards and
fruit-trees. On approaching the town from this side, nothing is
seen but the citadel perched upon the top of the hill, and a part
of the wall, the town itself being built upon a slope facing the
south, and commands a view of the seemingly boundless plains
of Mesopotamia. Ainsworth well describes it in these words:
“The prospect from Mardeen is one of the most striking that
can be well conceived, not only from the almost infinite extent
of cultivated land that lies stretched out at its feet as on a map,
from the numerous villages and hillocks with which they are
studded, and which dwindle away in the distance to a mere
mole-bill, but also from the vast and almost boundless expanse
of nearly level ground, unbroken by trees or rivers, and for the
most part sinking gradually from sight to the utmost verge of
the horizon, where every thing is indistinct, and here, from the
great height at which the spectator is placed, so extremely
remote.”


48
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.

MARDEEN.
On entering the city walls, we found ourselves amidst a heap
of ruins, and it was some time before we could persuade our-
selves that the place was not deserted. Preferring to walk
through the streets to the house of Agha Moorad, the Armenian
banker, who hearing of our arrival had kindly invited us to be
his guests, we passed the market-place, where to our horror we
saw no less than seven heads, covered with dust, lying upon
the ground. On inquiry, I learned that these had been brought
in as trophies by Mohammed Pasha's Albanians, from the
Omeryân Coords inhabiting Jebel Toor; and the day after I
saw a large number of horses, asses, mules, and even cows,
laden with all manner of booty taken from the same people,
being driven into the town, and amongst these were several


MARDEEN.
49
loads of human heads, and a number of prisoners, of whom
some were to be impaled on the morrow. It is natural for us
to
suppose
that the crime which called for such cruel vengeance
must have been great indeed. It was this : One Rammo, the
Kiahya, or head of one of the central villages, had received a
large sum of money as Salyán tax from the district of which
he was the collector. Of this Rammo had embezzled more than
half, and the pasha, instead of punishing the defaulter, ordered
the Coords to make good the balance due. And, because they
either could not or would not, a troop of Albanians was sent
against them, who plundered all the refractory villages, mas-
sacred about 150 persons, and committed other excesses too
horrible to be related. The heart sickens as it contemplates
such atrocities; but such is the temper and spirit of the
Ottoman government.
Besides the prospect, there is nothing worthy of note in the
town of Mardeen. The houses are of stone, and rise one above
another towards the summit on which the ruined citadel stands.
The streets are narrow and filthy in the extreme, and the in-
habitants look woe-begone and wretched. Coordish is the
common language spoken by all classes, though Arabic is better
known here than at Diarbekir. The principal trade of the
place is in gall-nuts, which are collected in the mountains around,
and sent to Aleppo for shipment to Europe.
The population of Mardeen is computed at 2,780 families,
of which 1,500 are Moslem, 600 Jacobite, 120 Papal Syrian,
500 Papal Armenian, and 60 Chaldean. The Jacobites have
two churches and four priests in the town, besides three mo-
nasteries in the vicinity. The Syrian Romanists worship in a
private house, and have a Bishop and four priests here. The
Papal Armenians have one church, a Bishop, and six priests,
besides a convent not far from the town. The Chaldeans also
have a church, a Bishop, and four priests. In addition to the
above, there are a few families of resident Jews.
Having received a letter of introduction to the Syrian Jaco-
bite Patriarch from Mutran Behnâm, we set off to visit the
patriarchal residence at Deir (convent) Zaaferân, which is
situated in the hills, about four miles north of the town. Mar
Elias was absent, but we were greeted by Mutran Yaacoob, the
E


50
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Jacobite Bishop of Jerusalem,* who ranks as the first prelate
after the Patriarcb, and by Rabban (Monk) Behnâm, the Pa-
triarch's nephew, who acts as his agent during his absence.
The conversation naturally turned upon Church matters, and I
soon discovered the cause of a certain coldness which we ob-
served in the demeanour of some present. They took us to be
Ingleez, a term which is often applied in the east in the same
vague way as that of Protestante in Italy, i.e. infidel, heretic,
schismatic, rationalist, &c. They had never before heard of our
Church, and seemed pleased when I promised to send them a
stock of books and several copies of our ritual.
Deir Zaaferân is a plain square substantial building, outwardly
devoid of any architectural ornament. The interior we judged
to be even meaner than the exterior; which is not to be won-
dered at, seeing that it has been ransacked so often by the
different revolutionary parties, who for the last fifty years, have
struggled to obtain possession of Mardeen. The church within
the convent is small and dirty, and very poorly fitted up. It
contains three stone altars, separated by two wooden partitions,
a few miserable paintings, and a string of small glass lamps.
In the chancel which is before the screen, but not separated
from the nave, are two lecterns, where the prayers are recited,
and in the body of the church are three similar stands, from
which the homilies and lives of the saints are read.
The font is placed in an adjoining room or cemetery,—the
burial-place of Syrian Patriarchs and Bishops for many ages.
Two sides of the apartment, which is of an oblong form, are
indented with eight deep recesses, seven of which contain the
tombs, and the eighth the baptismal font. In the recess oppo-
site the entrance, are deposited the remains of Mar Eughène, to
whom the Church just described is dedicated, and who long
after his death, as the Jacobites say, requested his nephew to
transport his corpse from Jebel Toor, where it was first buried,
to its present grave.
We were then shown into a small square chapel, called the
Koorsi, or throne, containing a stone altar, behind which is an
ornamental marble altar-piece surmounted by a cross, believed
* The Jacobite Bishop of Jerusalem seldom resides in the Holy City, some
other being sent thither as his delegate.


DEIR ZA AFERAN.
51
little use
to have been consecrated by S. Peter, at Antioch, and to have
continued in the possession of his successors the Syrian Pat-
riarchs, until the present day. The altar-piece consists of three
niches, one within the other, on the borders of which the Scrip-
ture taken from S. Mark xvi. 13—18, is engraved in bold Es-
trangheli characters.
We next visited the library, if a dirty cupboard containing
about one hundred manuscripts may be so called. Among these
I found a portion of the writings of S. Chrysostom, most of the
writings of Gregory Bar Hebræus, and the entire works of S.
Ephrem in Syriac, besides a compendium of the ante-Nicene
Fathers, written in Estrangheli characters, about A. D. 1000.
It is clear that the residents of the convent make
very
of the library, as most of the books were covered with dust, and
scarcely any further care seemed to be taken of them than that
of keeping them secure from being read or stolen.
From the several remains of Grecian and Roman architec-
ture which are scattered about the premises, as well as from the
unecclesiastical disposition of the interior, I am induced to
believe the tradition which ascribes its foundation to one Mar
Hananya, of Caphr Tootha, a village in the plain, who is said to
have purchased the building fifteen centuries ago while it was
yet a castle, and to have converted it into a monastery. As we
returned from the convent, we noticed to our left an immense
mound, on the summit of which are the remains of an ancient
fortress, called Kalaat-ool-Mara, or the woman's castle, which
tradition says, was held by a female against Tamerlane, who
planted fig trees at its base, and ate of their fruit during
his vain attempts to reduce it. It was finally delivered by the
following stratagem : during winter, when no leben is made,
because the cattle give no milk, the lady had a dish of this sour
curd prepared from the milk of a bitch, which she sent to
the king. Judging from this that the resources of the castle
were inexhaustible, he raised the siege and returned to his own
country.
On reaching the city gate, an incident occurred which strik-
ingly illustrates the extent of Mohammedan bigotry. A boy
had fallen from a horse and cut a deep gash in his cheek ;
whereupon I advised his brother who was standing by, to take
E 2


52
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
“What do you
him to a fountain and give him some water.
mean ?” said the fellow,“ do you not know that it is Ramad-
hâm ?” “ What of that?” I answered. “Will you let your
brother faint from loss of blood rather than give him the water
which Allah has provided for you close by ? Take him at least
to the fountain, and bathe his wound.” In a most surly tone
he rejoined : “ That you may do ; but I would rather see him
die in agony than suffer him to break the fast by moistening his
lips with water.”
During our stay at Mardeen, I had several long interviews
with Mutran Matta, a Jacobite Bishop with whom I afterwards
became well acquainted at Mosul, and who now resides in
the convent of Mar Mattai not far from that town. From
bim, as well as from many of the Syrians, I learned much of the
state of their Church, and of the Jacobite population of Jebel
Toor, which is inhabited chiefly by this people. “There our
strength lies," said the Bishop; “there the Romanists have not
dared to show their faces." So much did they boast of the
numbers and flourishing condition of their co-religionists in that
hitherto unknown district, that I determined, if possible, to visit
it. I had not an opportunity of doing so till 1850, and as I
intend in the succeeding chapter to give a general sketch of the
present condition of the Jacobites, I shall first lay before the
reader the following
Notes of a journey through Jebel Toor.
Nov. 27th, 1850.—Having been provided with a Kawass, or
mounted orderly, through the kindness of Asaad Pasha, of
Diarbekir, Mrs. Badger and I left that city at 1 P. M. on our
way to Jebel Toor. The orchards under the walls displayed all
the rich tints of autumn, the grass was just peeping above the
ground, and the air was cool and refreshing. After fording the
Tigris, some miles above the bridge, we commenced traversing
the plains, and in three hours put up for the night at the pretty
Armenian village of Saté, where the inhabitants received us
kindly, and busied themselves in supplying our wants. The
villagers here seemed contented and happy, and extolled the
mild rule of the pasha of Diarbekir.
Nov. 28th.—At 7 A. M. when we started from Saté, the air


JOURNEY THROUGH JEBEL TOOR.
53
was quite cold, and a light frost lay upon the ground. In two
hours we left the great Bitlis road, and three miles onward
reached the Coordish village of Kara Ahmet, where we halted.
to wait for our baggage mules. Here we saw two Coords wash-
ing a still-born child; after washing it they laid the corpse on a
large copper dish, and then sprinkled its knees and other parts
of the body with fine tobacco, the object of which I could not
learn. Soon after leaving Kara Ahmet, we again forded the
Tigris, which is here very sluggish in its course, and continued
our route over the plains, passing several villages and rivulets,
which I have noted in the map, and at 4 P. M., put up at the
large village of Coordirek, situated near a pleasant stream bor-
dered with poplars, willows, and mulberry trees. The country
through which we passed is inhabited almost exclusively by
Coords, who cultivate the entire district south of the Tigris as
far as the borders of the Arabian desert. On the whole they
treated us with much civility, for a due share of which we were
doubtless indebted to the presence of the Pasha's Kawass.
There are ten Armenian families in this village.
Nov. 29th.--Started from Coordirek at 7 A.m., and continued
our journey over the offshoots of a high range of hills which the
Syrians told us is called Koròs in their books. In two hours
we reached Dereesh, another Coordish village, most of the
houses of which are built over subterranean caves, some of natu-
ral and others of artificial formation. I examined several of
these which were unoccupied, and found them to contain a few
niches, a rude fire place, and a hole in the roof for a chimney,
but not a vestige of any inscription. Before 1 P.M. we had
crossed the lower chain of bills and began descending into a
deep valley, which separates it from the high Koròs range, and
through which a pretty stream flows towards the Tigris. The
valley smiled with cultivation, pretty orchards surrounded the
villages, and numerous rivulets ran through the gardens in
every direction. Leaving the Coordish town of Saoor, which is
situated on an isolated rock in a gap of the mountains and de-
fended by a ruined castle, to our right, we entered a deep and
fertile ravine, which leads through the Koròs, and reached Killeth
at 4 P.M., where the inhabitants gladly welcomed us, and where
we were comfortably lodged in the house of the Kiahya. Killeth


54
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
contains 120 Jacobite families, most of whom speak Arabic as
well as Coordish and the vulgar Syriac. There is an old church
in the village divided into two aisles, one of which is in ruins,
and notwithstanding all their applications to the Mutsellim at
Saoor, and to the pasha of Diarbekir, they have not yet received
permission to rebuild it. The interior was dismal and dirty,
and my expostulations with them on this head were met with
replies such as these: “What can we do? If our patriarch, or
if such as you, will not assist us, we must remain as we are.”
I then urged upon them and upon their three priests how much
they might do themselves; they might at least clean their
church, take better care of their rituals, and engage one of the
priests to instruct their children. This was bringing strange
things to their ears, for they evidently had not the mind to
appreciate the value of such advice, as they certainly lacked the
energy to follow it. The priests were very illiterate men, and
the villagers of course more so; the former could indeed read
the Syriac, but did not understand it, and of the latter not more
than four could read at all. . The worst feature in them was that
they appeared quite satisfied with their religious attainments;
they recited the prayers in the church, kept the fasts, main-
tained the heresy of the One Nature, and paid the patriarch
his dues; they had not been invaded by Romish missionaries,
and their security in this latter respect seemed to them a great
source of exultation.
There are here a number of subterranean caves like those
noticed at Dereesh, and a large grotto in a cliff opposite the
village containing several apartments, said to have been used by
hermits for many ages.
In the courtyard of the church we
observed some remains of Grecian architecture, such as fragments
of chapiters and friezes, and the people told me that old silver
coins were occasionally picked up in the neighbourhood.
Nov. 30th.-On leaving Killeth at half-past 6 A.m. our road
lay for some time through deep valleys of the same chain of
mountains, which were covered with wood, especially the stunted
oak, and here and there well cultivated. We passed several
Coordish villages on our road, and at 5 P.M. reached the large
village of Midyât, inhabited exclusively by 450 Jacobite families.
Here we found five priests, six churches (four of which are in






C. Grał, lithog
JACOBITE FEMALES OF MIDYAT IN GEBEL TOOR


MIDYAT.
55
ruins), and a monastery, situated about three miles to the north
of the town. The villagers here seemed in good temporal cir-
cumstances, and talked mightily of their successes against the
Coords ; one, pointing to his dagger, said that he had killed
twenty Mussulmans with that weapon. Like those at Killeth,
the Syrians at Midyât prided themselves in being Jacobites,
whilst very few of them can read, and not a single school exists
among them. A bishop, who is said to be ninety years of age,
and who had once taken to himself the patriarchate, had left an
adjoining village some weeks before for Diarbekir, whither he
had gone in his old age to join the Papal Syrian community
under Mutran Antoon. This secession did not seem to affect
them in the least. "We can get another," said they with the
greatest indifference, “or, what will be better, you yourself can
come and reside amongst us." This was added more out of com-
pliment than from any apparent desire for a better state of
things. With regard to religion they seemed to believe that
they were “full and in need of nothing," whilst their gross
ignorance of the general doctrines of Christianity, rather declared
them to be “poor" indeed.
The dress of the Christians in these districts is like that of
the Coords, consisting of wide woollen shalwar, or trowsers, a
coloured vest of the same material, bound round the waist with a
girdle in which the dagger is worn, a long black and white jacket,
a pointed felt cap, and a large dark muslin turban covered with
spots of red. The female attire comprises a pair of shalwar,
and a red robe somewhat resembling a surplice, the long sleeves
of which are generally tied together and thrown behind the
shoulders. This is secured to the waist by a narrow girdle with
two large ornamental silver clasps. The head-dress is peculiar
to these parts, and in form is not unlike an archer's helmet,
made of a pointed cap, and covered with large pieces of silver
money, laid on like scales, over which, when the wearer leaves
the house, a light veil is thrown.
There is a small castle at Midyât, in the ruins of which the
Mutsellim and a few irregular troops find shelter ; the houses
of the town, though built of stone, are little better than hovels,
and extremely dirty. There is no spring near, but water is col-
lected in cisterns during the winter, which sometimes falls


56
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
noon.
short, and the people are obliged to bring it from a distance.
This is the case in many parts of the Toor mountains, and I
have heard numbers say that they have been refused a draught
of water whilst travelling this route in summer. Grapes are very
abundant in the vicinity, and we bought a large basket of them
here for about twopence. There was a great ferment while we
were at Midyât, on account of the alleged discovery by a shep-
herd boy, of a vase of gold coins in one of the numerous natural
caves with which this district abounds. The ignorant villagers
ascribed the impress on the money to the empress Helena, with
whose name they are traditionally familiar. In all probability
they were ancient coins, but the lucky finder and his associates
having decamped, a strict search was maintained by order of the
pasha for their apprehension.
Dec. 1st.We left Midyat at 7 A.m., and travelled over a
rocky country, passing several Coordish and Yezeedee villages on
our road, till we reached Deir-ool-Amar at half an hour after
This is a large Jacobite convent, where two monks and
a few peasants who till the convent lands reside. Externally
the building looks like a fortress, the interior we found to be in.
a very ruinous state. It contains a large church dedicated to
Mar Gawrièl, the reputed founder, and one of the monks
pointed out to me with evident pride a pavement of Dutch tiles
before the principal altar. There was certainly nothing else to
distinguish it from all other Syrian churches; it was dark and
dirty, and in strict keeping with the general appearance of the
place and its tenants.
The convent contains a Beit Kaddeeshé, or cemetery, con-
sisting of two subterranean galleries, in which Mar Gawrièl and
many Jacobite bishops are buried.
The monks were very
illiterate men, and seemed ignorant of every thing beyond the
precincts of their present abode. They spend their time chiefly
in looking after the revenue of the convent lands, which is claimed
by the patriarch, in reciting the prayers, and in waiting upon
the visitors who occasionally frequent the monastery from the
neighbouring villages.
After resting for an hour, we pursued our journey over the
same hilly district and rugged road, passed a Syrian village
with a neat looking church on our left, saw the remains of ex-


MIDDO-AZEKH.
57
tensive terracing in the hills beyond, and at 3 P.M. reached Ba-
Sebreena, a small town inhabited exclusively by 250 Jacobite
families. Here we found a large monastery, the residence of
Mutran Patr Meerza and three monks, who seemed to lead as
indolent a life as the tenants of Deir-ool-Amar.
There are
also several churches in the place, more than half of which are
in ruins. The people, who are principally agriculturists, seemed
in good temporal circumstances, but ignorant in the extreme.
Some insolence on their part to a government official had
brought a company of irregular troops among them, who were
still quartered in their houses during our visit. They com-
plained sadly of this, but their deportment at once convinced me
that they would have ejected them had they dared.
Dec. 2nd.-In two hours after leaving Ba-Sebreena, we
stopped at the large Jacobite village of Middo, where many of
the inhabitants came out to meet us, and with whom we had a
long interview. They have a church and two priests, but no
school. Three hours beyond we put up at Azekh, another
Syrian village, containing about 160 families, surrounded by
extensive vineyards. This place suffered severely in 1832 from
the Coordish Pasha of Rawandooz, who took many of them
away captive ; and also from Bedr Khan Beg of Jezeerah, who
used the most harsh measures to induce them to embrace
Islamism, and was the cause of the murder of their Bishop Abd-
oon-Noor. This event took place about six years ago, yet no
successor has been appointed to this See. Like the rest of the
Syrians whom we passed on the road, the people of Azekh
evinced the greatest apathy on the subject of religion. The
priests complained that they were obliged to work in the fields
for a livelihood, and the church was in such a filthy state that
I offered to assist in having it whitewashed, if the villagers
would join in the expense. Not one answered the appeal; and
I found afterwards that violent dissensions existed among them.
The small baptistery in the church had been converted into a
depository of wheat and barley, and upon expostulating with
them upon this desecration of the Lord's house, they excused
themselves on the ground that the grain alluded to formed a
part of the patriarch's tithe, who they said was very exacting in
his demands. A calico handkerchief, bearing the portraits of the


58
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
kings and queens of Europe was hung upon the walls, and the
ignorant people thinking that they were pictures of saints, paid
them no little reverence. Some deplored their abject condition,
and the supineness and avarice of their patriarch and bishops,
and urged me to remain among them. Poor people! They
are in urgent need of some one to teach them the
way
of life.
Dec. 3rd.-Seven hours' ride brought us to Jezeerah, where
we were received into the house of Moorad, one of the few
Armenian residents. In a short time we had a visit from the
only priest of the twenty Jacobite families here, who deeply
lamented the present state of his community. He informed me
that a few months ago the patriarch had ordered the church to
be shut, and had excommunicated all his flock, because they
were unable to remit to him the whole amount of his tithe. He
expressed his anxiety to have a school established at Jezeerah,
and hoped that the English Church would help them in this,
and in the general reformation of his people. As I was not
authorized to hold out any prospects of this kind to him, he has
since received assistance from the American Independents in
the shape of a monthly salary and books, and is now teaching a
school under their auspices.
I shall reserve any further notice of Jezeerah till after the
following chapter, when the former narrative will be continued.


59
CHAPTER V I.
Glimpse at the past history of the Syrian Jacobites.—Their present hierarchy...
Character of their Patriarch and Bishops.-Mutran Behnam.- Ignorance of
their clergy and people.—Their number and geographical position.-Seces-
sion to Rome, its causes and results.-Romish errors held by the Jacobites.
—They solicit the aid of the Anglican Church.-Upon what principles
reformation should be conducted.
The former narrative left our readers at Deir Zaaferân, the seat
of the Syrian Patriarch. I deem this the fittest place to lay before
them a general view of the present state of religion among the
Syrian or Jacobite Christians.
It is not to be doubted that the efforts made by Rome during
the last and preceding centuries to bring over the Jacobites to
her allegiance, and the powerful assistance which the French
government has afforded in this work of proselytism, have tended
in a high degree to reduce them to their present pitiable condi-
tion. Nor may we forget, whilst attempting to account for
the great diminution in their number, and for the decay of
truth and general intelligence among them, the oppression
and tyranny which they have undergone for centuries from a
despotic and infidel government. Yet fruitful as this combined
antagonism has allowedly been, it does not adequately account
for the present deplorable state into which they have fallen.
For this we must assign a more efficient cause, proceeding
indeed from the same omnipotent Disposer of all things, but
working more silently on the minds of those, who, because they
refuse His Fatherly correction, are at length made to suffer His
judicial chastisements. The continued separation of the Jaco-
bites from the Church of CHRIST, from which their forefathers
were cut off by the council of Chalcedon, A.D. 451, for their
denial of the Two Natures in the incarnate Saviour, whereby


60
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
they virtually impugn the doctrine of the blessed Atonement and
deprive the human race of salvation, has been followed with the
most signal displeasure of the Almighty. When we call to
mind their early history, the 150 archbishops and bishops under
the patriarch and maphrian of which their hierarchy once con-
sisted, their numbers, the extent of country over which they
spread, and the zeal and learning of some of their eminent doc-
tors; and then look upon their present spiritual destitution,
as also upon that of their co-religionists the Copts of Egypt
and the Monophysites of Abyssinia, we cannot withhold the
confession that the hand of the LORD has fallen heavily upon
them.
But as it is not my intention to enter into any details of the
past history of the Syrians, I shall proceed to give an account of
their actual condition as a religious community, begging the
reader to bear in mind that the following remarks are the re-
sult of two years' constant intercourse with them, of an intimate
acquaintance with their patriarch and most of their bishops,
and of personal visits to the districts in which they principally
reside, as the foregoing and succeeding narrative will more fully
testify.
The present hierarchy of the Jacobites in Turkey consists of a
patriarch, who claims the title of “Patriarch of Antioch and
successor of S. Peter," eight metropolitans, and three bishops.
Of these one resides at Mosul, one in the convent of Mar Mattai
in the same district, one at Urfah, one at Diarbekir or Khar-
poot, one at Jerusalem, one at Mardeen, three in Jebel Toor, and
two are called Temeloyo, i.e. universal, without any regular dio-
ceses. The late patriarch Elias, whom I met at Constantinople
in 1844, was a venerable old man of a kindly disposition, but
wanting energy to rule. Moreover his time and attention were
so absorbed in seeking to regain possession of the churches
which the Syrian Romanists had seized upon, that little or no-
thing was done by him for the amelioration of the spiritual
condition of his people. His successor, Mutran Yacoob, has
already been introduced to our readers at Deir Zaaferân. From
the almost universal testimony of the Syrians themselves, he is
a man of a grasping and ambitious spirit, who only aims at
exacting from his flock all that he can, not for any purposes of


THE SYRIAN JACOBITES.
61
general good, but for his own personal aggrandizement. His
behaviour towards the congregation at Jezeerah, which has already
been related, speaks volumes against him; and he is said to be
in the receipt of a yearly stipend from Russia, whither he had
been once sent by his predecessor to collect subscriptions in
behalf of the Syrians. On his first accession to the patriarchate
he published an edition of the Syriac psalter for sale among the
Jacobites of Turkey and India ; but this forms the sum of all
the good which he appears to have attempted for the rege-
neration of his people. Notwithstanding this neglect, he
is ever demanding remittances from the Churches, and when
these are not forthcoming he issues against them the severest
censures.
The Bishops generally are illiterate men, but little versed in
Scripture, and thoroughly ignorant of ecclesiastical history.
They scarcely ever preach, and their episcopal visitations are
confined to occasional ordinations, and to the collecting of tithe
from their several dioceses. All of them can of course read the
Syriac of their rituals, but few thoroughly understand it.
Mutran Behnâm, however, is an exception to this rule ; he is a
good Syriac and Arabic scholar, has a competent knowledge of
the holy Scriptures, and has for the last year or two preached
regularly in the churches of Mosul. He has already been men-
tioned in the opening of this volume as the patriarch's delegate
at Constantinople, where he resided with the Rev. H. Southgate,
and enjoyed for several months the benefit of bis kind hospita-
lity and assistance. Much good was expected to result from the
information which he gained respecting the English and Ame-
rican Churches, and from the zeal which he manifested to intro-
duce reform among his people; but I regret to say that these
expectations have not been realized. Shortly after his return
from Constantinople, and after our departure from Mosul, he
joined with a number of his people who had held intercourse
with us in 1842–44, and had been led to desire a better state
of things, in writing to the Lord Bishop of London, the Angli-
can Bishop at Jerusalem, and the Church Missionary Society,
begging that teachers might be sent out to them; but no notice
whatever was taken of their request. In 1849 the American
Independents answered the appeal, and although, as I am fully


62
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
persuaded, the Syrians would have preferred assistance from us,
such was their ardent desire for improvement, and such their
conviction of the gross abuses in their Church, that they wel-
comed the missionary who was sent out to them, and continue
to frequent his meetings in spite of the excommunications which
have been issued against a few of their number by their diocesan.
Thus another schism has been formed, and another field opened
for the spread of sectarian doctrines. Some blame is imputed
to the Bishop for having in a measure invited the Independents
to Mosul, as well as for other inconsistencies; but when we take
into consideration the difficulty of his position, his anxiety for
the maintenance of unity, his own continued attachment as well
as that of a portion of his people to certain erroneous practices,
and withal his desire for many radical reforms,—we may not
judge him too harshly. It is beyond dispute, however, that he
is decidedly opposed to the efforts of the new missionaries from
America.
As might naturally be expected, the lower orders of the Syrian
clergy are generally more illiterate than the Bishops; and how
can it be otherwise ? Their education for the priesthood is con-
fined to a perusal of the Syriac rituals, which they are taught to
read in a convent or in some obscure school, or of which they
pick up a superficial knowledge whilst acting as servants to
the church or village where they reside. From indigence or a
love of gain, they often ply a trade or engage in mercantile spe-
culations, and their sacerdotal functions are for the most part
restricted to reading the prayers, administering the sacraments,
and receiving the confessions of their parishioners. Among the
many Jacobite priests with whom I am acquainted, I do not
know one who preaches or who is capable of preaching to the
people, and pastoral visits, or the catechizing of children, are
equally unheard of
among
them.
Such being the backwardness and inefficiency of their clergy,
it is not to be wondered at that religious knowledge and vital
godliness are at a very low ebb among the Syrian laity. Not-
withstanding the comparative affluence of this community, I
believe that there do not exist among them more than twenty
small schools in the whole of Turkey, where their population
amounts to something like 100,000 souls. The following is a


DISSENSIONS OF THE JACOBITES.
63
rough estimate in villages of the proportion of their numbers in
the different districts.
.
Jebel Toor
District of Urfah and Gawar
Kharpoot
Diarbekir
Mosul
Damascus
150 villages.
50
15
6
5
4
3
Making in all 230 villages now inhabited by Syrians. In
Aleppo, where they once numbered several hundred families, not
more than ten Jacobite families now exist, the rest having joined
the Church of Rome. The same secession has left them only a
name at Damascus, and their few remaining adherents in that
district are confined to the villages of Sadad, Kariatain, Hafar,
and Nebk, between Hamah and Aleppo. The Jacobite commu-
nity of Baghdad has followed the example set them by their
brethren at Aleppo and Damascus ; Mosul now comprises an
equal number of papal and Jacobite Syrians; at Mardeen and
Diarbekir, as we have seen, there are rival communities of Ro-
manist Syrians; at Urfah the Latin missionaries have already
gathered a few stragglers to their flock; and if Jebel Toor has
not hitherto furnished its quota of converts, it is because no
measures have yet been taken to induce its rude inhabitants to
acknowledge the supremacy of the Italian Pontiff. Such is the
present degraded state of the Jacobites, such the dissensions
among them, and such the conduct of their spiritual guides,
that a combined effort on the part of Rome would speedily and
inevitably result in their entire submission to the papal See.
And if the truth is to be told, it must be confessed that how-
ever much to be deplored this secession may be, -inasmuch as
with a reception of the true Catholic doctrine respecting the
divinity and humanity of our incarnate LORD, the seceders be-
come confirmed in certain false doctrines and corrupt practices
which, though prevalent among them now, are not sanctioned
by their early fathers,-the Syrian proselytes to Rome are de-
.cidedly superior in many respects to their Jacobite brethren.
Wherever they have formed themselves into a distinct body,
they have established schools, rebuilt their churches, increased


64
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
the number of their clergy, and provided better means for their
education and support, and are far more united in concord and
design than the community from which they have seceded. This
is doubtless owing to the co-operation of the Italian missionaries,
to the support which they have received from abroad, and from
the profitable visits which several of their Bishops have paid to
Europe, where they learned to appreciate the benefits of order
and education. But to whatever cause attributable, the fact
cannot be disputed, that the body now styling themselves “Sy-
rian Catholics,” are far superior to the Jacobites in general
intelligence, respectability, ecclesiastical discipline, and mutual
agreement.
Improvements such as these are not without their value when
we take into consideration that the Jacobites of the present day,
whatever may be the teaching of their old standard writers,
have adopted well nigh all the erroneous doctrines and corrupt
practices of the Church of Rome. To this cause we must attri-
bute the principal success of the Roman missionaries; for
bringing with them so little that was repugnant to the received
opinions of the Jacobites, and so many additional advantages,
social and political, they were welcomed by them as special
benefactors.
Notwithstanding the faithfulness of the above picture, there
are tokens of promise among the Syrians amply sufficient to
engage the sympathies of the English Church in their behalf.
We have already seen that with so many errors which they hold
in common with Rome, the remaining Jacobites are strongly
opposed to the efforts of her missionaries, and this opposition is
doubtless strengthened by the feelings of jealousy which they
harbour towards the seceders who have dispossessed them of so
many of their churches. On the other hand, the late revolutions
in France and Italy, since which the large annual remittances to
the Eastern communities in alliance with Rome have been cut
off, have greatly weakened the strength of the dissenters and
hindered the onward progress of proselytism. Now the Inde-
pendents are vexing them, and they have no other resource left
to help them in the work of reform than the Church of England.
The Syrian Bishop and people of Mosul applied for her aid, but
it was not granted ; and at this time I have abundant proof


NEED OF ANGLICAN MISSION.
65
from the same quarter and from the villages around, that the
Jacobites here would hail with gladness, and receive with grati-
tude, a mission from the Anglican Church.
How this work should be carried on, the Church alone has a
right to decide ; but it is certain that something may and some-
thing ought to be done in behalf of the Syrians. It is not
enough to establish schools among them; the special mission of
the Church in this instance would be to reform the errors of
their creed, and to raise them up from their present state of
spiritual destitution, and she will see to it that her missionaries
are allowed to teach the whole truth of God, and that the eccle-
siastical heads of the Jacobites sanction and approve of such a
If some withhold their consent, wishing only to obtain
from us the means of furthering their own erroneous doctrines,
or of giving their people the benefits of secular knowledge, then
we can turn to those who will welcome us as the reformers of
their Church, and from my own knowledge there are several
dioceses and Bishops who would not hesitate to receive us in
that capacity.
Hoping that God will put it into the heart of the Church at
home to enter upon this charitable work, I shall draw these
remarks to a close, and resume our former narrative.
course.
F


66
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER VII.
Departure from Mardeen, and arrival at Nisibeen.-Ruins of ancient Nisibis.-
Reverence of the Mohammedans for the church of S. James.—Description
of Jezeerah.- Oppression of the Christians, and insolence of the Coords.-
Tradition that the Ark rested on Mount Kardo.—Zakho, and the Chaldean
villages around.—Meeting with friends at Telkèf.- Arrival at Mosul.-
Visits from the native clergy.-Mutran Matta, the Indo-Syrian Bishop.-
His proceedings at Mosul and in India.—Conduct of the Patriarchs towards
the Jacobites on the Malabar coast.- Visit to Mohammed Pasha.-His
tricks to be thought a scholar.— Political state of Mosul before his appoint-
ment.—The spirit of his government. His cruelty, exactions, and avarice.
His conduct to the descendants of Mohammed.- His ambition and political
intrigues.
Oct. 29th.-- We left Mardeen at 11 A.M., and in four hours
passed the remains of a Roman building called Kasr (palace)
Karandelân, not far from the Coordish village of Kasr Ibreej.
Two hours beyond is the large village of Amooda, where we
put up for the night. This plain, which might be rendered
one of the most fertile in the world, is only cultivated here and
there by the Coords and a few Arabs of the Jeboor and Tai
tribes. Our road to-day lay along the Toor Mountain, about
ten miles from its southern base. This
range
stretches to the
north as far as the Tigris, which separates it from the Taurus.
Oct. 30th. -We started from Amooda at half-past 6 A.M.,
and after travelling ten miles, passed the site of another Roman
building, called Kasr Serteka, or Senjeka, the stones of which
were removed about five years ago by Meerza Pasha to build
the new barracks near Nisibeen. At noon we reached the latter
place, which at present can scarcely claim the title of village.
What a change has come over this famous city, once the firmest
bulwark of the Roman provinces of the east, which defied the
attacks of the victorious Shapoor, who thrice besieged it with the
flower of the Persian army, A.D. 338, 346, and 350! It finally


NISIBEEN.
67
fell into their hands under Jovian, A.D. 363, after the retreat
and death of the emperor Julian, and resisted all the attempts
of the Romans to regain possession of it. S. James, one of
the Fathers of the Council of Nice, was present at Nisibis
during the last memorable siege of Shapoor; and here in after
ages flourished that famous nursery of Nestorianism, the rival
of Edessa, which gave birth to those learned and zealous mis-
sionaries who carried a knowledge of the Gospel into Tartary,
India, and China.
Nisibeen is at present inhabited by 300 families, chiefly
Arabs of the Tai tribe, who live in tents pitched amidst the
debris of the ancient city, and speak Coordish as well as their
own native language. The Christians, who are Jacobites and
Armenians, number twelve families, without a church or priest.
Of forty Jewish families who resided here a few years ago, four
only remain, the rest having been driven by oppression to seek
a shelter elsewhere.
The principal relics of antiquity still extant at Nisibeen, are
the two solitary marble columns at a short distance from the
village, a few ornamental figures, and the so-called Church of
S. James. The latter consists of two apartments partly buried
in an accumulation of rubbish, which surrounds the whole
building. The first, which is of a circular form, is supported
by Corinthian pillars, and is in a tolerable state of preservation.
The chief entrance faces the east, and this circumstance,
well as the internal arrangement of the edifice, leads me to
conclude that it was not a church, but a mausoleum erected
over the remains of the holy Bishop. The contiguous apart-
ment is destitute of architectural ornament; and from this we
descended by a narrow staircase into a sepulchral vault, a sub-
terranean cell measuring 14 ft. by 8 ft. A marble sarcophagus,
one side of which bas been ruthlessly destroyed, doubtless in hope
of finding treasure, marks the traditional grave of S. James. We
discovered the following mutilated inscription over the principal
entrance, which is now entirely blocked up with rubbish:
10
as
..
ANHTENRETOUÉ TICKETPIONT'OY como ENEROYCAOXENXPO
MORFISMECOYEHICKOTTOYCTTOYAHAKEXYSMATPENYJE: OYASI MIONTOYOY
TIEN ITEAYTTON HALINH
F 2


68
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
The Mohammedans hold this building in high veneration,
and none visit the Zein-ool-Abedeen, a sacred shrine close by,
without first performing their devotions within its walls. It
was related to us by our Tatar, that about fifty years ago, one
Tamr Pasha turned the church into a stable, and next morning
all his horses were found dead. Several Moslems also told us
that when Meerza Pasha designed to rebuild Nisibeen, he con-
verted the building into a magazine for straw; but being warned
in a dream, he ordered it to be removed immediately, and built
a wall to support the falling roof of one of the apartments.
He moreover offered to restore the church at his own expense,
and intended to add a monastery to it, and present it to the
Syrian Christians. His recal, said my informants, prevented
the execution of his pious designs.
Another Mohammedan pointed out to us the position of the
crescent on the dome of the shrine, the horns of which, instead
of being pointed upwards, turned in the direction of the church.
On inquiring the cause, he replied: “The founder of Zein-
ool-Abedeen always prayed towards the tomb of the saint.”
Oct. 31st.-We started from Nisibeen at 7 A.m., and after
crossing the Jagbjagha, the ancient Mygdonius, over a ruined
bridge of eight arches, we reached the small village of Haj
Oghloo, at 3 P.M., where we put up for the night. We passed
nine Coordish villages during our day's journey, in some of
which are a few Jacobites and Yezeedees. At Haznaoor there
are fifteen Jacobite families, without a priest or a church. Ten
hours' ride from Haj Oghloo brought us to Babeel, and the day
following we reached Jezeerah, about eighteen miles distant.
The whole of the district from Nisibeen is under the jurisdic-
tion of Bedr Khan Beg, the Emeer of Buhtân, generally known
as the Emeer of Jezeerah, of whose cruelty we heard much
from the persecuted Christians on the road, and whose barbarity
to the Nestorians a few months after will be recorded in the
succeeding narrative.
Jezeerah (literally "an island”), the ancient Be-Zabde, is situated
in a deep valley on the western bank of the Tigris, the waters
of which insulate the town during several months of the year,
when the divided stream is crossed by two crazy bridges of
boats. The place is in so dilapidated a condition, that the best


TYRANNY OF THE COORDS.
69
lodging we could procure was an open recess, where I lay for
three days suffering from a severe attack of fever, which obliged
me to call in the aid of a Christian female phlebotomist. She bled
me freely from the arm,
and otherwise attended me during my
illness. Bedr Khan Beg was residing in a mountain fortress
called Deir Guli, about four hours distant, and Jezeerah was
governed by a Coordish Mutsellim, who ruled the Christians
with a rod of iron. The bulk of the population consists of
Coords, there being not more than twenty Jacobite and sixty
Chaldean families in the place, who have each a church and a
priest. Coordish is the language generally spoken by all classes
of the people. Until within the last few years, a Nestorian
Metropolitan resided at Jezeerah, but most of his flock here
and in the plains around having joined the Church of Rome,
he retired into the Buhtân mountains opposite, where he has
still the oversight of a large diocese. Since then, Mutrap
Basileos, a Chaldean Bishop, has been appointed to this see ;
he seldom resides however at Jezeerah.
A heavy gloom seemed to pervade the inhabitants of this
town: the
poor Christians were afraid to open their mouths,
and related to us in whispers many sad tales of Bedr Khan
Beg's tyranny and oppression. The Coords, as they walked
through the streets, or sat in the bazaar, looked upon us with
sovereign contempt, and told us by their insolent and haughty
bearing, that they hated us, as they did all who bore the name
of Christ. Their star was yet in the ascendant, and I have
no doubt that many of them were even then looking forward
with satisfaction and rapture to the projected slaughter of the
mountain Nestorians.
Nov. 5th.--We left Jezeerah at 10 A.M., and in six bours
reached the Chaldean village of Takiân. Our road to-day lay
at the foot of the high mountains of Joodi, the Tooré Kardo* of
the Syrians, and supposed by them as well as by the Moham-
medans to be the spot on which the ark rested after the deluge.
This tradition is also handed down in the name of a village in
the mountains, called the “Market of the Eight,” with reference
to the number of Noah's family who were preserved from the flood.
* The classical reader will recognise in this appellation the country of the
“ Gordians” of Strabo, and the “ Carduchians”' of Xenophon.


70
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Takiân is situated in the valley of Zakho, through which the
Khaboor flows, and is bounded on the north by the lofty moun-
tains of Joodi and on the south by a lower range called Jebe
Bekher, which separates the valley of the Khaboor from the
plains of Mosul. There are five Chaldean villages in the vicinity
of Takiân, all of which have submitted to Rome within the last
few years. Nahrwân is the only Nestorian village left in the
plain between Zakho and Jezeerah. From the people here I
learned that many Nestorians still inhabited the mountain pro-
vince of Buhtân.
Nov. 6th.-Seven hours' ride brought us to Zakho, a small
provincial town built upon an island formed by the divided
stream of the Khaboor, and reckoned within the pashalic of
Mosul. We found here a few Chaldeans, twenty Papal Syrian
families, with a church and priest, and seventy houses of Jews :
the rest of the inhabitants, amounting to about 2,000 souls, are
chiefly Coords. In the evening we had a visit from the Mut-
sellim, who managed to drink four large bowls of tea before he
took his departure.
Nov. 7th. Three hours' ride through a rugged pass in the
Bekher range brought us once more to the plains of the Tigris,
over which we travelled till 7 P.M., when we put up at the
Yezeedee village of Semiel. After a journey of eleven hours, the
day following we reached the large Chaldean village of Telkèf,
where we were received in the house of Mutran Basileos by my
brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Rassam, whom I had
not seen for several years, and by a goodly number of native
friends who had come thus far to congratulate us on our safe
arrival.
Nov. 9th.-Three hours' ride from Telkèf brought us opposite
the mounds of ancient Nineveh, where those interesting relics of
remote antiquity which have since been dug up then lay buried
and undisturbed in the grave of many centuries.
centuries. We crossed
the Tigris for the fifth time over a bridge of boats, and soon
reached the British Vice-Consulate, where in the embraces of a
devoted mother, who in her old age
had
accompanied my
sister
to these far distant parts, I forgot the toil and fatigue of a long
and wearisome journey.
During the day we received friendly visits from well nigh


MUTRAN MATTA.
71
all the native clergy of the town, as also from many of the prin-
cipal laymen. Among these was Gregorius Isa, the Papal
Syrian Bishop of Mosul, with whom I had travelled in Syria six
years before, and Mutran Matta, who had within the last few
weeks returned from Deir Zaaferân, where he had been conse-
crated bishop over the Syrians on the Malabar coast. He had
been educated in the college at Cottyam, and spoke English
fluently. On the death of the only Jacobite bishop in India he
was sent to be consecrated as his successor, and had arrived at
Mosul on his way to the patriarch at the beginning of the year.
Here he candidly told his co-religionists that he was not validly
ordained priest, as the bishop was a corpse when his hands were
laid upon his head. So great, however, was the desire of the
Jacobites to see him officiate that they induced him to offer the
oblation and to preach in their churches, wbich he did through
the assistance of a deacon, who interpreted his Syriac into Arabic.
It appears that in his discourses he frequently inveighed against
the errors of the Papacy, which so irritated the Romanists that they
used all their influence to have him sent out of the town. His
claim to British protection saved him from this indignity, and
he afterwards repaired to Deir Zaaferân, where the patriarch
ordained him priest and bishop, and gave him the oversight of
all the Jacobites on the Malabar coast. He was a man of much
intelligence, but from the drift of his remarks, as well as from
his after conduct, he seems to have entertained a design of in-
troducing many sectarian doctrines and practices among the
Syrians in India. He was on the most intimate terms with the
three American Independent missionaries resident at Mosul, and
constantly joined in their religious services. On reaching India
he attempted to carry out his latitudinarian principles of reform
into practice, and so many complaints were made against his
proceedings, that the patriarch finally deposed him, not however
before he had succeeded in creating a schism in the diocese.
To this gentleman I believe myself indebted for a libel which
was published in the London - Record”
newspaper, attributing
to me the error of holding the Apocrypha to be canonical and
inspired Scripture. This unintentional or wilful perversion of
the truth must have arisen from my having expressed regret
that the Apocrypha was not published with the Syrian Bible,


72
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
chiefly on the ground that the Jacobites desired it, and that
many lessons therefrom were appointed to be read in our
churches. The Arabic edition of our ritual had already fallen
into the hands of the Syrians, and several had expressed their
surprise that with such high sanction we did not supply them
with the means of referring to the books from which the lessons
were taken. I do not believe that the bishop himself wrote the
libel in question, but he most probably repeated the conversa-
tion to some friends of his at Mosul, who from the first viewed
our mission as an interference, and from whom several similar
misrepresentations which appeared in the same periodical could
only have proceeded.
The mention which has been made of the Syrians in India
leads me to add a few remarks on the after proceedings of the
patriarch towards them. A successor was appointed to replace
Mutran Matta in the charge of the diocese by the late Mar Elias,
but as he did not accomplish his mission satisfactorily, the present
patriarch sent out another to supersede him. There are there-
fore more than three Jacobite bishops on the Malabar coast, each
laying claim to the obedience of the Indo-Syrians, and each
countenanced and supported by different parties in the diocese.
Confusion and discord must be the natural consequences of such
misrule, for which the patriarchs are chiefly to be blamed.
Their principal aim is to obtain pecuniary assistance, and if this
is not forthcoming the bishop is judged as being unfaithful in
the discharge of his office, and another is sent out to succeed
him. And when we add to this the general incapacity of the
Syrian prelates, we cannot wonder if the state of the Jacobites
in India is deplorable in the extreme.
The day following our arrival I paid a visit to the famous
Mohammed Pasha of Mosul, surnamed Injé Beirakdâr, whose
interference in the Nestorian affairs will be frequently alluded to
hereafter. He received me very graciously, and in return for
some European curiosities of which I begged his acceptance, he
shortly after sent me the present of a horse. Thinking that he
ought to treat me as one of the English Oolema, he showed me
a Turkish work on geometry which was open before him, and
made no little effort to impress me with the idea that he himself
was a man of considerable learning. So adroit had he become


MOHAMMED PASHA.
73
in the practice of this species of deception, that I was astonished
to learn afterwards that he could not even read. It was a com-
mon custom with him, on the arrival of despatches from the
Porte, to have a long private interview with the Tatar who
brought them, from whom he generally managed to glean some-
thing of their import. Thereupon calling for his secretary he
first gave him an outline of what he pretended to have perused,
and then directed him to read over the whole in his presence.
Mohammed Pasha had already ruled over this province for
seven years, and had been instrumental in introducing many
salutary reforms in the administration. Before his appointment
Mosul had been governed for a century and a half by native
pashas of Christian origin. Abd-ool-Jeleel was a Nestorian, one
of whose sons embraced Islamism, and afterwards rose to the
dignity of pasha. “From him the government of the province
became hereditary in that family, and descended in unbroken
succession till within a few years, when it was violently inter-
rupted by an insurrection, which introduced a train of miseries
that have but just now ceased. The people esteeming them-
selves oppressed by their ruler, determined to free their city
from him and from the race altogether. Several pashas of the
family, who attempted to regain the government, were mur-
dered, and the last of the name, having added to the hate of the
people the ill-will of the Sultan, was sent into banishment near
Constantinople.
“The town during these events became a scene of complete
anarchy. The people were divided into factions, and the peace
of the city was destroyed by incessant brawls and murders.
Walls were built across the streets to separate hostile quarters.
Trade was almost entirely destroyed, and the place was, for
some time, without a governor. The rayahs procured their
safety by combining in companies of three or four to support
some influential partisan, who, in turn, protected them. Clothes
were torn from passengers in the street. Assassinations were
frequent and committed with impunity. The inhabitants could
not go half an hour from the city, on the land side, for fear of rob-
bers from the desert, who came and plundered to the very walls.
“ In the midst of these commotions, the Sultan interfered,
and sent the present Pasha, a man noted for his severe and


74
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
men.
relentless disposition, to the city. As soon as he had arrived,
attempts were made to assassinate him.
Continual plots were
formed against his life, which he escaped by the energy
and activity of his movements. One by one, he brought the
leaders of the factions into his power, and secretly despatched
them. As soon as they were gone, the danger was past, and he
continued the work of beheading at his leisure, until every ves-
tige of the insurrection was suppressed and removed. The city
is now more completely under the authority of the Sultan than
it has been for a century past. The Pasha was just introducing
the new order of the military, and the manner in which it was
received, was a fair specimen of the feeling with which it was
met, at the outset, in every part of the empire. As soon as it
was announced that the Pasha was about to make his first en-
listment of soldiers, the city was thrown into an indescribable
panic. Officers were walking through the streets in search of
Thousands fled and hid themselves in secret places in
the city, or escaped to the mountains. The Pasha ordered
every gate to be closed, excepting one, through which none
were allowed to go out without a passport. The bazaars were
closed, and deserted by all but a few old men, and the streets
appeared as if the pestilence were abroad. As I passed along,
[A.D. 1838,] I heard the cries and lamentations of women in
the houses from which one or more had been taken. Fathers
and mothers were to be seen about the palace imploring for
their children who bad been seized.”
In the course of a few years Mohammed Pasha had a well-
organized army at his command, by the aid of which he entirely
suppressed the inroads and depredations of the Arabs, Coords,
and Yezeedees, and rendered this province one of the safest in the
empire. The spirit and firmness which these reforms exhibited
would have been far more praiseworthy had they been accom-
panied with less barbarity and fewer exactions. But he was a
man of cruel and grasping disposition, and a perfect adept in
intrigue and cunning. The refusal of the Yezeedees in Singar
the amount of taxes which he demanded of them, as well
as some disturbances which arose in that district, were visited
by him with summary chastisement. Several hundreds were
* Southgate's “ Tour through Armenia,” &c.
*
to pay


EXACTIONS OF MOHAMMED PASHA.
75
totally massacred, and the ears of a large number were cut off,
and hung up before the gates of Mosul. He retorted upon the
Arabs of the desert their former outrages, and such tribes as
came within his reach he indiscriminately plundered. The
Coordish Pasha of Amedia he dispossessed of his hereditary
dignity, took from him his provinces, and reduced the hardy
and warlike Coords to obedience and even to abject submission.
In his exactions he made no distinction between Christians,
Moslems, Jews, or Yezeedees—they were all sheep of his flock
whom he valued only for the fleece which they brought him. A
striking instance of this took place during our residence at
Mosul. Hitherto the Seyyids, or descendants of the False
Prophet, who are distinguished by being privileged to wear a
green turban, had been free from the payment of certain taxes
which were levied upon all the Sultan's subjects, and Mohammed
Pasha determined to bring them within the operation of the
law. A deputation from their number ventured to expostulate
with him upon the indignity and injustice which this new
ordinance offered to the family of the Prophet. Whereupon
he demanded, on what they founded their right to such im-
munity, and how he was to know that they really were what
they pretended to be. The Seyyids then pointed to their green
turbans, the badge of their genealogy and sacred privileges.
“Is that all ?” said the Pasha, “why the ducks near Kerkook
have green heads, and are notorious for a filthy habit of wallow-
ing in the mire. I doubt whether you are any better; so away
with you and pay the taxes.”
The immense wealth which he derived from his exactions, as
well as from the sale of monopolies, enabled Mohammed Pasha
to maintain his standing with the Porte notwithstanding the
many complaints which were frequently made against his
administration. It is well known that he was in the habit of
sending large bribes to the Sultan's ministers, who urged in his
behalf the vigour with which he had suppressed anarchy and
rebellion, and the general efficiency of his rule, whenever any
effort was made to remove him from office. Notwithstanding
these outlays he continued to amass vast treasures, and he
frequently boasted that the supreme government was in his
debt to the amount of £150,000. He longed to extend his


76
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
sway over the mountains north of Amedia, and used every
species of intrigue to get that district annexed to the Mosul
pashalic. To this end he secretly fomented disturbances among
the Coords and Nestorians, and was himself the first to convey
the intelligence of such feuds to the Sublime Porte. Hereafter
we shall see the baneful results of these machinations, and it is
chiefly on account of the part which his avarice and ambition led
him to take in the Nestorian affairs that this sketch of his
history and character has been laid before the reader.
A severe fever which attacked four of our party, carried off
one of our servants after a lingering illness, and brought Mrs.
Badger and myself to the brink of the grave, suspended our
operations and researches for the first four months after our
arrival at Mosul.






2
F.C. Cooper, lith
Printed by C.Graf, I. Great Castle St.
b. French Consulate
a.-English Vice Consulate.
MOSUL FROM THE EASTERN BANK OF THE TIGRIS.


77
CHAPTER VIII.
Ancient name of Mosul.-Destruction of Nineveh by the Medes. -Description
of the modern town.—Causes of its decay.-Its resources and trade.-
Productions and climate.—Mosques and churches.—Population and lan-
guage.-Costume.-Sulphur springs.-Bituminous springs at Hammam
Ali.-Haunt of wild pigeons.-Popular superstition respecting the Khasfeh.
— Tomb of the prophet Jonah.-Discoveries at Nimrood in 1844.—Letter
to Sir Stratford Canning.--Importance of the ancient Syriac records in
corroborating the modern exposition of the Semitic cuneiform monuments.
Mosul is considered by Rennell, and after him by Ainsworth,
to be a corruption of the Mes-Pylæ of Xenophon; but the cor-
rectness of this derivation appears to me very doubtful. The
common tradition is, that the present appellation was given to it
by the Saracen conquerors of Mesopotamia, who remained here
some time before they proceeded northward, and because it was
the principal resting-place between Diarbekir and Baghdad the
capital of the Caliphs.* El-Yakooti, the famous geographer, in
his Moajem-ool-Beldân says, that Mosul was anciently called
Noo or Nev Ardasheer, (New Artaxerxes,) a name most probably
given to it by the Medes after they had wrested this country
from the Assyrians; or it may be by the later Persians who
were defeated near the ruins of Nineveh by the Roman army
under Heraclius, A.D. 627. Strabo speaks of a Persian city
called “Artagira," and Ptolemy refers to the same under the
title of " Artasisgarta,”+ as being situated on the confines of
Upper Armenia and Assyria, on the eastern banks of the Tigris.
There is therefore some reason for believing that Ardasbeer
succeeded Nineveh and occupied its site, and that when the
town was removed to the opposite bank of the Tigris the
* The Arabic word signifies “ the place of arrival.”
f Strabo, lib. xi. Ptolemy, lib. v. cap. 13.


78
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
..
additional “New” was prefixed to its name.
In the Index
of Syrian authors drawn up by Mar Abd Yeshua, A.D. 1298, a
translation of which is given in Vol. II. Appendix B., the word
“Noo Ardasheer” occurs twice as the title of a place, and the
seat of a Nestorian Bishop. In many other Syriac MSS. Mosul
is styled “Athoor,” and it is not an uncommon practice with
ecclesiastical writers of the present day to use the same phrase-
ology : “Mosul, which is Athoor;" but this must be regarded
rather as a traditional commemoration of the title of one of the
oldest dioceses in these parts, (which was also called “ Nineveh”
long after that name had ceased to denote the capital of the
Assyrian Kings,) than as the common appellative of a particular
town then existing.
The destruction of Nineveh by the Medes is thus described in
an old Syriac work which I met with at Mosul in 1850 : “ Ni-
neveh is of old like a pool of water. [Nahum ii. 8.] This was
literally accomplished as the fact fully testifiés ; for Adorbahan
the Mede, from whom Aderbijan takes its name, destroyed
Nineveh by water, when he came from Media with a great army
against Sardanapalus the King of Athoor. The two rivers
which ran through the meadows and united in Nineveh he joined
with two other rivers, one of which he brought from the Tigris,
and the other ran through Nineveh itself. After he had united
all four together he brought the force of the water to bear against
the city, and destroyed it with a flood according to the prediction
of the prophet. After this it was taken by stratagem from
Esarhaddon by the Babylonians.” The same author writes in
another place: “Arbaces the Persian when he took possession
of Nineveh, cut a canal from the Tigris, above the city, and
flooded it."
The four rivers spoken of in the above extract puzzled me
exceedingly, as the Khoser is the only rivulet which now flows
through the mounds of Nineveh ; but Mr. Layard informed me
that he could discover the beds of two other smaller streams,
which, with the water turned off from the Tigris, make up the
four "rivers” mentioned in the manuscript. The fact here
* S. Ephrem, in his poem called the “ Basotha d'Ninwayé," which still
forms a part of the Nestorian ritual, uses the two words Nineveh and Athoor
indiscriminately, as denoting the same place.


MOSUL.
79
recorded literally fulfils the prophecy of Nahum, and accounts
for a stratum of pebbles and sand which has been found a few
feet below the surface in the mounds of Koyoonjuk and Nim-
rood.* The labours of Mr. Layard in the work of excavation,
and his researches about Nineveh, render any further description
of its ancient site, or of the wonderful relics which have been
dug up therefrom, unnecessary and superfluous.
Mosul is situated on the western bank of the Tigris, and is
surrounded by a good wall, about three miles in circumference,
which encloses, besides the town, a large space covered with
ruins, and some extensive fields. The houses are built of stone,
with arched roofs, and the walls of the court yards partly faced
with slabs of sculptured marble, or rather alabaster, after the
manner of the buildings which have lately been discovered in
the mounds of Nineveh and Nimrood. Many of the houses,
however, are in a very dilapidated state, attributable in a great
measure to the calamities which have befallen the city during
the last century. In 1825 it was visited by a famine which
lasted for three successive years; this was succeeded by a plague
which raged for nine months, and swept away 18,000 persons
in Mosul only. Again, in 1831, 2, the river rose to such a
height that the town and much of the surrounding country were
flooded for months together. And if we add to these misfor-
tunes the ruin of the native manufactures by the importation of
cheaper and better articles from Europe, chiefly the produce of
our machinery, together with the misrule to which the place has
been so long subjected, we cannot wonder that this once flourish-
ing city has been impoverished, and its prosperity well nigh
destroyed.
The only manufactures of Mosul at the present day are cotton-
cloths and soap, which find a market in the villages around.
The principal articles of commerce are the gall-nuts which are
* The remains of the palace lately dug up at Koyoonjuk bear evident signs of
having been burnt. The following extract from the author already quoted accounts
for this circumstance : “ Jonah went to Nineveh in the second year of the reign
of King Uzziah, whilst Sardanapalus was King of Nineveh and Babylon. After
this, Arbaces the Mede made war upon Sardanapalus, and overcame him ;
whereupon Sardanapalus destroyed himself by fire. And Arbaces reigned twenty
years, and was succeeded by Pul, the son of Sardanapalus, who put an end to
the Empire of the Medes."


80
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
gathered from the valonia oaks in Coordistan, and wool which is
brought in by the pastoral Arabs and Coords, and exported hence
to Europe by way of Baghdad and Aleppo. The staple agricul-
tural produce is wheat and barley, which is so abundant that it
hardly repays the cost of cultivation. The former is now [1850]
selling for eight and the latter for five pence the hundred weight.
The distance of Mosul from Europe must ever prevent the
establishment of a lucrative trade in grain, and the want of an
export adequate to the large imports from abroad is gradually
destroying the resources of this province. Silk might be pro-
duced in large quantities in the mountains, where the mulberry
grows almost wild; but such is the short-sightedness and supine-
ness of the government, that beneficial measures of this kind
are made to give way to trumpery reforms in dress, mere out-
ward changes in the mode of administration, or to vain and
ambitious designs of conquest.* The cultivation of the mul-
berry was introduced into Diarbekir about eight years ago, and
the result has surpassed the most sanguine expectations.
The transport trade from Mosul to Baghdad is carried on by
rafts, the same species of conveyance that was used in the days
of Herodotus, and long before his time, as may be ascertained
from many illustrations on the slabs which have lately been dug
up at Nineveh. These are constructed of a stout frame-work of
rough timber, to which a deck of canes is secured with ligatures
of bark. Beneath this the sheep-skins are fastened with the
opening peering above the reeds, so as to facilitate their being
inflated anew in case the air should escape during the voyage.
The rafts for carrying merchandize vary from sixteen to twenty
feet square, and are floated by as many as five hundred skins.
* A Turkish admiral accompanied by several naval officers and engineers
passed through Mosul in March, 1850, on their way to Basra, where they have
orders to erect a dock, and to build ships of war for the Porte. Thousands of
pounds will doubtless be spent upon this undertaking, which, if laid out upon an
object such as that above alluded to, might in a few years yield a large increase
to the public revenue, and be the means of enriching the country generally. The
commerce of the Turks in the Arabian Sea and in the Persian Gulf is fully
protected by the cruizers of the East India Company, so that unless they intend
to impose their rule upon the Arabs of Bahrein, Oman, Muscat, and Yemen,
which are governed badly enough now, but would hardly be bettered by the
paternal sway of the Osmanlis, it is difficult to conceive the object of this new
scheme.


MOSUL.
81
Two or more rowers placed on each side help to propel and
guide these vessels as they glide down the river. Much smaller
rafts with a felt cabin raised above the deck, are constructed for
travellers, in one of which we reached Baghdad from Mosul in
three days and two nights.
There are only a few gardens near Mosul, but the mountains
around supply the town with grapes, pomegranates, apricots, and
other fruits; oranges are brought from Baghdad. The banks
of the Tigris, however, and the islets formed in the river itself
during the summer season produce melons, cucumbers, and
many other esculents in abundance. In winter the market is
stocked with turnips, carrots and beet-root; and in spring,
camel-loads of truffles are brought into the town by the Arabs.
The bread here is superior to any in Turkey; and the Kaimak,
the cream of buffalo milk, may vie with the produce of the best
Devonshire dairies. Snow seldom falls in Mosul during the
winter, when the climate is temperate and delightful; but the
heat of the summer months is excessive, and obliges the inha-
bitants to retreat into their serdábs, (subterranean apartments
with which almost all the dwellings are provided,) till after sun-
set. They then retire to the roofs of the houses, and there dine
and
pass
the night.
There are no less than 19 mosques in the town of Mosul, 250
Mesjids, or chapels, and 12 Medressehs, or schools, besides the
ruins of many others. The minaret of the Jâma-ool-Kbeer
is an elaborate work of art, rising to the height of 90 feet,
and covered with minute bricks which are inlaid after the
manner of mosaic. There is a deep curve in the centre
which some say was coeval with the building, but this is as
much a matter of dispute as the slope in the tower of Pisa.
Several of the mosques are said to have been Christian churches;
one called Beit-ool-Tekneeti near Bâb-ool-Irak, was undoubt-
edly such as far back as the year 1245. It is mentioned under
that name in an historical record contained in an ancient manu-
script which I discovered at Mosul. According to this docu-
ment, the Church was dedicated to Mar Theodorus, and the
book was written by the Presbyter Dokeek for the use of Dea-
cons Ibraheem and Abdoon, of the house of Zorogheel, and for
the noble Dadôn, in the days of Mar Ignatius, Patriarch and
-G


82
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
successor to S. Peter on the throne of Antioch of the Syrians,
and of Mar Yohanan Catholicos and Maphrian of Tekneet,
Nineveh, and all the East, in the year 1557 of the Grecian era,
and of the Hegira 643. The book itself was found in a coffin,
together with the skeleton of a human body, which was dug up
near the mosque about two centuries ago. The remains were
claimed by the Syrians and re-buried in the church of Mar
Tooma.
The Chaldeans have four churches* in the town, and one called
el-Tâhara close to the city walls. The latter is the best built
Christian church in the place, and more attention to ecclesias-
tical architecture is displayed in the arrangement of the interior
than in any similar structure which I have met with in the East.
The second volume of this work contains a view of its eastern
and western ends.
The Jacobites have four churches in Mosul,t three of which
are now divided between them and the Papal Syrians. There is
nothing in these churches worthy of particular notice; they are
for the most part massive but clumsy buildings, and in their
internal arrangement similar to those already described at Diar-
bekir. Mutran Behnâm, however, has lately restored the Jaco-
bite portion of Mar Tooma, which now forms a neat, and for
the East a beautiful, church.
The population of Mosul according to the census of 1849 is
as follows:
Mohammedans
2,050 families
Chaldeans
350
Jacobites
450
Papal Syrians
300
Jews
200
The only language in general use among the inhabitants of
the town is Arabic, which is also spoken by all the villagers in
the plains around. The Chaldean and Nestorian peasants know
* They are as follows: Mar Miskinta, Mar Shimoon-oos-Safa, Mar Gheor-
ghees, and Mar Ishayah, which latter includes three other churches under the
same roof dedicated severally to Mar Kuriakòs, Mar Yohanan, and Mar Gheor-
ghees. The ruins of a few other Chaldean, once Nestorian, churches, are still
pointed out at Mosul, an account of the principal one is given in Vol. ii.
f Mar Tooma, Mar Khoodèmi, and two dedicated to " Sitna Miriam,'' our
Lady Mary.
.


COSTUME IN MOSUL.
83
also the Fellehi, or vulgar Syriac, and the Yezeedees near Mosul
are familiar with the Coordish, which is the only dialect com-
mon to Coords, Nestorians, and Yezeedees in the mountain
districts.
The classical Syriac is very little known by the Christians at
Mosul. The Jacobites and Chaldeans have each a school where
this language is taught, but the instruction conveyed is limited
to a bare perusal of the psalter and parts of the church ritual.
The Jacobites, however, frequently write the Arabic in Syriac
characters, which mode of expression is called Carshooni. The
Chaldeans do the same, but to a less extent.
The costume of the male population of Mosul differs little
from that of other eastern towns, but the head-dress of the
females is somewhat peculiar. It consists of a square padded
cap, on the top of which is a circular cushion about two inches
deep hid under a gilt-plate. This is fastened to the head and
neck with a number of kerchiefs forming a species of turban,
which by the younger ladies is decked with pearls and other
gems. Frontlets of gold coin, elaborately wrought necklaces,
anklets, earrings, and bracelets, are as much the pride of the fair
sex here as elsewhere. All this display, however, is reserved for
the house, as none go abroad without the hideous chequered
blue sheet already described, and a square horse-hair veil, which
is tied round the head and descends below the neck most effec-
tually hiding every part of the face. Here, as in all other
eastern towns, there is as much vanity in the feeling which leads
the husband to provide these decorations, as in the wife who
wears them, for they serve as an evidence of his prosperity, and
his general importance is increased by every new contribution
which he makes to his wife's trinkets. It is said that formerly
the wealth of Mosul in gold ornaments alone was immense, but
since then the greater part, after going through the crucible, has
found its way to Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow, in pay-
ment for cotton prints.
Before leaving this part of our subject, I shall give a short
account of whatever is worthy of note in the vicinity of Mosul,
in order that the succeeding narrative of the Nestorian affairs
may be interrupted as little as possible with extraneous matter.
And instead of wearying the reader with the details of the seve-
G2


84
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
ral excursions which we made during a residence of two years in
these parts, I shall confine myself to laying before him a descrip-
tion of such objects as may be generally interesting.
To the north-west of the town, and just without the walls,
are several sulphur springs much frequented by the inhabitants
during the summer months for their supposed medicinal proper-
ties. The water is collected in two open pools, the use of which
is appropriated exclusively to the male and female population on
alternate days. Much is said of the benefit which persons suf-
fering from chronic rheumatism and kindred complaints have
derived from these mineral baths.
Ten hours to the south of Mosul, at a place called Hamman
Ali, is another copious bituminous spring, the water of which is
so hot that many faint on first stepping into it. A tolerably
commodious building covers the spring, whither resort all kinds
of impotent folk, who frequently come a distance of ten or even
twenty days' journey to test its virtues. The tales told by the
Mussulmans of the cures effected by bathing at Hamman Ali on
persons afflicted with rheumatic and other chronic diseases are
almost incredible.
About three hours' ride to the west of the baths is a natural
well, 140 ft. deep and 50 ft. in diameter, called el-Khasfeh, in
which thousands of wild pigeons build their nests undisturbed
by the natives, who believe that ill-luck will inevitably follow
any attempt to dislodge them. In the beginning of 1844
Mohammed Pasha determined to bave a day's sporting here,
and accordingly ordered all the villagers around to attend and
bring their nets. With these he covered the mouth of the well,
and beyond its brink formed a narrow gallery six feet high, to
the inside of which a curtain was attached, capable of being let
down at pleasure. After the pigeons had been driven into the
gallery, the curtain was made to descend, and no less than seven
mule-loads of these birds were taken. I arrived too late to wit-
ness the proceedings, but on reaching the spot we found a
number of dead pigeons on the ground which the Pasha's fol-
lowers had not thought it worth while to remove.
This viola-
tion of the mysterious Khasfeh was the talk of the town for
several days, and many ventured to prognosticate the downfall
of the offender. In this instance the popular superstition was


TOMB OF THE PROPHET JONAH.
85
strengthened by the almost sudden death of Mohammed Pasha
a short time after.
Directly opposite to Mosul, and about half a mile from the
Tigris, is the large Moslem village of Nebi Yoonas built upon
one of the principal mounds of Nineveh, and in a line with
Koyoonjuk. It can scarcely be doubted that many valuable
relics lie buried under the modern village; but the veneration
of the Mohammedans for the tomb of the prophet Jonah would
deem sacrilegious and profane any attempt to excavate near the
mosque which covers it, or among the graves which are scat-
tered over the surface of the mound. The
mosque
itself is held
to be so sacred that no Christian is allowed to enter its precincts.
Through the influence of one of the Pashas my sister was per-
mitted to visit it, and from her I received the following descrip-
tion of the interior : “ After passing through a spacious court to
a fine open terrace, we descended into the mosque, which is a
square building lighted by several windows of stained glass.
The eastern end is separated from the nave by a row of noble
arches, giving it the appearance of an aisle.* At the southern
extremity there is a pulpit of elaborate workmanship, and the
floor is covered with rich carpets. A door, which is always kept
locked, opens into a narrow passage about thirty feet long, from
which we descended through another entrance into a square and
lofty apartment with a concave roof. In the centre of this
stands a box or coffin, measuring ten feet by five, and raised
about five feet from the ground, on the south end of which is
placed an enormous turban composed of the most costly silks
and shawls. The coffin itself is also covered with equally rich
materials, and is encircled by a railing surmounted with large
silver knobs, on which, as also on the walls around, are suspended
a number of embroidered towels and silk bathing cloths. The
walls are further decorated with mirrors, party-coloured porce-
lain, and sentences from the Koran written in the florid style of
Arabic caligraphy. In one corner are placed a gilt ewer and
basin, a ball of French soap, a comb, and a pair of scissors, for
* The Christians say that this building was once a church. The order of the
interior as above described, so foreign to the plan general in mosques, seems to
favour the common tradition. The separation of the eastern end indicates the
position of the bema.


86
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
the use of the prophet Jonah, who the Mohammedans firmly
believe rises from bis tomb at the set times of
prayer,
and
per-
forms his ablutions according to the strict injunctions of their
law. The Mussulmans in general deem the tomb far too sacred
an object to be approached, and for the most part content them-
selves with looking at it from a grated window in the body
of the mosque.”
I shall next conduct my readers to Nimrood, not with the de-
sign however of entering into any details respecting the inter-
esting remains which have lately been dug up therefrom, and
which have been so fully described by Mr. Layard ; but in order
to lay before them an account of our visit, which there is reason
to believe had some influence in setting on foot the work of suc-
cessful excavation. I was accompanied in my trip to Nimrood in
March 1844 by Mr. Ditell, a Russian traveller, and being at
Constantinople a few months after, when I related to Sir Strat-
ford Canning the discoveries which we had made, was requested
by him to draw up in writing the result of our researches. The
following is a copy of what I then transmitted to his Excellency,
which I shall adduce here in its original form because it gives
an exact account of the mound before any attempt had been
made to bring to light the hidden treasures which it contained.

NIMROOD FROM THE NORTH.


NIMROOD.
87
“ The mound called 'Nimrood’ is situated about twenty miles
to the south of Mosul, on the eastern banks of the river Tigris.
We reached the large village of Sulleimîa in five hours' ride
from the town, and took with us from thence several Coords
provided with spades and shovels to assist us in case we should
discover any thing near the surface worth excavating. Nimrood
was distinctly visible from Sulleimîa, which being built on an
eminence commands a wide prospect of the plain beyond in
which the mound is situated. A high cone with an unbroken
surface, rising above the general level of the mound, was the
principal object which attracted our attention at this distance.
We crossed the well-cultivated plain, and in less than half an
hour reached the foot of the mound. The soil in the immediate
vicinity had been ploughed, and barley was shooting up in the
furrows. To our great surprise and delight we found that the
ground was literally strewn with fragments of brick covered with
cuneiform inscriptions, which circumstance fully confirmed the
testimony of Rich, who visited the spot about twenty-five years
since, and who has given several fac-similes of these fragments
in his excellent Notes on Coordistan. After a careful search
we were obliged to relinquish the hope of finding any whole
bricks in the plain, where the ground had evidently been long
subjected to the plough. We next surveyed the mound: it
forms a parallelogram measuring 570 paces by 450, the exterior
edges rising to an elevation of 45 feet, and declining inwards so
as to form a concave of the inclosed area, which was covered here
and there with patches of furrowed soil, and crossed by several
foot-paths. The rains, which have formed small beds through
the mound, have laid bare several specimens of the ruins con-
cealed under the superincumbent soil and rubbish. These we
found to consist generally of red bricks, cemented together with
bitumen, after the manner of the ruins already discovered at an-
cient Babylon.
“ We next ascended the cone which rises from the north-east
angle of the mound to the height of forty feet above the general
elevation of the platform. Its exterior is quite level, except
where a portion of some massive stone projects beyond the sur-
face. At the summit is a deep fissure through which we disco-
vered the evident remains of architecture confusedly thrown


88
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
together. As we were not prepared for the labour which it
would have required to excavate here, we proceeded along the
ridge of the mound in a southerly direction. About the centre
of the ridge, and close by one of the modern footpaths, were a
number of square stones, and among them two massive blocks,
one on each side of the path, which have evidently formed part
of a gateway. Here again we found numerous fragments of
brick scattered about in every direction, most of which bore a
number of cuneiform characters.
“Proceeding onward to the south-western angle, where a low
cone or rather mound rises above the platform, we discovered a
slab partly buried in the earth, and measuring three feet by five,
on which we perceived several cuneiform letters. After some
labour we succeeded in exhuming the stone, and found the
following inscription very clearly engraven on the surface :-
ht
WW
WEWEYYY2 ry
WY
“After comparing this inscription and several of the frag-
ments found on the bricks at Nimrood, with those lately dis-
covered at Khorsabad,* I am convinced that the character, and
consequently the language of both is the same. The cuneiform
inscriptions dug up at Khorsabad differ from those found at
Persepolis, and in other parts of Persia, as also from those which
exist in the vicinity of Van; and as far as my knowledge ex-
* I sent a copy of the inscription immediately after discovering it to Major
Rawlinson, who at once recognized it as similar in character to those of Khor-
sabad.


NIMROOD THE ANCIENT LARISSA.
89
tends they were thought unique until the discoveries made at
Nimrood. This identity of character may be useful in deciding
the
age to which we are to attribute the building of Kborsabad,
a subject which has hitherto puzzled all who have examined the
remains found there; and if it can be established, as I believe
it can beyond any reasonable doubt, that Nimrood is the ancient
Larissa, then Khorsabad must at least have existed two thou-
sand five hundred years ago, as the former appears to have been
a flourishing city at the time of Xenophon's celebrated retreat
four centuries prior to the Christian era.
“From the immense quantity of bricks which lie scattered in
the vicinity of the mound, I think it probable that the ancient
city was built in the plain, and that the mound covers what may
have been the acropolis or temple, or some other public building
or buildings similar to those of Khorsabad, the original uses of
which have not yet been determined. However this may be,
the indications of extensive ruins concealed under the mound
are numerous and sufficiently obvious to convince the most inex-
perienced observer, and I hope that an attempt will soon be
made to rescue this ancient city from the oblivion in which it
has so long lain.
“Rich, I believe, was the first who identified Nimrood with
Larissa, but, if I remember rightly, he simply mentions his con-
viction on this point without adducing any proof. After ex-
amining the locality with some care, and comparing it with
Xenophon's description of Larissa, I fully coincide with the
conclusion of Rich : Nimrood occupies the position which exactly
corresponds with that of Larissa. According to the Grecian
historian, his troops did not cross the Zabatus (Zab river) until
late in the day, for it was after the soldiers had dined,' from
which it is plain that the army could not have proceeded very
far on their journey this side of the river: in fact, it is clearly
stated that they did not travel all that day more than twenty-five
stadia, or three English miles. The day following they remained
in the same place, and the day after, ‘having crossed a valley
formed by a torrent,' they reached Larissa on the river Tigris,
having had another skirmish with the Persians during their
march. This torrent must have been the Bumudas (the modern
Khazir), as no other stream exists hereabouts, if we except the


90
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
insignificant rill flowing from Ter Jilla. From this it results
that we must look for the site of Larissa on this side of the Zab
and Khazir, and supposing Xenophon to have crossed the former
river by the present ferry, which is about ten miles distant from
Nimrood, on the day he reached Larissa, his army must have
marched seven miles (three miles from the Zab having been
accomplished the day before), a reasonable distance, con-
sidering the annoyance which they received from the pursuing
Persians.
“The position of Nimrood corresponds, therefore, with that
of ancient Larissa, and the fact that the former is situated only
half a mile from the Tigris is another argument in favour of
its identity, for Xenophon describes Larissa as being on the
Tigris.
“The relative position of Mes-Pylæ and Larissa, as given by
the Grecian historian, is a further coincidence to strengthen our
argument. Mes-Pylæ is by Ainsworth identified with the
mounds upon which the modern village of Nebi Yoonas is built,
and generally thought to be the site of ancient Nineveh. After
referring to the intermediate distance between the Zab and Nebi
Yoonas in proof of his opinion, he adds, 'a strongly corrobora-
tive proof of the identity of the Mes-Pylæ of Xenophon with the
Nineveh of antiquity may be derived from the circumstance of
the existence of shells in the stone of which the plinth of the
wall was fabricated, it being a fact that the common building
stone of this neighbourhood (Nebi Yoonas) is highly fossiliferous,
while a similar stone is not met with to the northward or south-
ward of Mes-Pyla.' If then it is not to be doubted that Mes-
Pylæ was Nineveh, or occupied its site, the distance between
that place and Nimrood exactly corresponds with the six para-
sangs which separated Larissa from Mes-Pylæ, and there being
no other mound of note existing at this distance from Mes-Pylæ,
it results that Nimrood must be Larissa.
“A further coincidence corroborative of this identity, is the
existence of the cone at the north-eastern angle of the mound
of Nimrood, which not improbably forms the remains of the
pyramid mentioned by Xenophon as standing close to the city
of Larissa.
“In stating, as I have done, that Kborsabad was contemporary


NIMROOD THE ANCIENT LARISSA.
91
with Larissa, and therefore existed at the time of Xenophon, I
by no means fix the age of these cities to that period. There
is good ground for believing that both may lay claim to a much
older origin, for Bochart, with some reason, identifies Larissa
with the Resen * of the Old Testament.
“It would be as difficult a task for me toº attempt to account
for the different names given to the ancient Resen, as it is to
determine why Mes-Pylæ and not Nineveh was the appellation
given to the capital of Ninus by the historian Xenophon. I
think it likely that Larissa did not long continue to be known
under that name after the retreat of the Ten Thousand. A
small village called Daraoosh † (Darius) still exists between
Nimrood and the Tigris, and it is not improbable that this
appellation may have succeeded that of Larissa, and has been
preserved in the name of the village after the parent city had
been destroyed. The extraordinary character of the ruins, and
their vicinity to Nineveh, affords a much easier solution of the
modern title of Nimrood, by which name the spot does not
appear to have been known until the period of the Mohammedan
conquest. A little beyond the mound are several wells, which
at certain seasons of the year throw up a large quantity of
bitumen. In all probability, it was from this source that the
builders of Nimrood collected the same material, which they
used as cement. The produce of the springs is now claimed by
the Pasha of Mosul.”
The above was accompanied by the subjoined letter :-
66
Malta, 26th October, 1844.
6 SIR,
“I have the honour to forward to your Excellency a few
remarks on the mound of Nimrood, which I ought to have
* I now think that Reish Aina, or Râs-ool-Ain, on the Khaboor, (the Chebar
of Ezekiel,) and the seat of a Nestorian Bishop, as late as the thirteenth century,
is the site of the ancient Resen. The Syriac author of the Lookâté, already
quoted, writes : “Rehoboth is Hdheyyew, that is, Erbeel, [Arbela] ; Calah is
Jeirahân; Resan is Reish Aina; Arakh is Urhai, [Urfah]; Akar is Nisibis ;
and Kilya is Seleucia."
+ This village has disappeared, and has been replaced by another, situated
nearer the mound, and inhabited by Jeboor Arabs.


92
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
sent some time since, but have been prevented from doing so
by press of business.
“ As it is
my
intention to leave Malta for London on the 5th
of the ensuing month, it has occurred to me whether it might
not tend to induce the government to undertake the excavation
of this interesting mound, if I were to lay before them such
notices as I have collected respecting it during my sojourn in
the east. Should your Excellency judge that my services in
this respect are likely to be useful, I shall feel much obliged if
you would lay the subject before the Earl of Aberdeen, and give
me a letter of introduction to his lordship. At the same time,
if your Excellency has no further need of the fac-simile of the
cuneiform inscription which I left with you at Constantinople,
I shall feel thankful if you will take the trouble to forward the
same to me, at 79, Pall Mall, London.
“ I have the honour to be,
“ To His Excellency,
&c. &c.
“ The Right Hon. Sir Stratford Canning,
&c. &c. &c.
“Constantinople."
Shortly after this, Sir Stratford Canning liberally undertook
the work of excavation, which was carried on under the able
direction and supervision of Mr. Layard. Since then, the
British Government has given its support to the measure, and
Nimrood is still proving the richest mine of Assyrian antiquities
which has yet been discovered. The slabs and other sculptures
dug up from this mound, are in a more perfect state of preser-
vation, and more exquisitely finished, than any which have been
found in these parts. The grand task, however, remains yet to be
accomplished, namely, the complete deciphering of the character,
and the true exposition of the numerous inscriptions engraved
on these monuments of by-gone days. Every lover of science
must wish Major Rawlinson success in this laborious under-
taking which he has entered upon with such zeal; and we do
not doubt that, so far as the records shall be found to have any
bearing upon the historical facts handed down in Holy Writ,
they will supply an additional and important testimony to the
genuineness and authenticity of the Old Testament Scriptures.


NIMROOD INSCRIPTIONS.
93
It having been ascertained, chiefly through the researches of
the indefatigable scholar alluded to, that the language of the
inscriptions is a dialect of the Semitic family, it is to be hoped
that the oldest Syriac MSS. will be sought out and examined,
wherein many traditions are preserved of the Babylonian and
Assyrian dynasties, which may tend to corroborate the results of
modern investigation.


94
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS,
CHAPTER
I X.
Syrian convent of Mar Behnâm.—Description of the church and baptistery.—
Convent of Mar Mattai in 1844.—Grave of Gregory bar Hebræus.—View
from Jebel Makloob.-Ain-oos-Safrâ, a holy place of the Yezeedees.-
Ruins of Nestorian convents.-Sacred beetles.-Mar Mattai in 1850.-
Internal economy of the convent.--Mr. Rassam's stratagem to get it
cleaned.—Chaldean convent of Rabban Hormuzd.—Alkôsh, the last seat
of the Nestorian Patriarchs.— Tomb of the Prophet Nahum.-Description
of Sheikh Adi, the temple of the Yezeedees.-Conversation with the
guardians of the shrine.
Six miles to the north-east of Nimrood is the old Syrian con-
vent of Mar Behnâm. This is a large square edifice, with a
low entrance, leading into an open court separated by a double
row of apartments intended for the accommodation of the
resident monks. A spacious portico extends along the entire
front of the church, which is situated on the right of the court,
and measures about 50 ft. by 60 ft. The interior of the build-
ing looked so extremely wretched, that I was not prepared to
find here one of the finest specimens of ecclesiastical architec-
ture in the country. Two noble entrances, constructed chiefly
of marble, and ornamented with Estrangheli, or ancient Syriac,
inscriptions, lead into the church. The nave is divided into
two unequal portions by a double arch resting on a single
isolated pilaster, opposite to which is a circular column support-
ing a kind of canopy, raised over the entrance into the chapel,
on the right of the principal sacrarium. The high altar is
situated in a semicircular recess beneath a beautifully carved
dome, and a vaulted roof of still more exquisite workmanship
covers the apartment which occupies the south-western wing.
To the left of the sacrarium is the Beit Kaddeeshé, or cemetery,
where several Syrian Bishops are buried, and over whose graves





East.
HH
REFERENCES.
1. Altar.
2. Font.
3. Burial-place.
4. Reading-desks.
5. Empty rooms.
6. Pilaster supporting Arch.
7. Brick pillar.
GROUND PLAN OF THE SYRIAN CHURCH OF MAR BEINAM.
East.
REFERENCES.
1. Altar.
2. Lecterns.
3. Font.
4. Cemetery.
5. Grave of Mar Mattai.
6. Grave of Bar Hebræus.
7. Empty rooms.
7
GROUND PLAN OF SYRIAN CHURCH OF MAR MATTAI.


CONVENT OF MAR BEHNAM.
95
are elaborate inscriptions cut on marble slabs and fixed into the
wall. On the eastern face of the large pilaster is a full-length
bas-relief portrait of Sarah, the sister of Mar Behnâm, and on
the altar-screen opposite, there is a similar representation of
the saint himself mounted on a horse, both of which are much
defaced. The annexed plan may serve to illustrate the above
description.
Twenty yards distant from the convent is the baptistery: this
is a plain building, of an oblong form, with a semicircular recess
at the eastern end, in which the font is placed. The font is 3 ft.
in diameter, and stands about 4 ft. above the ground. A passage
through the floor in front of the recess leads into a subterranean
chapel containing eight small recesses, evidently intended for
tombs, and covered with a neat dome. Among the monumental
records, we noticed one in large Armenian characters. A sarco-
phagus of black marble is pointed out as the burial-place of
Mar Behnâm, but the epitaph, which appears to have stood in
the wall behind, has been removed. In an adjoining niche,
we found a Syriac inscription, of which the following is a
translation :-
“ Like the censer in the sanctuary,
So is Mar Behnâm in his convent;
And what rain and dew are to the earth,
So are his prayers to our souls."
The chapel is dedicated to the "Forty Martyrs," who suffered
martyrdom with Mar Behnâm.
This convent has become the property of the Papal Syrians,
while that of Mar Mattai still belongs to the Jacobites. When
we first visited it in 1844, it was only tenanted by a few Coords,
and the whole building was rapidly falling into decay ; since
then, however, it has been repaired, and service is now daily
performed in the church by a resident priest. According to
Syrian martyrology, the father of Mar Behnâm was a Persian
king, who slew him and his sister Sarah for having embraced
Christianity. Sarah is still regarded as a saint, and the ruins
of a monastery dedicated to her memory are still to be seen in
an adjoining village, called after her Zara Khatoon, or the Lady
Sarah, which is now inhabited by a few Coords.


96
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
The convent of Mar Behnam is highly venerated by the
Mussulmans under the title of Khudhr Elias, or Elijah the
Seer. What relation can ever have existed between the martyr
and the prophet it is not easy to divine; the Jacobites solve the
difficulty by saying, that the latter name was given to it in
order to secure the respect of the Mohammedans; and they
further add, that this stratagem has often saved the convent
when other monasteries around them have been plundered and
deserted.
The internal disposition of the Church is similar to that of
Sheikh Matta, which shall be described anon, and not unlike
the general arrangement of the Nestorian churches, of which
more will be said hereafter. The ground floor clearly shows
that the division of the nave was intended a form a separate
chapel, to which the Beit Kaddeeshé served as a sacrarium.
The baptistery occupies nearly the same position here as the font
in the convent of Deir Zaaferân. There must be some reason
why baptism among the Syrian Christians of old was adminis-
tered so near the abode of the dead.* In the modern Jacobite
churches, the font is generally placed within the bema, on
the south side of the altar, as in the annexed sketch. In this
case, however, it is clear, from the existence of the adjacent
baptistery, as also from the comparative newness of the font
now in the church, that its existence there was not coeval with
the original plan.
In the month of October, 1843, during one of our excursions
among the Christians near Mosul, we spent two days at the
convent of Mar Mattai, generally known as Sheikh Matta,
situated near the summit of Jebel Makloob, and about four
hours' ride from the town. Rich visited this part in 1820, but
since then the convent has undergone a great change. Old
Mutran Moosa, who entertained him, died a few years after,
and Rabban Matta was appointed abbot in his stead. In his
time, the monastery was attacked by the Coordish Pasha of
Rawandooz, whose soldiers defaced or destroyed most of the
inscriptions, expelled the resident monks, and plundered all the
church property.
* May not this arrangement have some reference to our being “buried with
CHRIst in baptism unto death ?” Rom. vi. 4; Col. ii. 12, &c.






C.Urar turner
iureat castie St.
SYRIAN CONVENT OF MAR MATTAI OR SHEIKH MATTA.


CONVENT OF MAR MATTAI.
97
The ascent to the convent is over a steep and rugged road
leading through a deep defile, which it took us forty minutes to
accomplish from the valley below. We found the building
deserted, and entirely destitute of gates or doors. A row of
dilapidated apartments surround a triple court, at the end of
which is the church, a very substantial edifice, differing little
in its internal arrangement from that already described at Mar
Behnâm, and above this is a small chapel dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin. The annexed is a correct plan of the church.
We found the following epitaph in Carshooni (.e. Arabic
written in Syriac characters), over the remains of Gregory bar
Hebræus and his brother, who are buried in the Beit Kaddeeshé,
to the north of the sacrarium.
“ This is the grave of Mar Gregory John, and of Mar
Barsoma his brother, the children of the
Hebrew, on Mount Elpep."*
To which are added two lines in Syriac, said to have been
penned by Gregory himself during his lifetime. They run
thus :-
“O net of the world, in the year 1536 † thou didst catch me;
But my hope is that in 1597 I shall not be in thee."
Then again in Carshooni :-
“ He reached the LORD on the 30th of August.”
The scoffer Gibbon, contrary to his wont, bears this testi-
mony to a Christian Bishop: “Some strangers of merit have
been converted to the Monophysite faith, and a Jew was the
father of Abulpharagius, Primate of the east, so truly eminent
both in his life and death. In his life, he was an elegant writer of
the Syriac and Arabic tongues, a poet, physician and historian,
a subtle philosopher, and a moderate divine. In his death, his
funeral was attended by his rival, the Nestorian Patriarch, with
a train of Greeks and Armenians, who forgot their disputes, and
mingled their tears over the grave
of an enemy."
*“ Elpep” is the name given to Jebel Makloob in all the ancient Syriac
MSS.
+ Of the Grecian era ; corresponding to A.D. 1225.
H


98
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
A short distance from the convent is another sepulchral
apartment, at the eastern extremity of which is a large na-
tural cave. This is the burial-place of several Syrian Bishops,
whose graves are covered with long epitaphs in the Estrangheli
character. Thence we ascended to the traditional abode of
Mar Mattai, the founder, consisting of two narrow grots, not
far from the summit of the mountain, in one of which is a
small altar hewn out of the rock, and in the other an oblong
niche, evidently intended for a bed. Here our guide pointed
out to us two holes in the ground, which are said to have been
worn by the knees of the hermit. There is a Syriac inscrip-
tion over the altar, but so defaced, that we could not decipher
it. On the opposite side of the mountain, are the ruins of an
ancient monastery dedicated to Mar Auraha, which once belonged
to the Nestorians, but is now claimed by the Jacobites.
The view from the top of Jebel Makloob is at once grand
and interesting : on the north the high hills of Akra hem in
the extensive plain of Navkoor, where the waters of the Gomel
are seen mingling with those of the Khazir, the ancient
Bumudas. The united stream may then be traced in its
course round Jebel Ain-oos-Safrâ, as it meanders by many an
artificial mound of Assyrian origin, and by many a modern
village and encampment of Coord and Arab, until it reaches
the great Zab. On the east the prospect is bounded by the
snow-topped mountains which separated Assyria from the Media
of old ; and on the west, the Tigris is seen flowing under the
walls of Nineveh and Mosul, and making in its onward progress
to the south the eastern limit of Mesopotamia.
Descending a little to the west of the convent is a large natu-
ral cave called Eu-Nakoot, the roof of which forms a dripping
fountain. In the front of the cave are a few trees affording a
cool and agreeable shade, and much frequented by the people of
Mosul during the summer months. After examining all the
objects of interest in the neighbourhood, we spread our carpets
in the church porch, and talked over the faded fortunes of the
Syrian Christians. Sleep was out of the question on account of
the innumerable gnats which seemed to enjoy our visit amaz-
ingly. Our town servants and Coordish muleteers collected
themselves into a separate group at a little distance, and whiled


AIN-OOS-SAFRA.
99
away the evening in singing some of their plaintive mountain
airs. The moon shone resplendent till a late hour, and con-
tinued her calm and majestic course through a cloudless sky,
long after the soft cadence of the Coordish song had given place
to the hum of insects, and to the flittings of bats and owls, now
the sole guardians of the tomb of Bar Hebræus.
The day following we took a trip to Ain-oos-Safrâ about two
hours to the south-east of the convent. The spring from which
the mountain derives its name, is situated on the verge
of the
plain where its waters are collected into a cistern swarming with
small leeches and enormous frogs. This place is held in high
veneration by the Yezeedees around, who have here a yearly
dance in honour of one of their reputed saints. The branches
of a wild fig-tree hard by were covered with rags of different
colours, which we learned on inquiry betokened the visits of
those people who resort hither to seek the divine intervention in
their behalf. Such as are about to undertake a journey, barren
women, and the sick and infirm, are the principal visitors on
ordinary occasions, and these record their vows, by tearing off a
shred from their garments, and tying it to the tree before men-
tioned. The same custom prevails extensively among the
Mohammedans throughout Turkey, and it is not uncommon for
the traveller to meet with shrubs and bushes on the road literally
hid under these votive offerings.
Close by the spring are the ruins of the convent of Mar Gaw-
rièl, and on the summit of the mountain we saw the remains of
a similar building dedicated to Mar Danièl, both formerly
tenanted by Nestorian monks. Once a year divine service is
celebrated at the latter place, and the Chaldeans and other
Christians who resort thither consider it a miracle that on their
first arrival myriads of beetles are seen creeping up the walls
and about the ruins which, they say, entirely disappear as soon
as the prayers are ended. It is affirmed, and I believe with
truth, that the more superstitious regale themselves with a mess
of these noisome insects before returning home.
Since our first visit to Mar Mattai the convent has been par-
tially repaired and is now the residence of Mutran Matta and
two monks. Mutran Matta is the same person who has already
been mentioned as the abbot who succeeded Mutran Moosa just
H 2


100
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
before the attack of the Coords. His appointment to this place
is another proof of the mal-administration of the ecclesiastical
affairs of the Syrians; for whilst the extensive district of Jebel
Toor is left to the care of three bishops, the only five Jacobite
villages in this neighbourhood are formed into a diocese under
Mutran Matta, separate from that of the town of Mosul, to
which the episcopal jurisdiction of Mutran Behnam is confined.
We passed a few weeks here during the summer of 1850, and
in that time had abundant opportunity of becoming acquainted
with the internal economy of the establishment. Mutran Matta
received me as an old friend, and placed at our disposal two of
the best rooms in the convent. He is an illiterate man, but
simple and kind-hearted, and after matins spends most of his
time in superintending the repairs of the monastery and in look-
ing after its revenue. He seemed busy all day long in attending
to the crops, sheep, cows, fowls, wood, and other provisions; of
which a large stock is kept for the use of the numerous visitors
from Mosul and the surrounding villages who frequent the con-
vent in the hot season.
Several of these parties of pleasure
thronged the place during our stay, and converted the sacred
precincts into a common inn. Eating and drinking to excess
seemed to be the sole object of their visit, and the noise of their
revelry went on from day to day in spite of the entreaties and
remonstrances of the Bishop. Every person on leaving is ex-
pected to make an adequate return for the provisions with which
he has been supplied, as also for his accommodation in the con-
vent, and the attempts made by some to avoid payment frequently
gave rise to unpleasant altercation between the Bishop and the
visitors. What a position this for a Christian prelate to occupy!
Mr. Rassam related to me that on going to reside for a week
at Mar Mattai, three years prior to our visit, he found the in-
terior of the convent in a most filthy state. As usual during
the hot weather, the place was crowded with townspeople who
only added to the accumulated nuisance and disregarded every
solicitation to clear it away. What he failed to effect through
the Bishop he now thought of accomplishing by stratagem, and
accordingly wrote a feigned letter from the Pasha demanding of
the convent, on account of government, a contribution of four
hundred weight of bones to be made into manure. A mounted


STRATAGEM OF MR. RASSAM.
101
attendant was directed to bring this order as coming from Mosul,
and on reaching the gate he delivered the letter into the hands
of Mutran Matta, who kissed it respectfully in token of obedi-
ence. Not being able to read Turkish he requested Mr. Rassam
to make known to him the contents, and on hearing what was
demanded of him, his consternation knew no bounds: “What
shall I do? what shall I do ?” said the poor bishop ; "If I
slaughter all the cattle of the convent they will not yield one-
fourth of that quantity of bones. And where can I go to pro-
cure bones ? O Consul! O Consul! use your influence to get
me released from such an imposition.” By this time many
of the principal visitors had gathered about the bishop,
who added their entreaties to his that Mr. Rassam would save
them from a fine which it was impossible for them to pay.
Knowing as he did the character of the Pasha, he could only
promise them some abatement in the demand, say two instead
of four hundred weight of bones; but even this he would only
engage to do upon condition that the convent was thoroughly
cleaned in the course of the day. This device acted like magic;
in the twinkling of an eye, men, women, and children, some
with brooms and fire-fans, others with their hands and clothes,
entered upon the task, and in less than four hours not a vestige
of rubbish was to be seen. Still the affrighted Bishop could
not rest, and when Mr. Rassam was leaving the convent he laid
hold of the reins of his horse and begged him for the sake of
his church and people, not to forget to plead with the Pasba on
his behalf. Mr. Rassam then disclosed to him the artifice, and
the joy of the poor man on finding himself free from the threat-
ened exaction was not a little heightened by the pleasure which
he derived on looking at the altered appearance and cleanliness of
his convent.
The names of the villages in this district which are under the
jurisdiction of Mutran Matta are: Karakósb, Bartolli, Ba-Sheaka,
Ba-Hazâni, and Kôb near Akra, containing in all 350 Jacobite
families. We visited each of these in succession, and found
many both among the clergy and laity, who deplored the state
of their church and wished for a reform. The complaint was
that the Bishops were indifferent to their spiritual wants, and
only came among them to collect tithe.


102
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
During another excursion in 1843 we visited the Chaldean
convent of Rabban Hormuzd, situated in a deep gorge of the
mountain range which bounds the plain of Mosul on the north,
and about thirty miles from the town. We were met at the
gate by the old abbot and by several of the monks, who ushered
us into the convent, and spread carpets for us in the church-
yard. The abbot was the same who twenty-three years before
had entertained Mr. and Mrs. Rich, and he betrayed evident
emotions of interest as he led us into one of the chapels and
showed us the names of these travellers engraved on the walls.
Since Rich's time, however, the convent has been twice plun-
dered by the Coordish pashas of Rawandooz and Amedia.
Traces of the excesses wrought by the infidel soldiery on these
occasions were yet visible in the broken altars and disfigured
walls of the chapels which they had converted into kitchens and
stables. Everything of any value was carried away, several of
the monks were inhumanly murdered, and the few MSS. which
had survived the inundation recorded by Rich were torn in
pieces or burned with fire.
At the time of our visit the convent contained thirty-five lay
brethren and four priests including the abbot; the former are
almost exclusively engaged in cultivating the fields, and in other
manual labour connected with the establishment, or in collecting
contributions from the villages around. The priests with one
exception were illiterate men, who seemed to have no other
occupation than that of reciting the daily prayers. They knew
hardly anything of the contents of a few Syriac MSS. which
formed the library, and confessed that the only book in common
use among them was Antoine's theology in Arabic, printed by
the Propaganda for the use of the Eastern Churches in commu-
nion with Rome.
According to historical tradition Rabban Hormuzd lived prior
to the council of Ephesus, and was the chief founder of monas-
ticism in this country. His name is held in high veneration by
the Nestorians, to whom this, as well as all the other convents
which once existed in the plains of Mosul, and are now claimed
by the Chaldeans, belonged. The remains of the Rabban or
monk are buried at the eastern end of the church called after
his name, where his tomb now serves as an altar. In the ground



C. Grar, lithog
CONVENT OF RABBAN HORMUZD.
1. Great Castle Street





RABBAN HORMUZD.
103
below there is a deep hole from whence earth is taken, and after
being mixed with water is made into small balls of clay which
are carried away as a charm by such as attend the commemora-
tion of the saint's festival. The church appears to be the only
relic of the original structure, and like all the ancient edifices of
the kind in these parts is of an oblong form, with an arched
roof and entirely destitute of windows. Light is admitted into
it from an upper chapel reached by a passage opening into the
church, in which are the tombs of many Nestorian Patriarchs.
This passage serves as the Beit Kaddeeshé, and an adjoining
apartment is still called the Beitá d’Amadha, or Baptistery,
though not now used as such by the Chaldeans.
The torbs of the Nestorian Patriarchs are covered with elabo-
rate epitaphs in the Estrangheli character, each containing a
short declaration of the faith of the deceased. Wherever the
confession of “two persons” in Christ has been inscribed on
the marble, the zealous Chaldean monks have taken the pains
to erase it, thus forcing the dead as it were to utter a doctrine
which, while living, they professed to disbelieve.
There are two other chapels at Rabban Hormuzd of modern
foundation, dedicated to the Holy Trinity and the Four Evan-
gelists. These are simple structures, each consisting of a nave
and sacrarium, the walls and altar of which are decked with
tawdry pictures and other ornaments imported from Rome.
The rocks around contain a number of natural caves which form
the cells of the monks. The monastic order professed is that
of S. Anthony, but the discipline observed is very lax compared
with that of similar establishments in Egypt and Palestine. At
the time of our first visit the monks were only allowed to eat
meat twice a year, viz., on Christmas and Easter day; wine and
spirits were also prohibited. Since then, however, the revenue
of the convent has been increased by the plunder of the pro-
perty belonging to the old patriarchal family, as will be related
hereafter, and the Chaldeans themselves now say that none enjoy
the good things of this world as much as the monks of Rabban
Hormuzd. The only other Chaldean convent now in existence
is that of Mar Gheorghees, two miles north of Mosul, on the
eastern bank of the river, which was rebuilt by the late Patriarch
Mar Zeyya, who intended to establish a school there; but the


104
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
scheme was abandoned and the convent is now tenanted by a
solitary monk. Thus besides the Propaganda, where a youth is
occasionally sent to be educated, Rabban Hormuzd is the only
seminary for supplying the ranks of the Chaldean clergy.
An hour's ride brought us to Alkôsh, celebrated as the burial
place of the prophet Nahum, and the seat of the Nestorian
patriarchs after they had abandoned Seleucia and Baghdad.
This is a large village containing 300 Chaldean families and two
churches, one of which is now in ruins. Mutran Yoosef, who
styles himself Bishop of Amedia and Bahdinan, generally resides
here; but he was absent on a visit to the valley of the Supna
where he has succeeded in bringing over many Nestorians to the
Church of Rome. Alkôsh, however, is not under his jurisdic-
tion, but together with Mosul and the surrounding villages
forms a part of the episcopal diocese of the patriarch.
In 1850 when we again spent a day here, I took up my lodg-
ings in the old residence of the Nestorian patriarchs, where a
few of their Chaldean descendants still find a miserable shelter.
Though once a rather sumptuous abode, it is now nothing better
than a heap of ruins; indeed the entire village is in a very
dilapidated condition and the people looked sickly and miserable.
Mutran Yoosef, who has succeeded Mar Zeyya in the patri-
archate since our last visit, sometimes resides here with his bro-
ther, the surgeon and doctor of the village, a tall rough-looking
man, but he was then absent at Mosul.
We next went to the so-called grave of Nahum, who in holy
writ is styled “Nahum the Elkoshite,"* though it is very doubt-
ful whether this is the site either of the prophet's birth or burial.
The building is the property of the Jews: they come on a pil-
grimage hither once a year during the month of May from
Mosul and the surrounding villages, and generally pass a week
here in praying and feasting. A Chaldean who acts as guardian,
(for no Jew resides at Alkôsh,) showed us the interior of the
edifice, which is nothing more than a plain room, with a flat
roof supported by several arches. The tomb occupies nearly the
centre of the apartment, and consists of a wooden box, covered
with green cloth, and enclosed within an ornamental marble
On the tomb I observed several printed copies of
screen.
* Nahum i. 1.





im
F.C.Cooper, lith.
Printed by CGraf 1,6+ Castle Street,

SHEIKH
ADI , FROM THE SOUTH


SHEIKH ADI.
105
Nahum's prophecy, and on the wall beyond a long inscription in
Hebrew. The identity of this spot with the Elkosh of the
prophet is believed by the Christians generally, the Chaldeans
only excepted. In my booyoorooltu, or safe conduct, which I
had obtained from the Pasha, it was styled the “grave of our
lord Nahum.”
The next place of interest to which I shall conduct my readers
is Sheikh Adi, the principal shrine of the Yezeedees, sometimes
called the devil-worshippers. This place is situated about
twenty miles to the east of Rabban Hormuzd, in the same moun-
tain range, but a little farther north. A deep ravine through
which runs a limpid stream, lined with oak, poplar, and olive
trees, forms a shady avenue to the temple, the whitened cones
of which rise up in the distance from amidst a thick foliage,
giving a picturesque and lively appearance to the lonely scenery
around. Following the course of the rivulet we proceeded
under a long covered archway to two large basins into which
two separate streams flowed from a couple of springs over which
two small buildings are erected. Turning to the right we
entered the outer court of the temple, shadowed by large spread-
ing mulberry trees, with eight recesses on each side which serve
as stalls or shops during the season of pilgrimage. On the
heights around, which are covered with dwarf oak, are nume-
rous dwellings, of various sizes and shapes, destined for the
accommodation of the pilgrims. Here we were met by the
Nâzir or Guardian of the sacred shrine, and by two male and
several female attendants, who immediately recognized me as
having visited Sheikh Adi six months before. The women wore
a smooth white cotton turban, and a long woollen robe of the
same colour. The outer habit of the male attendants was a
black woollen cassock bound round the waist with a leatbern
girdle, and a black turban. The dress of the Nâzir was made
of the same material, but his turban was white, and his girdle,
in which he always carried a small axe, consisted of a chain of
copper rings fastened in front by a hook of the same metal. This
and the white turban seemed to form the insignia of his office.
We then passed from the centre into the inner court through
a covered passage leading between two lodges, where we were
requested to take off our shoes. The inner wall of this building


106
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
forms the western boundary of the temple yard, and is covered
with a number of symbolical figures roughly cut on its surface.
The court is enclosed on the left by a dead wall, and on the
right by several small apartments, while the front of the temple,
on which also are many rude engravings, makes up the quad-
rangle. Instead of attempting any description of these hiero-
glyphics, I shall refer the reader to the annexed plates where
the whole is set down in detail. In one corner of the yard is
the Nâzir's seat under a small niche where a lamp is kept burn-
ing during the night. On this is an imperfect inscription in
Arabic, from which I could only make out the following. On one
side :-
“Sultan Yezeed, the mercy of God be upon him.”
And on the other side:
“Sheikh Adi, the mercy of God be upon
him."
Over one of the apartments in the court-yard is another in-
scription to this effect :
“ This is the epitaph of Hajji ibn Ismaeel. Blessedness is inscribed on
her gates, therefore enter them in peace. Amen. In the year 1195."
A stream of water runs into a square basin in the yard floor,
and thence flows under the walls of the temple; and in the
niche of a raised seat hard by, we observed a number of small
earthen balls, which we learned on inquiry, were made of the
clay dug up from the vicinity of the principal tomb, to be taken
away and used as charms by pious visitors. We were next
ushered into the temple, which consists of an oblong apartment,
divided into two aisles, (that on the left being raised a few feet
above the other,) by a row of five arches, which support the
roof. To the right of the entrance is a platform, and a square
basin of running water, with a seat at each corner, evidently
intended for the accommodation of such as come here to bathe.
Along the wall to the right are several empty niches, and in
the aisle opposite, stands a wooden tomb, covered with a curtain.
Lower down the same aisle is a large recess, with a long Arabic
inscription, which, to my astonishment, I found to be a quotation
from the Koran. 'Two openings a little beyond, lead into as
many rooms, in each of which is a tomb, similar to that already



Forum
0
REV
TO
dolo
lodigt
FC. Cooper, lith.
FRONT OF ENCLOSURE FACING THE TEMPLE OF SHEIKH ADI .
Printed by C.Graf, 1, Great Castle St.
A. Nazir's Seat.









0001
000Lidlo
€ 0,00
10000
ama
62
F.C. Cooper, lith.
Printed by Corat 1, Great Castle St.
FRONT OF THE
TEMPLE OF SHEIKH ADI.


TOMBS OF THE SHEIKHS.
107
described ; and in one a door to some subterranean apartment,
which we were not allowed to enter. The tombs are sur-
mounted on the roof by three cones as the annexed sketch.
A door in the eastern extremity of the temple leads into
another apartment of equal dimensions, but this we found quite
empty, if we except a raised platform, on the left of the entrance.
The accompanying ground plan will illustrate the above de-
scription.
In the vicinity of the temple, are scattered a number of
covered walks, built without any apparent design, and from
forty to fifty Shaks, the name given by the Yezeedees to the
tombs which they profess to raise over their great Sheikhs.
Almost every Yezeedee village has one or more of these monu-
ments, which, however, are mere cenotaphs, made on the model
of the different tombs at Sheikh Adi, where they tell you the
reputed saints are buried. Thus, for instance, the Nâzir
pointed out to us the Shaks corresponding to those at Ba-Sheaka,
Ba-Hazâni, Ain Sifni, and other places. The subjoined is the
most common form of these monuments.

WR
YEZEEDSE SHAKS.


108
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
We found the interior of the tombs empty, and the only in-
scriptions were the following:
“This is the epitaph of Semdeen, the son of Sheikh Khadarset.
Ziyanet [Shrine) in the year 1196."
“ O Shems Ali Beg, and Faris! Be my good fortune and the good
fortune of your house in this world and in the next."
If the above date corresponds with that of the Hegira, about
one century has elapsed since it was set up. The Arabic in-
scriptions throughout are badly cut, and the language is still
worse: a clear proof of the ignorance of these people.
Towards sunset, one of the attendants proceeded to fulfil his
daily task of illuminating the sacred places in the vicinity. He
held in his hand a copper vessel filled with cotton wicks, steeped
in sesame oil, one of which he left at the entrance to each tomb,
in the different covered passages, and close by every spring.
These burned for a few minutes and then all was dark again.
The same custom is observed by the Yezeedees in the different
villages inhabited by them.
After witnessing this ceremony, we inquired of the Nâzir,
whether there was any objection to our remaining the night at
Sheikh Adi. This was in 1844, before which time, only one
European had visited the temple, and none had ever slept within
the sacred precincts. After some demur, we received his assent,
and were permitted to spread our carpets in the outer court,
where the Nâzir and his attendants joined us, with whom I had
a long conversation, of which the following is the substance: -
Question. Where is Sheikh Adi ?
Názir. Where is Jesus? Where is Mohammed ? Where
is Ali?
Q. Jesus is everywhere; but what has that to do with
Sheikh Adi?
N. If Jesus is everywhere, so is Sheikh Adi.
Q. From whence is Sheikh Adi? who was his father ?
N. Sheikh Adi has no father.
On manifesting some surprise at this answer, the Nâzir
added :
Why do
you wonder? Had Jesus any father ?” I
answered “no," and then proceeded.
Q. Who was his mother ?


East.
REFERENCES.
C
A. Court.
1. Nazir's seat.
2. Recess for clay balls.
3. Basin.
B. Principal Temple.
4. Basin.
5. Tombs.
6. Reputed Tomb of Sheikh Adi.
C. Empty room.
7. Sacred passage.
8. Vault from whence the sacred
clay is brought.
5
B
7
3
A
O
GROUND PLAN OF THE TEMPLE OF Sheikh Adi.





CONVERSATION WITH THE NAZIR.
109
N. He has no mother.
Q. Then you make him greater than JESUS, whose mother
was the blessed Virgin Mary?
N. So it is; Sheikh Adi is greater than Jesus. He is with-
out parentage, and is from the light.
Q. When did Sheikh Adi die?
N. He is not dead, neither can he die.
Q. What will become of you after death ?
N. I do not know.
Q. Do you believe in heaven and hell ?
N. Yes.
Q. Who is the author of good ?
Elder Attendant. Khoodé, (the Coordish for “God,") or
Sheikh Adi.
Q. Who is the author of evil ?
E. A. Melek Taoos.
Q. Will evil have an end ?
E. A. N. Will evil end while the world continues to exist ?
Q. But will not the world have an end ?
N. Yes.
Q. How long will good reign ?
E. A. Good will reign for seventy years.
Q. What will then become of Melek Taoos?
E. A. God will give him another place.
Q. Is it true that adultery is allowed among you ?
Younger Attendant. Yes ; men and women are allowed to do
as they please when within the precincts of Sheikh Adi.
Q. Did Sheikh Adi commit adultery ?
Y. A. God forbid ! Did Jesus do such things ?
Q. No ; neither does He permit His followers to do them;
but according to your admission, that is lawful which Sheikh
Adi disallowed.
Here the elder attendant interposed, and contradicted his
companion. He then pointed to a stone raised on the moun-
tains above, and addressing me said: “Whenever the Yezeedees
cross that limit, they are bound to forget all such things.”
Q. Are you married ?
E. A. No.
Q. Whose son is that who follows
you
about?


110
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
your names ?
E. A. My brother's.
Q. Are you permitted to marry ?
E. A. Yes, the Nâzir alone is not allowed to have a wife.
Q. Why did you light the wicks at the tombs ?
E. A. In token of respect.
Q. When do
you
receive
E. A. As soon as we are born.
Q. Where are you
circumcised ?
E. A. At the villages where we are born.
Q. When are you dipped into the water ?
E. A. When we first come to Sheikh Adi, and every time
afterwards.
Q. What prayers do you use at the feast of the pilgrims?
E. A. We don't pray; the Kawwáls pray, but we do not
know what they say.
Q. Don't you worship towards the sun ?
E. A. Yes, at sunrise and sunset.
I then endeavoured to obtain from them some explanation of
the different symbols engraved upon the front of the temple ;
but their only answer was, that they knew of no secret mean-
ing attached to them. The inscription over the entrance records
the rebuilding of the edifice by Husein Beg, the grandfather of
the present Emeer of that name, in the year of the Hegira 1221,
and my informants stated, that the different representations of
a comb were inscribed on the walls out of respect for his long
beard. I have since spoken with many Kawwáls and others on
the subject, and am of opinion, that if originally intended as
mystical signs, their meaning is lost to the Yezeedees of the
present day, who regard them as mere ornaments.
The Christians in these parts entertain an opinion that the
temple of Sheikh Adi was originally a church dedicated to Mar
Addai, or Thaddeus, of the Seventy, one of the great apostles of
the East. Nothing in the arrangement of the interior favours
this belief; and the adoration offered to the sun by the Yezee-
dees, sufficiently accounts for its being built east and west.


111
CHAPTER X.
Origin of the Yezeedees.—Yezd and Sh Adi designate the Supreme Being.
-Yezeedee poem in honour of Sheikh Adi who is the Good Principle.-
Emblems of the Deity : the sun, fire, and water, and how worshipped.-
The Evil Principle.—Extract from Mrs. Badger's journal.—Sacred fes-
tivities. — Sheikh Nâsir and Husein Beg.– Procession of the Melek Taoos,
or the symbol of the Evil Principle.- Description of this image.—Wor-
ship of the Evil Principle.—Magism in the religious system of the Yezeedees.
- What the Yezeedees have borrowed from Christianity and Mohamme-
danism.-The five sacerdotal castes.—Their temporal chief.-Character of
the Yezeedees. -Glimpse at their past history. They are an unpromising
field for missionary exertion.
During our stay at Mosul in 1842–44, we made several ex-
cursions among the Yezeedees, visiting all their principal villages
in the neighbourhood, and holding frequent intercourse with
the heads of their community. In 1850 we resided for two
months at Ba-Sheaka, where we had an opportunity of wit-
nessing many of their religious rites and ceremonies, and of
gleaning a mass of information respecting them which I shall
now proceed to lay before my readers.
The family name of the tribe is Dáseni, (pl. Duasen,) by which
title they are frequently spoken of both by Christians and
Mohammedans. They themselves also use the term, but
can give no other account of its origin than that it is
the ancient appellation of their race, which according to their
account existed in these parts from time immemorial. Whence
they sprung, from what source they derived their creed, what is
meant by many of their religious observances, are subjects upon
which the Yezeedees of the present day are thoroughly ignorant.
In physiognomy they resemble the Coords, whose language is in
general use among them, and I think it cannot be doubted that


112
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
they are of the same stock with this people, and descendants of
the ancient Assyrians.
The origin of the name of “ Yezeedee,” by which they are
more commonly known, is referred by some among them to
Yezeed ibn Moawiyah, but this is only a stratagem to secure
their toleration by the Mohammedans. For a like purpose one
of the tombs in the temple of Sheikh Adi is ascribed to Hasan-
ool-Basri, whereas I have been assured that the Sheikh who is
said to be buried there was a different individual, and one of
their own sect whose descendants are still living at Ba-Sheaka.
The quotation from the Koran near the tomb was also admitted
by several Kawwals to have been introduced as a blind, and in
order to prevent the Moslems from desecrating their sacred
shrine. We have already noticed a similar subterfuge as prac-
tised by the Christians of this district, and hence the convent of
Mar Bebnâm is commonly called “Khudhr Elias," and that of
Mar Mattai “ Sheikh Matta."
I think it cannot be doubted that the term “Yezeedee” is
derived from Yezd, one of the titles applied by the ancient Per-
sians to the Supreme Being. “We are Yezeedees," said Sheikh
Nasir to me on one occasion, “that is, we are worshippers of
GOD." But a difficulty then arises as to the person of him
whom they designate " Sheikh Adi,” and who there is every
reason to believe also represents the Deity in their theology.
The conversation which I held with the guardians of the temple
clearly leads to this conclusion, and the same has been declared
to me again and again by many Yezeedees.* In that case
his tomb must be regarded as a myth, and the prefix “Sheikh "
**
May not the Yezeedee “ Adi” be cognate with the Hebrew 78 Adh or
Ad, the two first letters in the original of Adonai, the Lord, and its compounds
Adonijah, Adonibezek, &c. ? This derivation is open to objection on the
ground that the Yezeedees write the word with y and not with n. Little
weight, however, ought to be attached to this fact, since they write it so only in
Arabic, of which they know but very little, and not in their own language which
they do not write at all. Moreover they may have assimilated the mode of ex-
pressing the title of their Deity in by-gone days to that of Adi, one of the de-
scendants of the Merawiyan caliphs, with whom from fear of being persecuted
by the Mohammedans, they sometimes identify him. It is supposed by some
that the “ Sheikh Adi ” of the Yezeedees, is the same with “ Adi,” one of the
disciples of Mani; but this, I think, improbable, since there is no proof that
even Mani himself was deified by his followers.


EULOGY OF SHEIKH ADI.
113
as another artifice to throw dust into the eyes of the Mohamme-
dan persecutors. Or it may
be that “ Adi” was a supposed incar-
nation of Yezd, who appeared on earth only for a season. This
opinion receives support from the fact that several buildings are
erected near his shrine to commemorate the places on which he
is said to have sat.
The above hypothesis receives support from the subjoined
translation of an Arabic poem, which I obtained after much
trouble from the Sheikh already alluded to.
“THIS IS THE EULOGY OF SHEIKH ADI; UPON HIM BE PEACE!
“My wisdom knoweth the truth of things,
And my truth hath mingled with me.
My real descent is from myself;
I have not known evil to be with me.
All creation is under my control;
Through me are the habitable parts and the deserts,
And every created thing is subservient to me.
And I am he that decreeth and causeth existence.
I am he that spake the true word,
And I am he that dispenseth power, and I am the ruler of the earth.
And I am he that guideth mankind to worship my majesty,
And they came unto me and kissed my
feet.
And I am he that pervadeth the highest heavens ;
And I am he that cried in the wilderness;
And I am the Sheikh, the one, the only one ;
And I am he that by myself revealeth things ;
And I am he to whom the book of glad tidings came down
From
my
Lord who cleaveth the mountains.
And I am he to whom all men came,
Obedient to me they kissed my feet.
I am the mouth, the moisture of whose spittle
Is as honey, wherewith I constitute my confidents.*
And by his light he hath lighted the lamp of the morning.
I guide him that seeketh my direction.
And I am he that placed Adam in my paradise.
* Derwishes among the Mohammedans are inducted into office by drinking a
bowl of milk into which a Sheikh has spat, which ceremony is called Hål by the
Arabs.
The original word which I have translated “Confidents,” designates literally
those learned men whom eastern monarchs used to entertain at their courts.
The term as above applied seems to indicate the Kawwals who are the sacred
poets of the Yezeedees.
I


114
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
And I am he that made Nimrod a hot burning fire.
And I am he that guided Ahmet mine elect,
I gifted him with my way and guidance.
Mine are all existences tog er,
They are my gift and under my direction.
And I am he that possesseth all majesty,
And beneficence and charity are from my grace.
And I am he that entereth the heart in my zeal;
And I shine through the power of my awfulness and majesty.
And I am he to whom the lion of the desert came,
I rebuked him and he became like stone.
And I am he to whom the serpent came, *
And by my will I made him like dust.
And I am he that shook the rock and made it tremble,
And sweet water flowed therefrom on every side.
And I am he that brought down an authentic verity,
A book whereby I will guide the prudent ones.
And I am he that enacted a powerful law,
And its promulgation was my gift.
And I am he that brought from the fountain water
Limpid and sweeter than all waters;
And I am he that disclosed it in my mercy,
And in my might I called it the white [fountain.]
And I am he to whom the Lord of heaven said :
Thou art the ruler and governor of the universe.
And I am he who manifested some of my wonders,
And some of my virtues are seen in the things that exist.
And I am he to whom the flinty mountains bow,
They are under me, and ask to do my pleasure.
And I am he before whose majesty the wild beasts wept;
They came and worshipped and kissed
my
feet.
I am Adi of the mark,f a wanderer,-
The All-Merciful has distinguished me with names.
And
my seat and throne are the wide-spread earth.
In the depth of my knowledge there is no God but me.
These things are subservient to my power.
How, then, can ye deny me, O mine enemies ?
Do not deny me,
O
men,
but yield,
That in the day of the resurrection you may be happy in meeting with me.
* The façade of the temple at Sheikh Adi bears the figure of a lion and ser-
pent, as may be seen from the sketch already referred to.
† The original word is Esh-Shâmi, which the ignorant Yezeedees think to
“the Damascene," and hence they frequently say that Sheikh Adi came
from Damascus. The spirit of the passage has guided me in the rendering above
given, which is supported by the context.
mean


BOOKS OF THE YEZEEDEES,
115
He who dies enraptured with me, I will cast him
In the midst of paradise, after my pleasure, and by my will ;
But he who dies neglectful of me
Shall be punished with my contempt and rod.
And I declare that I am the essential one :
I create and provide for those who do my
will.
Praise be to mine essence; for all things are by my will,
And the world is lighted with some of my gifts.
I am the great and majestic king ;
It is I who provide for the wants of men.
I have made known to you, O congregation, some of my ways.
Who desireth me must forsake the world.
I am he that spake a true word;
The highest heavens are for those who obey me.
I sought out truth, and became the establisher of truth;
And with a similar truth shall they attain to the highest like me.
Confused and unintelligible as much of the above rhapsody
is, it tends to confirm our hypothesis that “Sheikh Adi” is
one of the names of Deity in the theology of the Yezeedees.
I believe this poem to be the only fragment now extant in any
way connected with their creed, and I very much doubt whether
they ever had
any
sacred Scriptures. Their occasional preten-
sions to possess such must be regarded as another artifice to
evade the hatred of the Mohammedans, who are taught in the
Korân to consider those who are not the "people of a book,”
i.e. have no written revelations, as fit objects for every species
of indignity and persecution. Should this, however, be a mis-
taken conclusion, it is an indisputable fact, that hardly one
Yezeedee exists who could understand a well written Arabic
treatise; their Patriarch himself scarcely knows a letter of the
alphabet, and his principal scribe can just read and write the
colloquial dialect. So then, if they really have any books, it is
clear that they can make no use of them. The notion entertained
by some, that they had a secret language of their own, seems
to be without foundation.
Yezd, or Sheikh Adi, is held by the Yezeedees to be the good
Deity, and to him they offer their worship, which may be
divided into two kinds, direct and indirect. The former con-
sists of a few hymns, which are handed down traditionally
among the Kawwáls, who
may be regarded as the sacred mu-
sicians and hierophants of the sect. I have heard several of
I 2


116
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
these poems repeated, but they differ little in substance from
that given above, except that they are shorter, and much more
unconnected. The hymns are chanted by the Kawwáls at their
principal festivals to the sound of flutes and tambourines, which
style of worship some among them have learned from the
Christians to support by a quotation from the 150th Psalm.
Their tunes are monotonous in the extreme, and the strain,
though sometimes plaintive, is generally loud and harsh, and
would be deemed any thing but melodious to one accustomed
to the solemn harmony of our church music. Twice a year
they make the pilgrimage to Sheikh Adi, where they celebrate
their religious rites with great rejoicing and festivity. Mr.
Layard was present on one of these occasions, and describes
the uncontrollable excitement which prevailed among those
present during the performance of the Kawwals.* The above,
so far as I have been able to learn, forms the substance of their
direct worship of the Supreme Being.
The adoration of the sun by the Yezeedees may be regarded
as a sort of indirect homage paid to the Deity. That great
luminary, as being one of the noblest productions, and most
powerful agents of the divine power and goodness, is looked
upon by them as the purest symbol of Yezd, and hence they
worship its rising and setting by kissing the ground with their
faces turned either to the east or west.
This is done every
morning and evening by the priestly castes ; but the common
people frequently omit the ceremony, and some neglect it alto-
gether. I have been informed that the duty is only incumbent
upon these latter on particular occasions, such as during the
pilgrimage to Sheikh Adi, when it is performed with more than
common solemnity. Large parties frequently encamp at the
foot of the mountain which hems in the sacred valley on the
south, and begin the ascent at early dawn. As soon as the
rays of the sun touch the ground beneath them, they bow down
and reverently kiss a stone, which they then place upon some
other close by. We crossed this mountain on our return from
the shrine, and found its surface covered with these piles, which
frequently consisted of eight or ten stones raised one above the
other. The same practice is observed by the heathen in India,
* Nineveh and its Remains, Vol. I. p. 293.


RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE YEZE EDEES.
117
and I have frequently seen an idol temple or pagoda surrounded
with similar tokens of Pagan adoration.
Mr. Layard mentions a building and a herd of white oxen
at Sheikh Adi, dedicated to "Sheikh Shems," which he sup-
poses to be the sun. It is clear, however, that the Yezeedees
so designate the place for the sake of brevity, as the entablature
over the doorway records the names in full, namely, “Sheikh
Shems Ali Beg and Faris,” for two persons are mentioned in
the inscription, which has been given entire a few pages back.
In like manner the word “Shems” frequently enters into the
construction of Mohammedan names.
Fire and light, as being elements cognate with that of the
sun, are received by the Yezeedees as symbols of the good
Deity. They never spit into a fire, and will frequently pass
their hands through the flames, and make as though they would
kiss and wash their faces with them, just as the Christians do
with the incense in their churches. Water, also, is held by
them to be a symbol of Yezd, it being a most powerful agent
in communicating temporal blessings to mankind. Hence
almost every fountain and spring is considered sacred, and
when in their power, as those at Sheikh Adi, Ba-Sheaka, Ba-
Hazâni, and others, they leave a lamp burning nightly in some
adjacent niche or cave, in token of their adoration. On this
account bathing is looked upon by them more in the light of a
sacred duty than as an ordinary purification ; and their objec-
tion to frequent the Mohammedan baths of the country has, I
have no doubt, some connexion with this superstition. For the
same reason they consider fish moobârak, i.e. blessed, the term
which they apply to every thing sacred, and which reminds one
of the aghiasmata of the Greeks. I have been informed that
only a few of the lowest classes among them ever eat any
produce of the waters.
The above rites and ceremonies form the sum of the religious
worship offered up by the Yezeedees to the good Deity. They
have no forms of prayer, and it is shocking to any Christian
mind to hear them allow with the utmost indifference that they
never pray. I have frequently urged upon them the duty of
acknowledging their dependence on God on the ground of com-
mon gratitude, natural instinct, and what they admit to be due


118
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
:
to any earthly benefactor to whom they look for help, or from
whom they had received any benefits. Their only answer has
been : "Such is our way; as our forefathers did before us even
so do we.”
I think it not improbable, however, that the reverence which
they pay to their so-called Sheikhs (I mean those over whose
tombs the Shaks are erected), may be regarded as another form
of indirect homage rendered to the Supreme Being. I have not
been able to learn who these reputed saints were, and the modern
Yezeedees are quite ignorant as to the time when they lived or
died. The names by which they are designated, such as Sheikh
Aboo-Bekr, Sheikh Mohammed, &c., must be regarded as
fictitious, and invented to conciliate the Moslems, since they do
not admit the mission of their prophet or the authority of the
Korân, and their Sheikhs they affirm to have lived long before
Mohammed. I have often inquired whether it was not possible
for a new Sheikh to rise up among them now-a-days, and the
answer has been a decided negative. Sometimes they affirm
that the Shaks occupy the sites where the Sheikhs have sat,
sometimes where they are buried, sometimes that they are only
cenotaphs, and that the bodies were interred at Sheikh Adi,
and then again you are told that the Sheikhs did not really die.
From this I have been tempted to conclude, that these monu-
ments may be myths, or symbols of the attributes ascribed to
the Deity, or of supposed Divine emanations or incarnations.*
Twice a year these festivals are commemorated at the different
villages with the same rites as those observed at Sheikh Adi; a
lamp is nightly kindled and left to burn in the Shaks called
after their names, and in those to which a room is attached (as
in the case of that dedicated to Sheikh Mohammed at Ba-
Sheaka), the Kawwals assemble at sunset every Tuesday and
Thursday, when they burn incense over the tomb, and after
watching a short time, and smoking their pipes, return home.
The season for commemorating the principal Sheikhs takes
place in the month of April, and continues for eight or ten
* It is a well known fact, that many of these monuments have been raised
within the last century. The four walls are first built, some time after these
are roofed in, and eventually the cone is superadded. I have no doubt that the
enclosure, to be mentioned presently, will ere long be converted into a Shaks.


RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS OF THE YEZEEDEES.
119
days. Ba-Sheaka and Ba-Hazâni, the adjoining village, being
the two places where most of the Shaks exist, they are the
great scene of Yezeedee festivities. I was absent in the Tyari
country when the chief rites were performed, but Mrs. Badger
having accompanied my sister and Mr. Rassam on a visit to
Ba-Sheaka, took several notes of the proceedings on that occa-
sion, which I shall insert here as illustrative of the religious
customs of the Yezeedees, and as introductory to the succeeding
remarks on their worship of the Evil Principle.
“ April 18th, 1850.-We took a walk through the village
this morning, and noticed a small enclosure which was erected
by a Yezeedee last year, and who is said to have been incited
thereto by the Evil Principle in a dream. The promise made
to him if he obeyed was, that all persons suffering from cuta-
neous diseases should be cured on rubbing themselves with the
dust taken from that spot. After visiting the fountain, where
we saw a number of females performing their ablutions in pre-
paration for the coming feast, we went to the shrine of Sheikh
Mohammed, situated in a pretty grove of olive-trees. Part of
the court of this building serves as a kitchen, in which were
a number of Yezeedees engaged in slaughtering ten sheep des-
tined to be eaten this evening by the community. There was
also a large stock of food in the place, which had been fur-
nished by the villagers, each according to his ability, to be
distributed among the poor.
We next entered the shrine
through a low entrance, and found there a broken cabinet
inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which is said to cover the remains
of the Sheikh. The enclosure round the shrine contains several
other tombs, and a number of small apartments.
“This being new year's day with the Yezeedees we again
walked through the villages to witness their festivities, and ob-
served a number of wild scarlet anemonies stuck over the entrance
to several of the houses. We learned on inquiry that these
were intended to propitiate the Evil Principle, and to ward off
calamity during the coming year. The practice reminded me at
once of the blood sprinkled upon the door-posts of the dwellings
of the Israelites in Egypt as a sign for the destroying angel to
pass over, and it also recalled to my memory a custom prevalent
among the Hindoos and Parsees of India, who hang a string of


120
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS,
leaves across the entrance to their houses at the beginning of
every new year.
“On our return home we had a visit from five Kawwáls who
brought with them their flutes and tambourines, and entertained
us with what they styled their sacred music. During the per-
formance they put themselves into all kinds of unnatural contor-
tions, swinging their bodies to and fro, and uttering strains
which were anything but solemn or harmonious. Mr. Rassam
requested them to play some more cheerful airs, but this they
declined on the ground that the day was consecrated to religious
observances.
“In the evening we again visited the shrine to see the Yezee-
dees partake of the feast which had been prepared for them
during the day; but being rather late we met the guests as they
were leaving the place, some with their mouths full, others
wiping them with their sleeves, and looking as if they had en-
joyed themselves exceedingly. We were then invited by those
who acted as waiters on the occasion to partake of the entertain-
ment. A carpet was accordingly spread before the shrine for
our accommodation, and dishes of mutton cut up into small
pieces, wheat boiled in sour milk, and six new wooden spoons
were laid before us. I was struck with the cleanliness of the
food and the vessels in which it was served, as also with the ge-
neral neatness of the people. After we had tasted of the dif-
ferent dishes, the place was again swept, an old Yezeedee near
observing the meanwhile that cleanliness is next to heaven.'
A number of Kawwdls sat smoking in the court-yard waiting
the coming of Sheikh Nasir, their religious head, who had just
reached the village and was expected to conduct their sacred
ceremonies the same night. We made many inquiries respect-
ing the object of these festivities, but the Yezeedees were by
no means communicative : all they informed us was that on the
present occasion they celebrated the nuptials of Sheikh Moham-
med, whom they believe to be married once every year.
“On reaching home we received a visit from Sheikh Nasir,
who was accompanied by a younger brother of Husein Beg, the
temporal Yezeedee chief, by several Kawwáls, and a large retinue
of servants. He appeared a very quiet humble man, with a
benevolent but sorrowful countenance. He spoke feelingly of


RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL.
121
the indignities to which those Yezeedees were subjected who
were forced into the army, and complained that they were not
only ill-treated and persecuted by the Turkish soldiers, but were
made to put on uniform of a colour which it was unlawful for
any of their community to wear, and moreover to eat prohibited
food, and to frequent the bath, which for them was a sin. I
understood afterwards that the colour objected to was blue,
especially dark blue ;* and that the prohibited vegetables were
lettuce and cabbage. A new levy of soldiers was about to take
place, which seemed to cast a gloom over Sheikh Nasir and the
Yezeedees generally.
“On leaving the chief told us that he should spend the night
with the Kawwals in the shrine of Sheikh Mohammed, where
the principal religious ceremonies were to be performed. What
those were we could not learn, but were told that they danced to
the music of the tambourines and flutes. This evening none of
the cattle were milked, but all the cows, sheep, and goats with
their young were turned out into the fields, and permitted to
feast themselves at their pleasure.
“ April 19th.—This morning the sound of fife and drum at
dawn of day announced that the recreative part of the festival
had commenced; so after an early breakfast we repaired to the
vicinity of the shrine near which a large concourse of Yezeedees
had already assembled, all habited in their best holiday suits.
The men were clad in clean and gaudy-coloured jackets and tur-
bans, the women in silk and satin garments, their necks hung
round with ornaments, and their head-dresses covered with rows
of silver coin. All carried in their turbans a bouquet of flowers,
among which the rose and anemone were the most conspicuous,
interspersed with an occasional ostrich feather dyed scarlet.
About two hundred now joined hand in hand and formed
themselves into a ring round a couple of musicians who played
on a drum and kind of lute. The merry strain was at first slow,
but quickened as it proceeded, the dancers the meanwhile keep-
ing time with their arms which were thrown violently backwards
* This prejudice against blue seems to spring from reverence for that colour.
There is a dyeing establishment at Ba-Hazâni kept by Christians, where indigo is
the only dye used. This place is considered sacred by the Yezeedees who fre-
quently resort thither to kiss the door-posts.


122
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
and forwards as they moved round and round again, alternately
narrowing and widening the circle by advancing and retreating
two long and two short steps. The varieties of form and fea-
ture, the animated countenances, the rich dresses, long flowing
sleeves waving to and fro and seeming to keep time with the
measured paces of the performers, made up a lively scene, and
reminded me of the merry-making at an English fair. No little
coquetry was displayed by the younger girls both in dress and
manners, and several were pointed out to me as being joined
hand in hand with their future husbands. At a short distance
from this group were a number of gaily dressed Yezeedees
mounted on horse-back, amusing themselves with the more
manly sport of throwing the jereed, and in running races. They
soon got tired of this, however, and politely joined the ladies,
into whose faces they peered with something very much akin to
impudence. Many of them had evidently a particular object in
view, and the musicians abetted them in the search by playing
a very slow tune, so as to allow them a better opportunity of
examining each damsel as she moved round in the dance. I was
afterwards informed that these rencontres generally lead to ma-
trimonial engagements.
“After returning home we received a visit from Husein Beg,
the temporal head of the Yezeedees, who had come hither to
join in the festivities. From what passed on this occasion we
learned that much jealousy existed between him and Sheikh
Nâsir, on account of the greater influence which the latter seems
to possess among the Yezeedees. Husein Beg is but a stripling,
and has three wives already; his father, it is said, had a new
wife every week.
Having heard that the Melek Taoos (literally King Peacock]
was to be exbibited in the village, we made every effort to learn
all particulars respecting it, and were informed by Sheikh Nâsir,
who, together with Husein Beg and many of the principal
Yezeedees dined with us this evening, that it would be brought
in procession from Ba-Hazâni to Ba-Sheaka on the following
day. Accordingly we sallied forth hoping to get a sight of this
mysterious idol. On arriving at the outskirts of the village, we
heard the sound of music, and hastening to the spot from whence
it came, saw the procession slowly advancing, but no sooner did


IMAGE OF THE EVIL PRINCIPLE.
123
His con-
they catch a glimpse of our party than they hid the Senjak.*
The harsh and deafening noise of the pipes and tambourines still
went on, however, and we stood silent spectators of the scene.
Two Peers preceded the bearer of the sacred cock, carrying
burning censers in their hands which they waved to and fro, fill-
ing the air with the odour of the incense. As they passed along
the bystanders bowed themselves in adoration, uttering some
indistinct sentences the meanwhile, and immersed their hands
in the smoke with which they perfumed their arms and faces.
The Senjak was then carried to the house of the old Kiahya, or
head, of the village, (he having been the highest bidder for the
honour of entertaining it on this occasion,) where it remained for
two days, during which time all profane festivities were suspended.
“Being still anxious to penetrate into the mystery of this
sacred symbol, we solicited Sheikh Nâsir to allow us to see
it, which, after much ado, he finally promised, and fixed the
next morning for our visit, when most of the villagers would
be absent on a religious excursion to Ain-oos-Safrà.
sent, however, was given, on condition that my sister-in-law
and I should go to the house unattended. At the time ap-
pointed, a respectable Yezeedee came to conduct us to the place,
which to our astonishment we found thronged with people. We
were then ushered into an open recess where about thirty Kaw-
wals and Peers were seated in two rows. On entering, the
whole party rose, and after the usual eastern salutation, coffee
was served: but Sheikh Nasir was not forthcoming, neither
could we see any traces of the Cock. On inquiring whether
they had not received directions to show us the Senjak, they
replied in the negative, and further assured us that it could not
be exhibited to us unless Sheikh Nasir or Husein Beg were
present. We were not a little annoyed at this disappointment,
Mrs. Rassam and I having had to brook the vulgar gaze
many men ; but resolving not to be discouraged, we again sent
to Sheikh Nasir, calling upon him to fulfil his promise. The
messenger soon returned to tell us that all was now ready, but
that we must still go unaccompanied by any other person. We
found the house more crowded than before, and were again con-
* Senjak is the name by which the Yezeedees generally designate this sacred
image. The word means literally a Banner.
..
of so


124
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
ducted to the recess, where Husein Beg, two Peers, and a few
Sheikhs were seated. At the end of the apartment on a raised
platform, was the famous Senjak, which we were permitted to
examine as near as we chose. The figure is that of a bird,
more resembling a cock than any other fowl, with a swelling
breast, diminutive head, and wide spreading tail. The body is
full, but the tale flat and fluted, and under the throat is a small
protuberance intended perhaps to represent a wattle. This is
fixed on the top of a candlestick, round which are two lamps,
placed one above the other, and each containing seven burners,
the upper being somewhat larger than the under. The whole
is of brass, and so constructed, that it may be taken to pieces
and put together with the greatest ease. Close by the stand
was a copper jug, filled with water, which we understood was
dealt out to be drunk as a charm by the sick and afflicted. A
Fakir was in the room relating all the benefits that had been
conferred on Christians and Mohammedans, as well as on Yezee-
dees, by the contributions to the Senjak, and calling upon all
present to give liberally to the same object. The following is a
sketch of the famous symbol which I committed to paper on my
return home.”
TEE MELEK TAOOS OF THE YEZEEDEES.


WORSHIP OF THE EVIL PRINCIPLE.
125
According to the theology of the Yezeedees, Melek Tacos, of
which the Senjak is a type, is the principle or power from whom
all evil proceeds, and their religious services seem to partake
much more of a propitiatory than of an eucharistic character. In
this respect, their system is in accordance with the natural feel-
ings of man in his fallen state, which lead him rather to dread
punishment for his misdeeds, than to be thankful for benefits
received. The Yezeedees, therefore, revere the evil principle,
not out of love, but from fear, and this reverence they manifest
not only by such religious rites as these already described, but
by scrupulously avoiding all mention of Satan, and the use of
any word implying execration. Thus, they will never pronounce
the word “ Sheitan," the Arabic for Devil, nor “Shat," a river,
because of its resemblance to the former. Neither will they use
any part of the verb “laan," to curse, nor "naal, naalbend,”
a horse-shoe, a farrier, because the two latter have nearly the
same sound, and all express the much dreaded attribute of Melek
Taoos. Their use of the scarlet anemone as a propitiatory charm
or offering, has already been mentioned, and if this flower is
chosen for its colour, we may see in it, as well as in the ochre
with which the heathen in India daub their idols, a symbol of
blood and sacrifice.
What the particular rites are wherewith the Yezeedees testify
their veneration for the evil principle in their secret assemblies,
I am unable to state from personal observation; but I received
the following account from one who has frequently been an eye-
witness of them. It appears, there are in all seven* brazen
cocks, which are constantly being carried about in some or other
of the Yezeedee districts. These are under the absolute con-
trol of Sheikh Nasir, who directs their line of march, and in
66
* This seems to be a sacred number with the Yezeedees. The reader will
remember, that the two lamps on the Senjak, already described, had each seven
burners. We are reminded here of the worship of the Sabeans, of whom Gibbon
thus writes : They adored the seven gods, or angels, who directed the course
of the seven planets, and shed their irresistible influence on the earth. The
attributes of the seven planets, with the twelve signs of the zodiac, and the
twenty-four constellations of the northern and southern hemispheres, were re-
presented by images and talismans; the seven days of the week were dedicated
to their respective deities.” It is worthy of note, moreover, that the sceptre
engraved on the front of the temple of Sheikh Adi has seven branches.


126
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
what places they are to be exhibited. The honour of entertain-
ing the sacred symbol is accorded to the highest bidder, and I
have heard that Sheikh Nasir is entitled to a tithe of the contri-
butions collected on these occasions. The successful competitor
having made all the necessary preparations, the cock is set up at
the end of a room, and covered with a white cloth, underneath
which is a plate to receive the subscriptions. At a given signal
all rise up, each approaches the Senjak, bows before it, and
throws his contribution into the plate. On returning to his
place, each worships the image several times, and strikes his
breast, as if to propitiate the favour of the much dreaded
principle.
It will appear from the above, that the worship of Melek
Taoos is much more common among the Yezeedees than that of
Sheikh Adi. I have frequently inquired the cause of this, and
the answer has been, that the latter is so good that he needs not
to be invoked, whereas the former is so bad, that he requires to
be constantly propitiated. As these two principles seem to form
the substance of their religious creed, there can be no doubt as
to its origin. "The great and fundamental article of the Per-
sian theology," writes Gibbon, was the celebrated doctrine of
the Two Principles ; a bold and injudicious attempt of Eastern
philosophy to reconcile the existence of moral and physical evil,
with the attributes of a beneficent Creator and governor of the
world.” Such was pure Zoroastrianism, which in after ages was
corrupted by the Persian Magians by a various mixture of foreign
idolatry. This was borrowed chiefly from the Sabeans, whose
religion had been diffused over Asia, by the science of the Chal-
deans, and the arms of the Assyrians. Of this people, the
author above quoted says: “The flexible genius of their faith
was always ready, either to teach or to learn ; in the tradition
of the creation, the deluge and the patriarchs, they held a sin-
gular agreement with their Jewish captives ; they appealed to
the secret books of Adam, Seth, and Enoch; and a slight infu-
sion of the Gospel has transformed the last remnant of the Poly-
theists, into the Christians of S. John, in the territory of
Bassora.” It is not within the scope of this work to trace with
precision, the relation existing between the modern Yezeedees
and the Magians of old; enough has been advanced to show


ORIGIN OF THE YEZEEDEE WORSHIP.
127
that the religious system of both took its rise from the famous
prophet and philosopher of the Persians, and the after history
of the Yezeedees, their admixture with Christians, and subjec-
tion to Moslem rule, will fully account for any variations in their
present opinions and rites, from those which they originally pro-
fessed and practised.*
* Mr. Layard, in his “Nineveh and its Remains,” (Vol. II. p. 462,) gives
the annexed sketch of a bird from one of the slabs dug up at Nimrood :
BUVO
to which he subjoins the following note: “The Iynges, or sacred birds, be-
longed to the Babylonian and probably to the Assyrian religion. They were a
kind of demons, who exercised a peculiar influence over mankind, resembling
the ferouher of the Zoroastrian system. The oracles attributed to Zoroaster
describe them as powers animated by God.
“Νοούμεναι υγγες πατρόθεν νοέoυσι και αυται.
Βουλαϊς άφθέγκτοις κινούμεναι ώστε νοήσαι.)
(Zoroaster, Oracul. Magn. ad Calcem Oracul. Sybill. ed. Gall. p. 80 ; and Cary's
Fragments, p. 250.) Their images made of gold were in the palace of the King
of Babylon, according to Philostratus. (Lib. i. c. 25, and lib. vi. c. 2.) They
were connected with magic. (Selden, de Diis Syriis, p. 39.) It is possible
that the bird borne by warriors, in a bas-relief from the centre palace, may re-
present the Iynges."
There can be little doubt, but that the Melek Taoos is in substance the
ferouher of Zoroastrianism; and I think it very probable, that this image is used
for purposes of divination in the secret assemblies of the modern Yezeedees. The
worship of a bird appears to have been a most ancient species of idolatry; it is
condemned expressly in Deut. iv. 16, 17: “Lest ye corrupt yourselves and
make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure
the likeness of
any fowl that flieth in the air."
.


128
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
I am of opinion, however, that the modern Yezeedees have
borrowed little from Christianity beyond what was incorporated
into their system by their more learned and zealous forefathers,
when the Gospel was first proclaimed in these parts. Their
professed reverence for our blessed LORD seems to arise more
from the difficulty of withholding from Him the honour which is
universally ascribed to His character and dignity, than from any
knowledge which they possess of His person or mission. In
this respect, indeed, they are profoundly ignorant, and their con-
fession of Isa, the Son of Mary, is much more undefined and
imperfect than that of the Mohammedans. It is true that they
affect more attachment to Christians than to Mussulmans; but
this may be fully accounted for on other ground than that of
any sincere respect for Christianity. For ages the Christians
have been co-sufferers with them, they have lived under the
same yoke of bondage and oppression, and this community of
endurance has doubtless tended to engender something akin to
sympathy between the two parties.
Beyond this vague acknowledgment of the Saviour of man-
kind, and an equally uncertain homage which they profess to
render to the prophets and apostles, as well as to the Old* and
New Testament Scriptures, the Yezeedees practise no rites dis-
tinctively Christian. Their ceremonial washings at Sheikh Adi,
which have been thought by some to be borrowed from the
Sacrament of Holy Baptism, have a much closer resemblance to
an almost universal practice among the heathen, who deem it an
act of devotion to bathe in the pools near which their temples
are erected. And not only are these ablutions repeated at every
new visit to the shrine of Sheikh Adi, but
Sheikh Adi, but many other streams
and ponds are held sacred by the Yezeedees, and are frequented
by them on particular occasions for the same purpose.
Mr. Layard is mistaken when he states that the “ Yezeedee
year begins with that of the eastern Christians.”
It began
this year (1850) on the 17th of April, and the inscriptions on
* The cosmogony of the Yezeedees is different from that of the Old Testament
Scriptures. They sometimes speak as though they agreed with us on this sub-
ject; but I am persuaded that they believe the world to have existed long before
Adam. From several remarks which dropped from their Sheikhs, I am inclined
to think that they hold the eternity of matter.


CUSTOMS OF THE YEZEEDEES.
129
all their monuments are dated from the Hegira. The festival of
the new year must always be kept on Wednesday, which with
Friday, they seem to consider the most sacred days in the week.
The service already described as being performed at the Shaks
of Sheikh Mohammed every Tuesday and Thursday after sunset
has respect to these two days, -as the day with all easterns
begins at that time. Friday, however, may be observed to con-
ciliate the Mohammedans. None fast on these days, nor do any
abstain from work; in fact the visit of a few Kawwáls to the
village shrines seems to be the only rite by which these days
are hallowed. The only fast of the Yezeedees is kept for three
successive days in the month of December, when they profess to
commemorate the death of Yezeed ibn Moawiyah. This also I
consider another artifice to conciliate the bigotry and intolerance
of their Mohammedan rulers. Their seeming neglect of this
exercise may be regarded as another feature of Magism, since
Zoroaster, as is well known, condemned fasting as a criminal
rejection of the best gifts of Providence.
Sufficient has already been said by way of accounting for the
different traces of Mohammedanism which are to be met with
in the creed and practices of the modern Yezeedees. My con-
viction is that they have no real respect
for
any
of the distinctive
doctrines of Islâm, and if a few of their Fakers have learned to
read a chapter or two of the Koran, the unwelcome task has
been undertaken with the same object, viz. in order that their
sect may be the more readily tolerated, or for the sake of
learning the language of their rulers. Circumcision cannot
be regarded as a distinctive Mohammedan rite, nor is it deemed
indispensable by the Yezeedees. The large tribe of the Khale-
tiyeh on the Tigris about Radhwân do not practise circumcision,
nevertheless they are held to be orthodox Yezeedees.
The sacerdotal order of the Yezeedees, like that of the Magi
of old, is extremely numerous, and is divided into five castes
which are prohibited from intermarrying, and are thus kept
distinct. The first in dignity is Sheikh Nâsir, who may be re-
garded as the patriarch or supreme Pontiff of the whole sect.
This office is hereditary in the family, and generally descends to
the first-born son. It is the province of the Great Sheikh to
direct all the religious affairs of the community, to lead in their
K


130
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
sacred rites at certain times, and to send teachers to the dif-
ferent districts. The present incumbent possesses considerable
property, and engages in extensive agricultural pursuits. Twice
a year he visits most of the villages in the neighbourhood to col-
lect contributions in the shape of free-will offerings, and he
commissions deputies to the more distant provinces for the
same purpose. The Yezeedees believe him to be endued with
supernatural powers, and his mediation is often sought to heal
obstinate diseases in men and cattle, to make the barren fruit-
ful, to crown a journey or other undertaking with success, &c.
which he affects to do by charms and other occult means.
Mohammed, Mr. Rassam’s Kawass, or orderly, who is a strict
and sincere Mussulman, and cordially hates all unbelievers,
especially such as possess no books, assured me that his wife
Miriam, originally a Yezeedee, was cured of epilepsy by Sheikh
Nâsir. He had tried the native physicians, the piety of the
Moollahs, and afterwards the skill of an able Frank surgeon,
who treated her for several months; but all to no purpose.
At
length, in spite of all his prejudices, he took her to the great
Yezeedee Sheikh, who, he informed me, first directed him to
slaughter a sheep, with the blood of which he sprinkled her fore-
head, then covered her breast with a coating of bitter clay
brought from Sheikh Adi, tied a string over her left wrist, and
kept her in a separate room for seven days, feeding her upon
a particular kind of bread which he prepares with his own
hands. Several years have now elapsed, and Mohammed de-
clares that his wife has never had a single attack since she left
the roof of Sheikh Nâsir. Knowing his antipathy for the
Yezeedees, I asked him how he accounted for the possession of
such power by an unbeliever. “It puzzled me very much,”
said he ;“ but on applying to Moollah Sultan for a solution of
the difficulty, he told me that it was natural that the unclean
should cast out the unclean !”
Sheikh Nâsir sometimes takes part in celebrating the mar-
riages of persons of distinction among his community. The
contract is generally settled by the relations of the two parties,
but the bond is sealed by the bridegroom going to the Great
Sheikh, and receiving from him a loaf of consecrated bread, half
of which is eaten by himself and the other half by his bride.


SACERDOTAL ORDERS.
131
The Peers and Kawwáls are empowered to exercise the same
functions, for which they receive a fee. Sheikh Nâsir is also
occasionally solicited to preside over the funeral rites, which are
more generally conducted by the Kawwáls and Sheikhs. These
are extremely simple, but in one respect peculiar: when a
Yezeedee is about to die, a Kawwdl is called in, who pours into
his mouth a quantity of water; if he happens to die before this
ceremony can be performed it is reserved till the body is brought
to the grave.* Whilst the corpse is laid out in the house, the
Kawwáls chant one or two hymns to the sound of their sacred
instruments, and then precede the funeral procession to the
grave, burning incense as they go. Morning and evening for
several successive days the male and female relatives of the
deceased repair to the grave in distinct parties, the women to
weep and mourn, and the men to burn incense, and watch a
short time in silence round the spot. It strikes me that these
rites
go to support the hypothesis already advanced, and that as
a symbol of Yezd or Sheikh Adi, the life-giving principle, the
infusion of water is intended to typify, or is supposed to con-
vey, vitality after death. Some would fain deny it for fear of
reproach, but I think there can be no doubt that the Yezeedees
hold the doctrine of the metempsychosis.
The next in dignity are the PEERS, or Elders, who are few in
number compared with the other minor orders of the priesthood.
In a subordinate degree they are supposed to possess the powers,
and permitted to exercise the functions of the Pontiff, and fre-
quently act as his deputies.
The SHEIKHS may be regarded as the scribes of the sect,
though few of them can write. Sheikh Nâsir, who has already
been mentioned as having furnished me with the eulogy of
Sheikh Adi, belongs to this order, and is perhaps one of the
most learned among them. He can spell over a few chapters
of the Koran, and write a tolerable hand; but he could not ex-
plain to me the meaning of several words in the Yezeedee
poem.
The Kawwálst have been so frequently brought before the
reader in the exercise of their peculiar office, that little further
* The reader will here remember a practice common among the Brahmins of
India, who pour water from the Ganges into the mouth of the dying.
+ Kawwal literally means one who can speak fluently, an orator.
K 2


132
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
needs to be added under this head. They are the musicians of
the community, and as music and dancing form so important
a part in the worship of the Yezeedees, theirs is the most
numerous of all the sacerdotal castes. They are confined to the
villages of Ba-Sheaka and Ba-Hazâni, but are frequently sent to
other parts to conduct the religious services of the people, for
which they receive remuneration.
The Fakirs are the lowest order in the Yezeedee hierarchy;
it is their province to minister at Sheikh Adi, as hewers of wood
and drawers of water, and to attend the Cock in its peregrina-
tions. They carry a band on their -left shoulder with which
they tie up the faggots for the shrine, and are sometimes called
Kara-bash, or Black-beads, from always wearing a turban of
that colour. They are also employed in collecting contributions
for the temple, and in this respect they resemble the begging
friars of monastic establishments.
Besides the above, the Yezeedees have a temporal chief, which
dignity is also hereditary and confined to one family. Husein,
the present Emeer, exercises a kind of conventional authority
over the entire sect, and is the medium through which the local
government communicates to them its wishes and orders. He
exercises great influence among them, and, what appears rather
strange, possesses the prerogative of cutting off any refractory
member from the privileges of the community. From all I have
heard, this punishment imposes far greater penalties upon the
offenders than the severest form of excommunication as practised
by Christians, and is much dreaded by the Yezeedees.
I shall now add a few words on the general character of this
people. The Yezeedees, particularly those in the district about
Mosul, are a very industrious race, clean in their habits, and
quiet and orderly in their general behaviour. Many of them,
however, are very intemperate in the use of arrack, and some
make a boast before Christians of the superiority of their religion
to that of Islâm, inasmuch as it does not prohibit the use of in-
toxicating liquors. Drunken broils, however, such as are, alas !
too common in our own land, are almost unknown among them,
and the native Christians with whom they dwell, bear witness
that in their general intercourse with other sects, they are com-
paratively free from many of those known immoralities which


CHARACTER OF THE YEZEEDEES.
133
pollute the lives and conduct of Mohammedans; though it is said
that great lewdness secretly prevails within the limits of their
own community. This is a natural result of polygamy, which
is allowed among them to the extent of three wives, to the facility
of obtaining divorce, and particularly to the frequency of inces-
tuous marriages. Instead of being deemed a crime, it is generally
thought desirable and praiseworthy, for a man to marry his
sister-in-law, and for a woman to marry her brother-in-law.
During the government of the different hereditary pashas of
these districts, and when anarchy frequently prevailed through-
out the country, the Yezeedees occasionally got the upper hand,
and the people of Mosul still remember the time when Christians
and even Mohammedans did not dare to enter the mountain-
pass in which Sheikh Adi is situated, for fear of being robbed or
murdered. The Yezeedees of Sinjâr were the terror of all
caravans and merchants travelling through the desert, few of
whom escaped without being attacked and plundered. In 1832
the Coordish pasha of Rawandooz, instigated thereto by religious
fanaticism and a thirst for booty, fell upon those inhabiting the
plains, burned their villages, carried many of them away captive,
and on the mound of Koyoonjuk massacred several thousands
in cold blood who had fled thither, hoping that the people of
Mosul would offer them a refuge within the city walls. About
six years later Mohammed Pasha led an army against the
Yezeedees of Sinjâr, and after several defeats finally succeeded
in crushing their power, and in reducing them to abject sub-
mission by the most cruel and barbarous measures.
late as 1844, when Jebel Toor was under the government of
Bedr Khan Beg, the Yezeedees of that district were subjected to
the most wanton oppression by that tyrannical Coord, in order
to force them to embrace Islamism. Many underwent im-
prisonment, stripes, and other indignities, and a few suffered
death, rather than renounce their creed; but seven entire vil-
lages became the professed followers of the False Prophet.
The Tanzeemat Khairiyyeh, or Beneficial Ordinance, lately
issued by the Sultan, has wrought a great change in the local
administration of the Turkish provinces, and the Yezeedees are
now free from many of those exactions and hardships under
which they formerly laboured. An imperial edict has also been
And as


134
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
issued permitting such as were made Mohammedans by force to
return to their own creed ; and the Yezeedees in Jebel Toor are
just beginning to recover from the effects of their former servi-
tude and oppression.
It has been my lot to know much of this people under their
adverse as well as under their more prosperous circumstances,
and my conviction is that they present the most unpromising
field I know of for missionary exertion. They are ignorant to a
proverb, and entertain the strongest prejudices against learning
of every kind. They are neither communicative nor frank when
inquired of respecting their own religious system, and manifest
the greatest indifference whenever any attempt is made to ex-
pound to them the doctrines of Christianity. With God all
things are possible; but humanly speaking there seems little
hope of the conversion of these heathen until the native churches
shall have risen from sleep, and again trimmed their lamps with
a zeal and love such as were exhibited in the early Nestorian
missionaries, who carried the glad tidings of the Gospel into
the wilds of Tartary, and planted the banner of the cross among
the refined pagans of China.


135
CHAPTER XI.
Founding of the Christian Church in the East by Mar Addai and Mar Mari, of
the Seventy.-Its relation to the See of Antioch.—It is raised into a sepa-
rate Patriarchate.- History of the Eastern Church under the Sassanian
rulers and the Caliphs of Baghdad.—Hereditary succession to the Patri-
archate introduced.-Divisions arise about the Patriarchal succession.-A
separate Primate is established in Coordistan.-A schism is created by
Roman missionaries among the Nestorians of Diarbekir, where a new Patri-
archate is set up by the Pope.- Dissensions arise among the Nestorians of
the plains, whose Patriarch secedes to Rome.--Account of this secession,
and of the events which followed thereupon, as given by Mutran Hanna the
Patriarch, in his autobiography.-Unfair proceedings of the Court of
Rome.—The convent of Rabban Hormuzd is reopened.-The monks oppose
the Patriarch, who is first suspended and afterwards restored by the Pope.
-The Abbot of Rabban Hormuzd sends five monks to be consecrated
Metropolitans by Mar Yoosef, the Chaldean Patriarch of Diarbekir.-Con-
fusion ensues.-Mutran Hanna is imprisoned and again restored to his
See.-Death of Mar Yoosef V.-The monks appeal to Rome against
Mutran Hanna, who is confirmed in his dignity, but not allowed to conse-
crate any of his relations to the Episcopal office.-Consequent abolition of
hereditary succession.—Mutran Hanna's nephew is consecrated Metro-
politan by Mar Shimoon, probably by the secret advice of his uncle.—He
soon abjures Nestorianism.-Death Mutran Hanna.—The Chaldean
Bishops proceed to elect a new Patriarch, but cannot agree in their decision.
-The Pope appoints a successor.—Reasons for the appointment of Mar
Zeyya.—The Chaldeans of Mosul desire a reform.-Alarm excited among
the Romanists by this movement.—The Chaldean sect is recognized by the
Porte.- Bad treatment of the old Patriarchal family by the Romanists.-
Causes which led Mar Zeyya to resign the Patriarchate.-Mar Yoosef suc-
ceeds him.-Hierarchy of the Chaldeans.—Their different dioceses and po-
pulation.—Their present condition.-Origin of the title “ Chaldean," and
its proper application.
I shall now enter upon the principal design of this work,
premising, however, that as my chief object is to lay before the
Church the present condition of the Nestorians, no more will
be said of their past history than may appear necessary to


136
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
illustrate and explain the references which shall be made thereto
in the following narrative.
According to ecclesiastical tradition, Mar Addai and Mar
Mari, of the Seventy, were the founders of the Christian Church
in Chaldea and Mesopotamia. The latter is regarded by the
Nestorians as their first Patriarch; from him they derive the
validity of their present sacerdotal orders in an unbroken line
of spiritual descent, and to him and Mar Addai, his companion
in the work of evangelization, they ascribe the authorship of
one of their three Liturgies or Communion Offices. The fol-
lowing is a summary of the labours of Mar Mari, taken from
the history of Sleewa ibn Yohanna, a Nestorian author, who
lived in the early part of the 14th century.* After founding
the Eastern See at Ctesiphon, then the seat of the Persian
monarchy, and inhabited chiefly by Magians, Mar Mari dis-
cipled Doorkan and Cashgar, and travelled on the same mission
through the two Irâks, El-Ahrâz, Yemen, and the islands of the
Arabian and Indian seas, converting many heathen to Chris-
tianity, by his preaching, and by the signs and miracles which
he wrought, and forming them into churches. On his return
to Ctesiphon, he ordained that that city should be raised into a
Patriarchal See, and before his death, which took place A.D. 82,
he intimated that his successor was at Jerusalem, and should
be sought for there.
Accordingly, after the decease of Mar Mari, the company of
the faithful sent to the Holy City, to Simeon, who succeeded
James, the brother of the LORD, as head over the Church there,
requesting him to send them a Patriarch. The person elected
was Abrees, who was consecrated at Jerusalem, and sent to
Ctesiphon, A.D. 90. Abrees died during the reign of the
Emperor Hadrian, having filled the Eastern See for the space
of seventeen years.
* I am indebted to the same source for the notices which follow respecting
the immediate successors of Mar Mari in the Eastern Patriarchate. A copy of
this rare and valuable MS., containing a catena of the Eastern Patriarchs up
to the time of the author, with biographical and historical sketches attached to
each, fell under my observation after these pages were prepared for the press.
Should a second edition of this work be called for, an opportunity will be
afforded for embodying therein from the above-named MS. some interesting
and important annals of the early Christian Church in Chaldea, Mesopotamia,
and Arabia, hitherto but little known to western historians and theologians.


THE EARLY EASTERN CHURCH.
137
After the lapse of twenty-two years, Abraham, a kinsman of
James, the brother of our LORD, was appointed to succeed
Abrees, and ruled over the Church in the East from A.D. 130
to A.D. 152. During his supremacy, the Christians were sorely
persecuted by the Persian king, who was instigated thereto by
the Magians. His successor was Yaakoob [James], who also
was of the kindred of Mary, the Blessed Virgin. Previous to
his death, he gave direction that two of his disciples, Kam-
Yeshua and Aha d’Abhooi, should go to Antioch, in order that
one of them might be consecrated Patriarch there. They ac-
cordingly went, but were seized as spies of the King of Persia,
who condemned them, together with Saleeba, the Patriarch of
Antioch, to be crucified before the church in that city. Aha
d’Abhooi, however, escaped to Jerusalem, and was consecrated
there by Mattiâs, the occupant of that See, in the church of
the Resurrection. He reached Ctesiphon A.D. 205, and presided
over the Christians of the east for fifteen
years.
After another Patriarch had been set over Antioch, it was
agreed upon by the Patriarchs of the four great Sees, that the
Eastern Patriarch elect should not again come to Antioch to be
consecrated, but that the Metropolitans, Bishops, elders, and
faithful, should choose him who was to fill the See, and ordain
him thereunto in the church at Ctesiphon.11 The subjoined is a
translation of the Epistle* which was written on this subject
by the four Western Patriarchs, who occupied the four great
Sees, to the Eastern Church :-
“To the brotherhood in CHRIST our LORD, Who is the SA-
VIOUR of men, the Restorer of the primeval fall, and the Re-
ceiver of repentant sinners :—to the members of Christianity
dwelling in the East :-From your brethren in the faith, and
ribs with them in the degree [of the Priesthood), and their
associates in prayer—the company of the afflicted shepherds to
* Of this Epistle Mar Abd-Yeshua writes : “In the days of Papa a letter
was written by the Westerns raising this Eastern See into a Patriarchate. The
letter was sent with all honour by the hands of Agepta of Elam.” See Vol. II.
App. A. Part 4. There is a discrepancy in the date of the document as given
by Sleewa ibn Yohanna and the author just quoted, the former referring it to
the time when Aha d'Abhooi was Patriarch, about A.D. 205, and the latter to
the Patriarchate of Papa, about forty years later.


138
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
whom is committed the feeding of the sheep of Jesus Christ,
the drivers away therefrom of the ravening human wolves, and
their preservers from the crafty wiliness of the spiritual ones
who are moved thereto by the deceit which is from without,
who are not living in the love of God,—the Peace of our SA-
viour from the curse of sin, and the Visitor of our race through
the Communion of the Trinity, be with us and with you
throughout all ages. Amen.
“We who, being unworthy, have been appointed shepherds
in the Church of Christ, and are styled Heads therein, and
have been constituted Fathers of the flock, and brethren of the
Heads, in an excellent manner, do ordain for you a profitable
ordinance, the end and design of which is praiseworthy and
excellent, since you are our brethren, the children of the bap-
tism of our Lord Christ, especially in this age in which we
have filled up the troubles which you have endured. For in
truth your trials have been multiplied, and the fountains of
adversity have been opened, and many have been moved, and
some have been overcome thereby. Wherefore we, the company
of afflicted Shepherds, being grieved on your behalf, have com-
passionated you the congregation of believing brethren and
children, and have been reminded of the declaration made in
that Book which speaks to us and guides us, which also tells us,
that the despised is rejected of men ; especially is this true of
Christianity, since all the nations contemn it, and strive to
destroy it. Moreover, when we beheld the slaughter of the two
holy Fathers and excellent Shepherds, how they were igno-
miniously treated, having been crucified by the door of the
church at Antioch, though they had done nothing to deserve
such punishment, and were guiltless of any treachery, all hearts
bewailed them and choked up, all eyes wept for them and were
hot with weeping, all spirits trembled and were confounded, and
the earth was moved and was shaken, and the two Churches of
the East and West bewailed and lamented with bitter lamenta-
tions, for the fate of these renowned Fathers; one a Shepherd
of the Eastern Church, and the other a companion and Shep-
herd of the Western Church, whose murder was notorious, and
their ignominy seen of all, whereat the corners of Christianity
were shaken, and sorrow overwhelmed it.


EPISTLE FROM THE WESTERN PATRIARCHS.
139
:
“Wherefore we the Fathers, in the unity of the SPIRIT, have
met together, and have agreed together in one opinion, and
have permitted that, on the decease of the Head of the Metro-
politans and Bishops, who is set over the Eastern flock of the
churches of Ctesiphon, the protected city, in which is the mag-
nificent cathedral church, his successor in the supremacy shall
not go up to Antioch. This decree we have made with one
accord, in behalf of Christianity, to prevent the Heads thereof
from being despised, as a protection to them, and for fear of
the opposition of kings, and that the faith may not be en-
dangered, that he who is to be made Patriarch shall be elected
by his Metropolitans, Bishops, and flock. This is our opinion,
and ordinance, and will, respecting the flock of the Head whose
See shall be Seleucia and Ctesiphon, which is the borders of
Karak in the plain of Seleucia, in the great church : that he be
the Head, the Patriarch, over all the Bishops of the East, and
its dependencies ; and that his See be as one of the Four Sees,
and the last of them, of which one is the See of Matthew the
Evangelist; the other that of Mark, who also wrote as he did;
and the third the See of Luke, the learned and acute, who
completed the exposition of our Lord's Gospel and birth ; and
the fourth the See of John, the bold, who revealed the mystery
of the Eternal Filiation, and was filled with the graces of the
SPIRIT. To him shall appertain the consecration of Metro-
politans, the benediction of Bishops, the administration of the
affairs of the flock, the ordination of the Heads in the Eastern
borders, in Athoor, and Media, and Persia; all these Sees shall
be subject to him, shall submit to his authority, listen to his
orders, and do his bidding. And when this Head, who is
made Patriarch by bis Metropolitans and Bishops, shall depart
out of this world to the kingdom above, the Bishops shall not
proceed to elect any one to the Patriarchate, unless there be
one or two Metropolitans present, since it is not for the children
to beget their fathers, neither is the perfect blessed by the lesser,
even as Abraham, though he was great in the sight of God,
did not refuse to be blessed by Melchisedec (upon whom be
peace !); but Abraham (upon whom be peace !) humbled him-
self to him, bowed his head, and received a blessing from Mel-
chisedec, to whom also he gave tithes of his sheep, because he


140
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
was a king, and his name was 'King of purity and peace.'
Moreover he was the first to whom bread and wine were offered,
-a type of what our Saviour commanded His disciples to do,
—which elements were to be in the place of His sacred Body,
and pure Blood shed for the redemption of the world. And,
when all the Metropolitans and Bishops shall have agreed to-
gether, let them assemble those whom time will permit to be
convened, and let them commence with prayer, and we will be
with you in prayer, and in Christian sincerity, concord, and
unity, and let them elect one who is known to be praiseworthy,
pious, pure, undefiled, righteous, chaste; one who fears God
and keeps His commandments in love, and willingly, who is
obedient to Him, learned in His laws, and observant of His
precepts. Over him let the Metropolitans first, and then the
Bishops, read the appointed and accustomed prayers, and thus
shall he become the Father of the Fathers, the Shepherd of the
Shepherds, the Patriarch, the ruler of the people in the East
and the confines thereof.
“And now we, the unworthy, the rulers of the House of God
(may His Majesty be exalted), and the Shepherds of the rational
sheep have permitted,—by the permission of God, and the will
of His Son and CHRIST, Who, by His Divinity created all
creatures, and the love of His Spirit the giver of all good gifts,
and the guider into all truth,-and, being met together in one
bond of agreement, and in unity of opinion, have committed the
Headship and Patriarchate over the Metropolitans and Bishops,
to him who shall occupy the glorious See, in the great church
of Kokhé in the borders of Seleucia in the east, and over the
Church there which is founded on the true and excellent faith,
and the orthodox and right belief. And this our commission,
will, permission, ordinance, and sanction, shall be applicable to
every one who shall become Patriarch in that honourable See
until the appearing of our LORD Christ in His great glory.
None may alter, change, abolish, or remove it; none shall shake
its foundations, or falsify its ordinances, or oppose it, neither
shall it be subjected to any superior order. Willingly we have
confirmed and sealed it by the authority of heaven and earth
committed unto us, and the exalted glory which has been poured
out upon us. It shall not be lawful for any one, by the Word


EPISTLE FROM THE WESTERN PATRIARCHS.
141
of God the Creator, which is sharper than a two-edged sword,
and which reaches to the inmost heart, piercing to the dividing
asunder of the members, to oppose it, abridge it, or counterfeit it.
And, whosoever shall thus offend, shall be excluded from all Chris-
tian laws, and from a participation in all Christian privileges.
“Furthermore, the elect head who shall be found fit for this
noble dignity, and shall fill this glorious See, shall consecrate
Metropolitans, and perfect the ordination of Bishops. These he
shall choose from such as keep the ordinances and customs, and
who are not opposed to the statutes drawn up by the Holy
Fathers and elect Shepherds who confirmed the truth with their
blood, and who were under the guidance of the Spirit. Never-
theless he shall not ordain a Metropolitan or Bishop unless
there be two Bishops with him. And when a Bishop is ordained
by a Metropolitan, he shall not take his place with the heads
until he shall have presented himself before the Father of
fathers, the chief of the flock, the reverend Patriarch, who shall
bless him, and confirm to him the episcopal authority, even as
the companions of Aaron were presented to Moses the prophet.
And when he is to be ordained, let there be read over him the
chapter of the head of the twelve, the Cephas of the Church,
and the foundation of the law, wherein our LORD delivered to
him the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and His authority to
bind and to loose, to set up and to bring down, in things above
and things below, in heaven and in earth. Let this be a cove-
nant and testimony to him of his having been gathered, and of
his authority to do what he has heard of Him. Over the
Supreme Head, the Chief of the chiefs, the appointed prayers shall
be read, after which let his calling be relied on, for he is the
diadem of the Church, and the crown of the priests, and the
excellency of the flock. Then they shall invest him with the
garment of perfection, and deliver unto him the staff, and bid
him to put his trust in God, to obey His Christ, to observe
what He has commanded, to be zealous in the discharge of the
office confided unto him, to walk in the way of the righteous,
and to turn away from the path of the ungodly.
“But should the Patriarch transgress in his office, and turn
aside from God in his rule, and be found deceitful in his belief,
then, if there be a king at the head of Christianity at the


142
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
time, let the matter be referred to him, that he may order him
to appear before him, and confront him with the assembled
Metropolitans and Bishops, (although it be a disgrace that one
to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and the forgive-
ness of sins, have been committed, should be thus judged.) But
if the Christians have no king, then let his condemnation be
deferred till the coming of our LORD Christ, who is the Judge
of kings, and the Lord of all nations.
“This covenant we have drawn up, sanctioned, confirmed,
and unalterably approved, to be an unchangeable tradition,
Therefore let that which we have said be before your eyes, and
what we have ordained be established in your hearts, and
what we have approved of have free course among you; and the
LORD Christ spread abroad in His Church peace, security, and
mercy, and encompass you with His right hand for ever and
ever. Amen. And may the prayers of the two fathers,--the
shepherds who shed their blood which mingled with the blood
of our LORD CHRist, and thereby became partakers of His
sufferings, and His rejoicing in the high and blissful kingdom,-
keep all the sons of the Church, which is sorrowful because she
has lost them. And we, also, the unworthy, beseech our LORD
and Saviour to preserve His Church, to protect His priests,
and to save His flock from the enemies who are banded together
against them, and from the snares of the spiritual ones, and the
oppression of the bodily ones; and that He may pour out upon
you the strength of His grace, and His great blessing, that in
Him ye may resist every adversary, and convince every gain-
sayer. Yea, 0 LORD, fit the Patriarchs, the Metropolitans and
Bishops, the Presbyters and Deacons, and all the faithful, for
the reception of Thy grace, and pour out upon them Thy gifts,
and Thy visible benefits : cleanse their bodies and purify their
souls, give wisdom to their ignorance, multiply their fewness,
heal their breaches, restore all their concerns, bring back their
wanderers, and perfect Thy promises to them as Thou didst to
Thy holy ones Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Amen. Amen.
Amen."
Agreeably with the provisions contained in the above epistle,
the Patriarchs of the east ceased to receive their investiture from


SEPARATION FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
143
Antioch, and the successors to the patriarchal office and dignity
were elected by the Metropolitans and Bishops of the eastern
dioceses. The ninth Patriarch after Mar Papa, (who were all
consecrated at Ctesiphon,) was Mar Dad-Yeshua, in whose time
the dispute arose between Cyril and Nestorius. Babai, who
died a martyr at Heerta, (the Hîra of the Arabs) succeeded
Dad-Yeshua, who in his turn gave place to Mar Acac and Mar
Babai. During the patriarchate of the latter the Easterns were
called upon to receive the twelve anathemas of Cyril, but, refus-
ing to obey, and choosing rather to espouse the cause of Nesto-
rius, they were cut off from the communion of the Catholic
Church, by the decree of the general council of Ephesus, A.D.
431, and thenceforward acquired the epithet of " Nestorians.”
The charge of heresy preferred against them, their defence of
their doctrines, and the manner in which the Easterps conducted
themselves on that occasion, will be fully discussed in the suc-
ceeding volume.
Up to this period the pure faith of the Church was widely
scattered throughout the Persian empire by the zeal of the
eastern missionaries, and Christianity triumphed over all the
obstacles which the jealousy of sovereigns and the malice of
heathen priests opposed to its onward progress. Persian his-
torians go so far as to affirm, that Artaxerxes Babegan, the
founder of the Sassanian dynasty, was in heart a Christian, and
during his reign the Church enjoyed a season of comparative
rest and freedom. Towards the middle of the third century,
however, the flames of persecution were again kindled by Sha-
poor, who after having ravaged Syria, Cilicia, Cappadocia, and
Mesopotamia, attacked the unresisting Christians with the bar-
barity of a Nero.
Such were the fortunes of the infant Church in these parts
during the reigns of the successive Sassanian rulers; sometimes
tolerated, but more frequently doomed to suffer the most un-
heard of cruelties, the Christians nevertheless survived the fury
of their oppressors and flourished and multiplied in spite of every
attempt made to exterminate them.
Instead of going into any details of the after history of the
Nestorians, I shall lay before my
readers the
summary
of their
missions and successes in the far east as drawn up by Gibbon,


144
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
whose testimony is the more valuable as coming from a professed
infidel. The following extract, though tainted with a sneer, is
remarkable for the authenticity of the facts therein recorded :
“ The desire of gaining souls for God, and subjects for the
Church, excited in every age the diligence of the Christian
priests. From the conquest of Persia they carried their spiritual
arms to the north, the east, and the south : and the simplicity
of the gospel was fashioned and painted with the colours of the
Syriac theology. In the sixth century, according to the report
of a Nestorian traveller, Christianity was successfully preached
to the Bactrians, the Huns, the Persians, the Indians, the Pers-
armenians, the Medes, and the Elamites: the barbaric churches,
from the gulf of Persia to the Caspian sea, were almost infinite;
and their recent faith was conspicuous in the number and sanc-
tity of their monks and martyrs. The pepper coast of Malabar,
and the isles of the ocean, Socotra and Ceylon, were peopled
with an increasing number of Cbristians, and the bishops and
clergy of those sequestered regions derived their ordination from
the Catholic of Babylon. In a subsequent age, the zeal of the
Nestorians over-leaped the limits which had confined the am-
bition and curiosity both of the Greeks and Persians. The
missionaries of Balch and Samarcand pursued without fear the
footsteps of the roving Tartar, and insinuated themselves into
the camps of the valleys of Imaus and the banks of the Selinga.
They exposed a metaphysical creed to those illiterate shepherds ;
to those sanguinary warriors they recommended humanity and
repose In their progress by sea and land, the Nestorians
entered China by the port of Canton and the northern residence
of Sigan. Unlike the senators of Rome, who assumed with
smile the characters of priests and augurs, the mandarins who
affect in public the reason of philosophers, are devoted in private
to every mode of popular superstition. They cherished and
they confounded the gods of Palestine and of India; but the
propagation of Christianity awakened the jealousy of the state,
and after a short vicissitude of favour and persecution, the foreign
sect expired in ignorance and oblivion. Under the reign of the
Caliphs, the Nestorian Church was diffused from China to Jeru-
salem and Cyprus; and their numbers, with those of the Jaco-
bites, were computed to surpass the Greek and Latin commu-


THE GREAT SCHISM.
145
nions. Twenty-five metropolitans or archbishops composed
their hierarchy;* but several of these were dispensed, by the
distance and danger of the way, from the duty of personal
attendance, on the easy condition that every six years they
should testify their faith and obedience to the Catholic or patri-
arch of Babylon, a vague appellation, which has been applied to
the royal seats of Seleucia, Ctesiphon, and Baghdad. These
remote branches are long since withered, and the old patriarchal
trunk is now divided by the Elîas of Mosul, the representatives,
almost in lineal descent, of the genuine and primitive succession,
the Yoosefs of Amida, who are reconciled to the Church of
Rome, and the Shimoons of Van or Ooroomiah, whose revolt at
the head of forty thousand families was promoted in the 16th
century by the Sophis of Persia."
The latter part of the above extract is confirmed and illus-
trated by the following quotations from Mosheim :12 “The am-
bitious views of the Roman pontiffs sowed the pestilential seeds
of animosity and discord among all the eastern Churches; and
the Nestorian Christians felt early the effects of their imperious
councils. In the year 1551, a warm dispute arose among that
people about the creation of a new patriarch, Simeon Barmamas
being proposed by one party, and Sulâka earnestly desired by
the other. The latter to support his pretensions the more effec-
tually, repaired to Rome, and was consecrated patriarch, in the
year 1553, by Pope Julius III. whose jurisdiction he had
acknowledged, and to whose commands he had promised un-
limited submission and obedience. Julius gave the name John
to the new Chaldean patriarch, and upon his return to his
country, sent with him several persons, skilled in the Syriac
language, to assist him in establishing and extending the papal
empire among the Nestorians.
From this time that unhappy
people were divided into two factions, and were often involved
in the greatest dangers and difficulties by the jarring sentiments
and perpetual quarrels of their patriarchs.
“ These divisions still subsisted during the 17th century, and
* The catalogue of Nestorian writers as given in Vol. ii. Appendix A. conveys
a general idea, not only of the learning, but also of the number of the Nestorian
hierarchy, and the extent of country over wbich they spread.
L


146
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
some of the Nestorian patriarchs discovered a propensity to
accommodate matters with the Church of Rome. Elîa II. patri-
arch of Mosul, sent two private embassies to the Pope, in the
years 1607 and 1610, to solicit his friendship; and, in the letter
he addressed
upon
that occasion to Paul IV. declared his desire
to bring about a reconciliation between the Nestorians and the
Latin Church. Elîa III., though at first extremely averse to
the doctrine and institutions of that Church, changed his senti-
ments in this respect; and in the year 1657, addressed a letter
to the congregation De propaganda Fide in which he intimated
his readiness to join with the Church of Rome, on condition
that the Pope would allow the Nestorians a place of public wor-
ship in that city, and would abstain from all attempts to alter
the doctrine or discipline of that sect. The Romish doctors
could not but perceive that a reconciliation, founded on such
conditions as these, would be attended with no advantage to
their Church,13 and promised nothing that could flatter the am-
bition of their pontiff. And accordingly we do not find that
the proposal above mentioned was accepted. It does not appear
that the Nestorians were received, at this time, into the commu-
nion of the Romish Church, or that the Bishops of Mosul were,
after this period, at all solicitous about the friendship or good-
will of the Roman pontiff. The Nestorian patriarchs of Ooroo-
miah, who successively assume the name of Shimoon, proposed
also, more than once, plans of reconciliation with the Church of
Rome; and with that view, sent the Roman pontiff a confession
of their faith, that gave a clear idea of their religious tenets and
institutions. But these proposals were little attended to by the
court of Rome, which was either owing to its dislike of the doc-
trine of these Nestorians, or to that contempt which their poverty
and want of influence excited in the pontiffs, whose ambition
and avidity aimed at acquisitions of more consequence; for it is
well known, that, since the year 1617, the patriarchs of Ooroo-
miah have been in a low and declining state, both in point of
opulence and credit, and are no longer in a condition to excite
the envy of their brethren at Mosul. The Romish missionaries
gained over, nevertheless, to their communion, a handful of
Nestorians, whom they formed into a congregation or Church,
about the middle of this century. The patriarchs of this little


HEREDITARY SUCCESSION.
147
flock reside in the city of Amida, or Diarbekir, and all assume
the denomination of Yoosef."*
I shall now add a few remarks explanatory of some of the
facts recorded in the above quotation. It has already been
stated that after the east had been formed into a See indepen-
dent of Antioch, the patriarchs were chosen to their office by
the common consent of the Church, through the Metropolitans
and Bishops of the principal dioceses. This order appears to
have prevailed up to the middle of the 15th century,t when the
gradual decay of ecclesiastical tradition and discipline led to an
entire change in the mode of appointment,-a change not only
opposed to the spirit of the gospel, and the universal practice of
the Church, but contrary to the opinions of the best Nestorian
divines most clearly and repeatedly expressed. About this time,
the accession to the highest office in the hierarchy was assimi-
lated to those hereditary temporal dignities which are trans-
mitted by right of blood, and in 1450, the patriarch Mar
Shimoon enacted a law, that his successors should be chosen
from his nearest relatives. This ordinance, which still exists in
full force among the Nestorians, and which is likewise acted
upon in most appointments to the episcopate, soon became a
fruitful source of dissension among them.14 Marriage, which in
former ages had been permitted to all Bishops and even to the
patriarch of the community, had long ceased to be regarded as
suitable or even lawful to those dignitaries, and the consequent
celibacy of the patriarch rendered the execution of the new law
more difficult. A number of claimants frequently disputed the
possession of the highest dignity in the church, and the whole
body was vexed and agitated by the intrigues and disorders
which this rivalry engendered. A century had scarcely elapsed
when these quarrels resulted in an open schism, and the Nesto-
rians were divided into three separate parties, each headed by a
patriarch who laid claim to all the prerogatives of that dignity
over the entire community. The mountain Nestorians of the
* I have substituted the word “ Patriarch” for that of “ Bishop,'' which the
author laxly uses in the above extract to designate the highest ecclesiastical
dignity.
+ In Vol. ii. chap. xxxix. I have given the election of a patriarch in full,
copied from one of the Nestorian synodal collections, as late as A.D. 1317.
L2


148
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
present day maintain that Shimoon, (the nephew of the
deceased patriarch, whose claims were set aside by the assembly
of Bishops at Mosul, when they elected Sulâka in his room, A.D.
1552, as recorded by Mosheim,) was the rightful successor.
According to their account, this Shimoon was recognized by
them, and from him the patriarchate has descended to the pre-
sent occupant Mar Shimoon, the eleventh of that name. About
the same time a more distant relation was raised to the primacy
by the Bishops of Ooroomiah ; but on his death the Nestorians
of Persia and those of Coordistan settled their differences, and
agreed to unite under one spiritual head, and this patriarchate
has been kept up ever since in a direct succession, of which the
present Mar Shimoon is the rightful representative.
The Romanist accounts of these occurrences are somewhat
different, and as contradictory as they are improbable.15 They
tell us, on the one hand, that Shimoon, the rejected nephew,
incited the Turks to the murder of Sulâka, thinking by this
means to establish his authority over the Nestorians of the
plains as well as those in the mountains; and, on the other,
that a Nestorian layman was the author of the schism. I shall
give their narrative of this latter event in the words of the
Jesuit Boré, without retorting the malignant and false reproach
which he casts upon our Church : “The Pasha of Van had a
Chaldean treasurer, who not having had any children by his
first wife took unto himself another. He vainly entreated the
catholic patriarch to legalize this new alliance: neither presents
nor threats could induce the pastor to infringe a formal law of
the Church. In his vexation, the gallant treasurer of the pasha,
unwittingly perpetrated the crime of Henry VIII. and created a
schism in the community. Thus the new Chaldean [Nestorian]
like the Anglican Church was regenerated by an adulterer!
found
among
the descendants of the first Shimoon a
grand-nephew disposed to usurp the spiritual authority whom
he first established at Somai and afterwards at Kochânes.” The
mischievous Frenchman adduces no authority in support of this
tale, and it is greatly to be doubted whether, like many similar
fictions contained in his “ Correspondance d'Orient,” it has any
better foundation than the wantonness of his own fertile
imagination.
He soon


THE RIVAL PATRIARCHS.
149
It is difficult at this distance of time, and amidst so many
jarring testimonies, to decide which of the two claimants above
referred to was the rightful successor to the supreme spiritual
authority over the whole Nestorian community. I mean, of
course, according to the law of succession which had obtained
among them for a century, and which was acted upon
afterwards
by both parties, until it was abrogated in 1842 by the appoint-
ment of a stranger to the Chaldean patriarchate in succession to
Mar Elîa the last of that name. Ecclesiastically speaking, such
appointments were only valid on either side in so far as they
were recognized by the concurrence of the bishops and clergy;
and in this respect both were placed on an equal footing,
although the advantage of numbers was and is still on the side
of the mountain patriarchs and their successor Mar Shimoon.
The Nestorian patriarchs of the plains, however, enjoyed great
political superiority over their rivals, inasmuch as they were
recognized by the Sublime Porte, and each successive occupant
of the see received an imperial firman, (the substance of which
is said to have been originally conceded by Mohammed to
Yeshua-yan, the then Patriarch of the East residing at Baghdad,)
acknowledging him in his dignity and confirming his spiritual
authority over the Nestorians of the empire.* The predecessors
of Mar Shimoon, who had taken up their abode among the wild
and really independent tribes of Coordistan, were not thus recog-
nized by the Turkish government, and exercised their jurisdiction
with the concurrence of their own people, being tolerated and
protected therein by the Coordish Emeers.
The frequent attempts made by Romish missionaries to induce
these two Nestorian patriarchs, one of whom held his seat at
Mosul or Alkôsh, and the other at Kochânes in central Coor-
distan, to acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope, are fully
recorded in the above quotations. The partial success of these
machinations was ever and anon thwarted and destroyed by the
attachment of the Nestorians to their own rituals and discipline.
* I have seen two of these firmans, dated about a century and a half ago, which
invest the patriarch with authority over the Nestorians in and about Mosul, also
in Jerusalem, Tyre, and Cyprus. It is clear from the tenour of these documents
that they were copied from an ancient exemplar, as at that time there were no
Nestorians beyond the limits of Mesopotamia.


150
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Again and again did they throw off the foreign yoke which their
patriarchs had been mainly instrumental in fixing upon their
necks, until at length their obstinacy so wearied out the efforts
of the court of Rome, that Pope Innocent XI. proceeded to effect a
new schism : which he did by appointing Yoosef, the first of that
name, as Patriarch of the Chaldeans at Diarbekir, A.D. 1681.
The new patriarchate thus formed, and which could lay claim
to no other authority, than that of being founded by the Papal
see, since it was neither recognized by the Nestorian bishops,
nor by the Subline Porte, did not at first extend beyond the
city of Diarbekir, where most of the Nestorians had become
proselytes to Rome, and were thenceforth styled " Chaldeans.”
The Latin missionaries, however, did not suspend their exertions,
but continued to disseminate the peculiar doctrines of the
Papacy among the Nestorians around Mosul. The decay of
learning among these latter, their spiritual and temporal desti-
tution, as well as the internal dissensions which racked and rent
this ancient commuvity, favoured the arts and stratagems of the
missionaries, and after five successive Yoosefs had occupied the
See of Diarbekir it was declared abolished by the submission of
Mar Elîa* the Nestorian Patriarch of Mosul to the Roman
Pontiff, in which he was followed by most of the villages in the
plains of the Tigris.
Yoosef V., however, continued to exercise jurisdiction over
Diarbekir, till the time of his death, which occurred about the
year 1828, notwithstanding that the secession of the last Nesto-
rian patriarch to Rome took place as early as 1778. A detailed
account of that event, and of the troubles and divisions which
it occasioned, are fully recorded in the following autobiography
translated from a Syriac MS. now in my possession, and written
by the author's own hand.
“I Hormuzd, son of deacon Hanna, the brother of Mar Elîa
the Patriarch of the East, was born A.D. 1760, and received the
order of deacon from my above-named uncle, in the year 1772,
* Mar or Mutran Hanna or Yohannân, (John,) is the name by which the last
of the Nestorian patriarchs is generally known. The succeeding narrative will
show why Rome objected to his assuming the official title of his predecessors,
which he himself hardly ever used except upon his seal, and that only a year or
two before his death.


AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MUTRAN HANNA.
151
and in 1776, on the 22nd of May, on the day of Pentecost, I
was made Metropolitan. Now the reason of my being made
Metropolitan at so early an age was this: My uncle had a
Metropolitan under hiin named Yeshua-yau, who was also his
nephew, but who did not obey or serve him as he ought, and
who the more he was advised the more he rebelled. Moreover,
he was ever and anon changing his profession of faith, some-
times he was a Meshihaya* and sometimes a Nestorian; six
times he joined himself to the holy Church [of Rome), and six
times he recanted, and the oftener he left the orthodox faith the
more he used to blaspheme, and that from covetousness, and a
love of money which were inherent in him. My uncle finding
that all his labour was lost upon such an individual made me
Metropolitan, and put me in his place to serve him. I ac-
cordingly served him to the best of my ability for about two
years, when in 1778 a plague broke out in the village of Alkôsh,
and many persons died, among whom was my uncle, who
departed this life on the 29th of April.
“ After this I Hanna † the undeserving thought within my-
self that I would not walk in the way of my fathers, but would
take refuge under the wings of the holy Catholic Church, and
embrace the faith of the church of Rome, and live therein; for
I know that out of her there is no salvation from the awful
judgment, since she is the holy Church, and a compassionate
mother, and the Lord has established her and made her to pros-
per. So on the 30th of April I embraced all that the holy
Church believes, and rejected all that she rejects, and received
absolution from our priests [the Latin missionaries,] and I and
Yeshua-yau were reconciled, for he also at this time had em-
braced the faith of the holy Church, but hypocritically. It was
moreover agreed that he should be Patriarch in the
room of
my
uncle ; but a few months had hardly elapsed when he again be-
came a heretic, whereupon he turned to be my enemy and the
enemy of all the people. This event took place in May, 1779.
* Meshihaya literally means a Christian, but it is used here to denote the
seceders from Nestorianism to Rome.
+ His Christian name as we have seen was Hormuzd, but according to a prac-
tice common in the East as well as the West it was changed to Hanna, or
Yohannân, at his ordination.


152
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
I then left Alkôsh and went to the village of Ainkâwa, where I
remained several days. Thither I brought the people of
Armoota and Shaklâwa, and instructed them in the faith of the
holy Church, which they embraced, and were absolved by my
unworthy self, after I had laboured much to convince them, S.
Mary having at length enlightened their eyes. But when the
above-named heretic heard of these proceedings he sent letters
directing the people not to receive me, which letters fell into my
hands. He became the more enraged when he heard that all
the inhabitants of these villages had become Meshihayé, and bad
he been able he would have destroyed every one of them. He
did all in his power to trouble the Meshihayé, and these not
wishing to endure his vexations, laid a complaint against him
before Suleiman Pasha of Mosul, of the house of Abd-ool-Jeleel,
to whom they gave money in order to secure his support. I
also, from fear of this heretic, went to Mosul in the year 1780,
and appealed to the governor of that place, who obtained for me
from the Sultan of the Ishmaelites at Constantinople a firman
granting me authority over the Meshihayé and heretics. More-
over I wrote my confession of faith and sent it to the Sacred
Society at Rome, which was received there with great joy, and
our lord Pope Pius granted me licence to minister and perfect
the office of patriarch, but I was not allowed to use the patriar-
chal seal. This concession made to us by Pope Pius VI. came
to hand on the 11th of December, 2094 of the Grecian era,
A.D. 1782. I now exercised great zeal, the Divine grace helping
me, in preaching among the heretics, and in endeavouring to
give them a right knowledge of the faith of the holy Church.
This conduct incensed all the heretics against me, and they did
all in their power to destroy me. Moreover Yeshua-yau became
my greatest enemy, and wrote against me to Ismael Pasha of
Amedia ; but our LORD Jesus Christ supported me, and made
me triumphant.
“In the year 1783, on the 7th of April, Yeshua-yau again
embraced the faith of the Church of Rome, but deceitfully; and
I enjoined him to do penance according to the custom of the
holy Church. He remained stedfast until the month of Sep-
tember, 1784, when he relapsed into heresy, and ordained his
nephew metropolitan, in order that the seed of his heresy might


AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MUTRAN HANNA.
153
not perish from the earth; and these two persons sowed their
vile ignorance and their enmity in the world with all diligence.
In the year 1788 I left home to visit the Mesbihayé and to in-
quire into their state, and reached Babel (Baghdad] where I
remained several months and then returned to Mosul.
Here
I heard that the above-named metropolitans had complained
against me to Ismael Pasha of Amedia, who in consequence had
conceived great hatred of me,
and some
of
my
Mohammedan
friends advised me not to go to Alkôsh because he was there at
the time. I abode at Telkèf for about two months until the de-
parture of Ismael Pasha, when I returned to my village of
Alkôsh. A few days afterwards I sent a present to one of the
heads of the village called Bir Sivi (two hours above Zakho] by
the hand of my nephew Hanna, the son of Kasha Gheorghees
my brother, which when the two heretics heard they apprised
Ismael Pasha thereof, who like a ravening wolf sent messengers
to Zakho to seize him. Accordingly, on the 17th of May, as
my nephew was leaving the church, they laid hold of him, bound
him with chains, and carried him to Amedia where they impri-
soned him. On hearing this I went to Mosul and applied to
the governor, who sent messengers to the Pasha of Amedia to
demand the release of my nephew; but the request was not
granted. Whereupon the governor of Mosul gave me letters
and directed me to go to Baghdad and to explain the circum-
stance to the Pasha of that place. I lost no time in following
this advice and reached Baghdad in three days from Mosul.
Now at Baghdad there were two individuals, one named Kha-
waja Sâr of Constantinople and the other Agha Markâr of Julfa,
who had great influence with the Pasha. These took me to the
Pasha's Kiahya [lieutenant] to whom I explained my grievance,
and he in his turn informed his master Suleiman Pasha of the
whole affair. They were all very much incensed against Ismael
Pasha of Amedia, and forthwith wrote angry letters to him
which they sent by their own messengers who accompanied me on
my return. On our arrival at Mosul we heard that Ismael Pasha
had released my nephew, and had sent him to Mohammed Pasha
of Mosul as soon as the news reached him of my departure for
Baghdad. The messengers, however, who had come with me
proceeded to Amedia and delivered the letters to Ismael Pasha,


154
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
who on receiving them wrote and begged the Pasha of Mosul to
induce me to pay bim a visit. This I at first refused to do, and
the Meshihayé of Mosul were also against my accepting the in-
vitation. But Mohammed Pasha was so importunate on the
matter that I at length acceded to his wishes, and started from
Mosul on the 15th of January, the eve of Mar Kuriakòs. As I
left the town many Meshibayé and Mohammedans had sad fore-
bodings of what would become of me; but I placed my confi-
dence in S. Mary and went my way. When Yeshua-yau heard
of this he sent his brother and his nephew the metropolitan to
bribe the Coordish governor to destroy me; so that on our
arrival at Amedia both small and great clamoured against me,
and spent large sums of money to purchase my destruction ; but
our Lord Jesus Christ and S. Mary the Holy Virgin, (glory
be to their grace) helped my weakness, and enabled me to tri-
umph over them. Ismael Pasha, moreover, made peace with me,
invested me with a robe, and did me much honour; he also
drove away the heretical metropolitan and his father, so that
they were confounded like Caiaphas and his companions. On the
18th of July I returned to Alkôsh, where my safety created great
joy among all the Meshihayé.
“A month afterwards a great quarrel broke out between the
Pasha of Amedia and his nephews, which induced the former to
come to Beth Adhra,* whither Yeshua-yau immediately went
to complain against me; but his suit was rejected. When I
understood this I offered to do all in my power for the above-
named governor in the hope of attaching him sincerely to me,
and that through him I might be enabled to preach to the here-
tical Nestorians, induce them to abjure their heresy, and restore
them from their error to the bosom of the compassionate mo-
ther, the holy Church. All his affairs of importance were now
committed to my care, and S. Mary assisted me to transact
them. One day in the month of January, 1789, while I was at
Mosul on business for this Coord, Padre Maurizio Cherzoni in-
quired after my nephew, and suggested that I ought to ordain
* Now Ba-Idhri, one of the principal villages of the Yezeedees. There are
several other villages in the vicinity of Mosul the names of which begin with the
prefix “Ba." All these are written “ Beth” in the old Syriac MSS., which
argues for them a very ancient, perhaps Assyrian, origin.


AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MUTRAN HANNA.
155
him Metropolitan, saying: 'You are always engaged in many
matters, and your enemies are numerous : should any misfortune
befal you we shall be left without a Metropolitan, and we do not
wish to have recourse either to Mar Yoosef of Diarbekir or to
Yeshua-yau the heretic.'16 This subject he frequently broached
to me, and on New Sunday it was discussed before me while I
was in the house of Khawaja Elias of Aleppo. Accordingly the
day following we ordained him Deacon Gospeller in the church
of Meskinta, and the Padre made a feast for us on the occasion.
After this I went to Alkôsh, where I conferred the different
orders upon my nephew one after the other, until the 5th of
May 1790, when he received the degree of Metropolitan from
my weak hands. The August following I sent him among the
heretics to teach them the faith of the holy Church : but when
the heretical Metropolitan saw this he also sent emissaries among
them to induce them to continue in darkness like himself, and
to disobey the words of God. Our Lord the MESSIAH, how-
ever, enlightened the minds of the villagers of Arena and Bar-
zani, and these embraced the faith of the holy Church, and were
absolved from their heresy by my nephew Mutran Shimoon, who
brought their priests to me, and to them I gave vestments, cha-
lices, and patens, and all that was necessary for their churches
according to the customs of the Meshihayé, and they returned
to their homes.
“In the year 1791 I sent him out a second time, and he went
to Menghesh and preached to the villagers there, and these also
received absolution at his hands. A few months after the
heretics lodged a complaint against them before the Pasha of
Amedia, who forthwith imprisoned the rector and the principal
men in the village. Whereupon several came to us, and by a
gift of money to the governor we obtained their release. Never-
theless I and my nephew were very anxious to make the heretics
Meshihayé, and to bring them into the bosom of the compassion-
ate mother, which is the holy Church, but the heretical metro-
politan did all in his power to thwart us.
“In the month of February letters came to us from the
Sacred Society of Rome, granting me jurisdiction as far as
Amida (Diarbekir) and Mardeen. This news gave me great joy,
and I wrote to the people of those places informing them that


156
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
they had been placed under my pastoral care. A month after-
wards I went to Amedia on business, but on finding that the
governor was not treating me fairly I opposed him, whereupon
he was highly incensed, and despatched a messenger to the
Pasha of Baghdad with a large sum of money, and another to
the heretical metropolitan, inviting him to Amedia. Yeshua-yau
accordingly came and offered 2,000 piastres (£20.) to obtain
my imprisonment. The offer was accepted, and on the 1st of
June I and my two brothers were cast into prison. When the
governor of Mosul heard of this proceeding he also sent a
messenger to the Pasha of Baghdad in my behalf, and it so
happened that S. Mary (her prayers be with us and with all be-
lievers,) put love into the Pasha’s heart, so that after he bad
taken the money which had been sent to him by the Coord he
despatched a messenger to the governor of Amedia, ordering my
immediate release. Nevertheless this infidel Hanafite refused to
set me free, and dismissed Mohammed Said, the messenger, with
a promise that I should be liberated in a few days; but in this
he lied, for after the departure of the messenger he had us
dragged out of prison to the market-place, where we were pub-
licly beaten before all the people and before the above-named
metropolitan and his heretical community, who looked on, say-
ing: Ah, ah! we have seen it with our eyes. A month after-
wards the messenger returned from Baghdad, declaring that he
had orders not to leave Amedia without taking me with him,
but Ismael Pasha refused to let us go. Then the Hanafite said
to the
messenger : Remain
you
here, and I will send a messen-
ger
in
your
stead. The infidel did so, and wrote to say that he
would release me on condition that I should pay to his Effendi
the sum of 5,000 piastres. This message so incensed the Pasha
of Baghdad that he took an oath, and directed the messenger to
say to Ismael Pasha that he would pull down his castle over his
head unless he immediately sent the prisoner to him. I was
accordingly released on the 13th of September, after having
been imprisoned for three months and a half among scorpions,
of which I killed no less than seven near my head; but the
LORD saved me from prison and from these reptiles, and from
all evil, through the acceptable prayers of S. Mary, and He will
deliver me from the fire of hell. Amen.


158
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
..
divine the reason. One day while on my way to visit a mer-
chant of Constantinople called Filippos Mordiân, who had burnt
his hands and face with gunpowder, a woman stopped me to kiss
my hand and said : May your head be safe.* She, perceiving
my ignorance of the matter, did not reply to my questions why
she so addressed me. Much troubled in spirit I bent my steps
towards the house of Deacon Gheorghees, the head of our com-
munity, and finding him absent I inquired of his son whether
any thing had befallen my relations. He simply told me that
certain letters bad been withheld from me, whereupon I sought
after them, and from them learned the death of my brother. I
wept, but could do no more than offer up prayers and masses
that God would deliver him from the fire of purgatory. After
this, in the month of November, 1793, I rented a house called
Jebaci Bashi, whither all the Meshihayé and Mohammedans
came to condole with me, but the Padri did not come.
“On the eve of the feast of the Circumcision my nephews,
Mutran Shimoon and Deacon Isa, came to Baghdad, about which
time the Padri were reconciled to us, but hatred still lodged in
their hearts. Two months afterwards I permitted Mutran Shi-
moon to return to Alkôsh to superintend my affairs, and retained
Deacon Isa with me. The Coordish governor still continued to
send after me, but the Pasha's lieutenant would not suffer me
to depart, for he knew that the heretical metropolitan hated me,
and he was afraid that if I went to Mosul or Amedia I should
be murdered.
The Kiahya, moreover, treated me with the
greatest consideration, and sought my advice whenever any
dispute arose among the Meshihayé.
« All this time I had received no letters from Diarbekir or
Mardeen, for it appears that they would not receive the orders
of our lord the Pope; on the contrary, Kasha Agostîn went to
Sert, where there was a presbyter named Michael. Him he took
to one of the Tcawâlakhat Metropolitans and got him conse-
crated Metropolitan, and set him over Mardeen without the
consent of our lord the Pope. When the Sacred Society heard
* The usual salutation of condolence to one who has lately been bereaved of
a relative or friend.
+ Tcawalakha is the vulgar name given to the people of Jelu, a district in
central Coordistan.


AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MUTRAN HANNA.
159
that the people of Diarbekir and Mardeen had not obeyed the
order of the Pope nor his supremacy, they sent letters to me
and to Padre Fulgenzio, who was then at Baghdad, directing
him to go to Diarbekir, and to inquire why the people had not
submitted to my authority.* Now this Padre was my enemy
on account of the affair of the marriage, and this I learned fur-
ther from the letters which reached me on the 14th of February,
1794, and I answered the Society accordingly. Padre Ful-
genzio, however, departed and went to Selook, which is Ker-
kook, and created divisions among the Meshihayé there, and he
did the same at Ainkâwa. Moreover he wrote letters to other
villages which began in this style: I, Padre Fulgenzio, superior
of the Patriarchs of the East, &c.; many of which letters fell into
my hands. He then went to Mosul and sowed tares there also,
and in the villages of that district, on account of which, a fierce
dispute arose between him and Padre Mansoor, (prob. Vittorio]
in which the whole congregation took part, because he wished
to absolve Mutran Yeshua-yau and his nephew, whose deceit
rendered them undeserving of absolution. In consequence of
this quarrel, Padre Fulgenzio went to Zakho, whither Mutran
Hnan-Yeshua followed him, and was absolved by him, though
in reality he did not know how to convey absolution, [on ac-
count of his ignorance of the Syriac.] This affair gave rise to
many dissensions among the Meshibayé, all which I learned
through letters which were addressed to me by Padre Mansoor
and the congregation at Mosul. Many of these I got translated
into Latin, and wrote others in Syriac to the Sacred Society,
informing them of all that had occurred. When our lord the
Pope heard of these things, he was very angry with Padre Ful-
genzio and the people of Diarbekir and Mardeen, and with the
consecrating and consecrated Metropolitans, and suspended the
latter and the priests of Diarbekir from their ministerial func-
tions.
He moreover desired Padre Fulgenzio not to interfere
with my affairs, or with the affairs of the Chaldeans, and the
Sacred Society wrote him a very sharp letter full of rebuke, and
* I fancy that, in professing to place Diarbekir and Mardeen under his juris-
diction, the Pope or the Propaganda duped Mutran Hanna, since Yoosef V.
was still living at the former town, and was still recognized as Patriarch of the
Chaldeans by the see of Rome.


160
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
sent another to me full of respect. A serious disturbance now
broke out betwixt Padre Mansoor and the congregation at
Mosul, in which the latter were in the right: nevertheless, I
wrote and entreated both parties to be reconciled. Padre Ful-
genzio left Diarbekir for Mosul, and took part with Padre
Mansoor, who afterwards came to Baghdad. On the 14th of
April, 1795, I again received letters from the Sacred Society,
the contents of which I made known to all my people. Padre
Mansoor now called upon us to prove his false reports, which
we declined to do, and merely put it to him whether Padre Ful-
genzio had acted rightly in absolving the heretical Metropoli-
tan. He replied in the negative; whereupon I asked him why
he had wrought such confusion among the Meshihayé.” Here
the original fragment ends.
Trivial as many of these details are, they serve to convey a
sad but apparently true picture of the state of religion among
the Nestorians of the plains towards the end of the last century.
From the above record we may learn, that the hereditary suc-
cession to the patriarchate which had already split this people
into two rival communities under separate primates, and widely
corrupted the primitive discipline as sanctioned by their own
recognised canons, had well-nigh led to the extinction of the
episcopate among those who inhabited the level country east of
the Tigris. It appears, that on the death of Mar Elîa in 1778,
there were only two Nestorian Bishops in this extensive district
which formerly had been divided into so many dioceses, and
that had it not been for the unruly temper of one of them,
Yeshua-yau, who was at first destined to succeed his uncle, the
other nephew, Mutran Hanna, would not have been raised to
the episcopal office and dignity. There can be no doubt but
that ambition and covetousness, as well as the growing wants
of the collateral branches of the Beit-ool-Ab, or patriarchal
family, (now amounting to several hundred souls through the
nepotism which had been introduced in the order of succession)
instigated the late incumbents of the primacy over the Nes-
torians to centre in themselves the functions of their suffragans,
in order thereby to lay claim to their influence and tempo-
ralities. The synodal decrees requiring that the Patriarch's
consent should be obtained in the case of every new appoint-


APPOINTMENT OF MUTRAN HANNA.
161
ment to the episcopal office, and the gradual decay of consecra-
tion thereto by two or more bishops, which at length led to the
persuasion, that he was the only valid consecrator, favoured this
assumption and abuse of power on the part of the later Patri-
archs, and finally resulted in a spiritual despotism, as bapeful
in its effects upon the entire body of the Nestorians, as it was
contrary to their own ancient canons, and opposed to the tradi-
tions handed down to us from the Apostles.
It is moreover clear from the above autobiography, that the
Nestorians of the plains had become so weak and degraded, that
on the death of the last Mar Elîa, neither of the two Metropoli-
tans his nephews had sufficient power to lay claim to the suc-
cession, otherwise it is natural to suppose that the one or
the other would have assumed the patriarchal dignity. To
strengthen his pretensions, which were likely to be disputed by
the elder nephew, Mutran Yeshua-yau, Mutran Hanna goes
over to Rome the day after his uncle's death, and appears to
have received obsequiously the very uncertain and undefined
authority with which the Roman Pontiff chose to invest him.
This defection, which increased the weakness of the Nestorian
community, placed additional obstacles in the way of Mutran
Yeshua-yau, whose frequent change of creed lays him open to
the charge of having followed for the time that party which he
thought more able or better disposed to confirm him in the
patriarchal dignity. How much the Latin missionaries had to
do in fomenting these divisions we are not left to conjecture:
the testimony of Mutran Hanna, whose attachment to the Roman
Church, if his own writing is to be believed, cannot be doubted,
goes to prove that their object throughout was to oppose
the two bishops, the one to the other, in order more effectually
to establish the supremacy of the popedom ;-that they ruled
over the one with despotic sway, and made him yield to all
their demands by holding up the other to him as an instru-
ment ready to co-operate with them in their purposes ;-
and that the pretended concessions of patriarchal power made
to Mutran Hanna on his submission to the Pope were mere
stratagems designed to delude him and those Nestorians who
followed his example into the belief that no infringement had
been practised upon their ancient rights and privileges. In the
M


162
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
following continuation of the narrative of this schism, these
machinations will be brought out into bolder relief: and should
the details be judged as too minute and sometimes puerile, the
best apology which I can offer for laying them before the reader
is the deplorable fact, that in the late ecclesiastical history of the
Chaldean community, nothing has transpired more worthy of
being recorded.
A few years after the events narrated by Mutran Hanna, one
Gawrièl, a native of Mardeen, who had acquired some wealth in
mercantile speculations, retired from business at Baghdad, and
undertook to instruct several Chaldean youths gratuitously in
the Arabic language, in grammar, logic, and rhetoric, of which
he was considered perfect master. His talents and zeal were so
much appreciated, that on his arrival at Mosul, the Chaldeans
offered him the convent of Rabban Hormuzd, then deserted and
partly in ruins, as a seminary, and invited him to take up his
abode there. He acceded to the proposal, and in a short
time collected a number of pupils, most of whom soon after
took the vows of poverty and celibacy. These monks, headed
by their lay superior, and abetted by the Latin missionaries,
and by one Kas Hanna of Tell Iskof, and Kas Hanna of Alkôsh,
set at nought the authority of Mutran Hanna, and did all in
their power to acquire a rival influence over the community at
large. They moreover laid claim to a large proportion of the
property then in the hands of the patriarchal family, as belong-
ing by right to the conventual establishment. Mutual jealousies
and recriminations followed, until the Monks and Latin mis-
sionaries sent a joint letter to the Propaganda, complaining that
Mutran Hanna was opposed to their order,—that he instigated
the Coords of Ismael Pasha against them,—that he was endea-
vouring to lead the Chaldean proselytes back to Nestorianism,-
and that as his fidelity to Rome was very doubtful, he was
utterly unworthy of the office which he filled. In consequence
of these charges, Mutran Hanna was suspended from his func-
tions, and one Kas Gheorghees, a presbyter, appointed delegate
in his stead. About this time, Gawrièl was sent to Diarbekir
by the Romish missionaries, where he was ordained priest by the
Chaldean Patriarch Mar Yoosef V., and returned to Rabban
Hormuzd as abbot of the convent.


OPPOSITION TO MUTRAN HANNA.
163
Mutran Hanna continued suspended for about five years, at
the end of which a vicar apostolic was sent to Baghdad to inves-
tigate into the charges laid against him. The result led to his
restoration; nevertheless, the monks continued to resist his
authority, and shortly after, with no other sanction than that of
their abbot, they sent five of their number to Diarbekir to be
inducted into the episcopal office, and these were actually con-
secrated Metropolitans by Mar Yoosef V., whilst Rome professed
to recognize Mutran Hanna as Patriarch of all the Chaldeans in
the neighbourhood of Mosul. These newly-made Metropolitans
had no fixed dioceses, but Mar Yoosef took upon himself to
send Mutran Michael to Sert, and Mutran Ignatius to Mardeen,
though this latter town had been placed under the jurisdiction
of Mutran Hanna by the Pope himself. The remaining three
came and dwelt in their native villages which they thenceforth
raised into dioceses; Mutran Basileos remained at Telkèf, Mu-
tran Laurentius at Tell Iskof, and Mutran Yoosef, who had
been coffee-maker to Mutran Hanna, at Alkôsh; and each
ordained priests and deacons at his pleasure, in spite of the
authority of Mutran Hanna, whose sole ecclesiastical right over
the district was indisputable.
So much confusion arose from these proceedings that the
Chaldeans finally induced Kas Gawrièl the Abbot and the
Latin missionaries to separate the Bishops. Mutran Basileos
was accordingly ordered to go to Amedia, Mutran Laurentius
to Baghdad, and Mutran Yoosef to Mosul, where the latter soon
created a schism in the community, those siding with him taking
the name of Yoosefites, and those who still continued faithful to
the Patriarch, Hannanites. Mutran Basileos, however, refused
to go to Amedia, fearing the anger of Ismael Pasha, who had
become the friend of Mutran Hanna; so he remained at Telkèf
until a circumstance occurred which obliged him to depart else-
where. The Kiahya of Telkèf at this time was one Marroghi
Kessi, a tyrannical bad man, who so vexed the villagers that a
deputation headed by Mutran Basileos and the priests, laid
their grievances before Yahya Pasha of Mosul and demanded
redress. The Kiahya having bribed the Pasha to support him,
all the complainants, the priests included, were ordered to be
publicly whipped, and the bishop received notice to quit the
M 2


164
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
district within twenty-four hours. Mutran Basileos accordingly
left for Diarbekir, where he was well received by the patriarch
Mar Yoosef V., and by the Chaldeans of that town. Shortly
after this Mar Yoosef died, and the people having applied to
Rome to sanction the appointment Mutran Basileos was con-
firmed metropolitan of Diarbekir, and invested with archiepis-
copal powers. Amedia was now without a bishop, and Mosul
would not receive Mutran Yoosef, so it was agreed upon by the
Abbot and the Latin missionaries that he should be sent to the
former town. Not however being sure how he might be
treated by Ismael Pasha, he went to reside at Alkôsh, where
he continued to intrigue among the Chaldeans and with the
local authorities of Mosul against Mutran Hanna, who was
at length cast into prison. He was kept in close confinement
for four months, and several eye-witnesses have assured me that
on his liberation his body was literally covered with filth and
vermin.
Monsignor Paul Coupperie was the then Roman vicar
apos-
tolic to these parts, and M. Trioche acted as his deacon, whom
he ordained priest at Baghdad about this time. Coupperie came
to Mosul, and after examining into the charges laid against
Mutràn Hanna absolved him, and restored to him the exercise
of his jurisdiction. The opposing party, however, professed to
doubt the authority of the vicar apostolic, and declared that his
absolution was invalid since it had not been sanctioned by the
Pope. Whereupon he joined with a number of the influential
Chaldeans, and petitioned the Roman See to reinstate Mutran
Hanna in the patriarchal dignity. In the mean time Monsignor
Coupperie died at Baghdad, and letters arrived from Rome direct-
ing Mutran Hanna and Mutran Laurentius to consecrate Padre
Trioche bishop, which they accordingly did, and he was forth-
with invested with all the powers of vicar apostolic. Monsignor
Trioche took part with Mutran Hanna, who was soon after
recognized by the Pope as supreme head over all the Chaldeans.
He was now, moreover, permitted to use a seal of office, and to
exercise all the functions of patriarch, provided he abstained from
admitting any of his relations to the episcopal order. Mar
Elîa, as he now signed himself, though he continued to be styled
Mutran or Mar Hanna, received this intelligence at Baghdad,


OPPOSITION TO MUTRAN HANNA.
165
and forthwith sent notice of the same to the different Churches
within his jurisdiction. The monks of Rabban Hormuzd hesi-
tated to acknowledge his supremacy, in which they were abetted
by Mutran Yoosef, (who had laid claim to episcopal authority
over the convent since the death of Kas Gawrièl the Abbot,) on
the ground that it was situated within the diocese of Amedia to
which he had been appointed. On hearing this, the patriarch
suspended the recusants, the bishop included; whereupon they
held a conference whether they should not disobey the mandate.
The news of another Vicar Apostolic having been sent from
Rome to these parts induced them to submit for a time; but
after vainly waiting two months for his arrival, they all, with
one exception, broke through the imposed restriction, and re-
sumed their ministerial functions. Kas Stephân, a presbyter
monk, sent in his submission to the patriarch, and was appointed
to a cure of souls in the village of Telkèf.*
Just before this occurrence Mar Hanna, as directed by orders
from Rome, had consecrated two Metropolitans, Mutran Nico-
laos, commonly called Mutran Zeyya, a Persian Chaldean of
Khosrâwa, and an élève of the Propaganda, and Mutran Botros
whom he made his deputy. The latter was sent to Mosul by
the Patriarch, and one Kas Andrea on the part of Monsignor
Trioche, to inquire into the conduct of the rebellious priests of
Rabban Hormuzd. On hearing this Mutran Yoosef fled to Diar-
bekir, where he was welcomed by Mutran Basileos : and the
delegates after condemning the obstinacy of the monks returned
to Baghdad. The latter, however, still held out, and having
assembled a conventual synod they decided that Kas Hanna,
their Abbot, should be sent to Rome to complain against the
joint proceedings of the Patriarch and Monsignor Trioche. On
..
* This priest has since been expelled the Chaldean Church on account of
his bold denunciations against the assumptions of the See of Rome, and the erro-
neous teaching which has been introduced into the ancient Syriac rituals. He
is a somewhat eccentric but really good man, and has since been married by Mar
Shimoon to a Nestorian girl with whom he lives at Telkèf, where he has braved
much opposition, and maintains himself and wife by making sieves and pack-
saddles. I occasionally employed him during my residence at Mosul to collect
MSS. and to visit the Nestorians in the villages near Akra. Though quite un-
supported he occasionally forces his way into the presence of the patriarch, and
reproves him for his worldliness and slavish subjection to Rome.


166
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
arriving at Diarbekir, the Abbot was advised by the two Bishops
to take with him Michael* and Botros, two lay monks of Rabban
Hormuzd, whom they ordained priests to that end. The pro-
gress and result of this deputation are thus related by Kas
Michael: “On our arrival at Rome, we found that complaints
had already been received from Mutran Hanna and Monsignor
Trioche against the conduct of the monks. The Propaganda
accordingly confirmed the censure pronounced by the Patriarch,
and ordered that we should be prohibited from celebrating mass.
Kas Botros and I expostulated, and on exhibiting our letters of
orders to prove that we were not priests when Mutran Hanna
suspended the monks, we were in a measure exculpated ; never-
theless, we were obliged to share in the punishment of our
Abbot. We continued three months at Rome vainly hoping to
speak to the Pope ; at length we devised a scheme to obtain an
audience. We had brought with us several cartes blanches
bearing the signatures and seals of many of the disaffected
Chaldeans, one of which documents we filled with charges
against Mutran Hanna and the Vicar Apostolic. After smoking
it to give it the appearance of having passed through quaran-
tine, we went to the palace and begged to be admitted to his
Holiness. 17 After several fruitless attempts we at length suc-
ceeded, and were ushered into the presence of the Pope, to whom
we endeavoured to make known our grievances, and gave him
the letter which we had drawn up. About a week elapsed when
we were sent for by the superior of the Propaganda, who ordered
us to spend ten days in retirement at the Franciscan convent of
Aracelli, where we were told that we should meet Padre Fran-
cesco Bilardi, now Vicar Apostolic in Syria, who would supply
us with Arabic books. At the end of this period the censure
was removed from us after we had given a written promise to
this effect: first, that we would henceforth obey Mutran Hanna;
and, secondly, that we consented to leave Rome within fifteen
days and returned to our convent, whither a special deputy was
to be sent to investigate into the grievances of the Chaldeans.
* This is the Chaldean who was afterwards expelled the community for his
reformed opinions, and who was associated with me in my mission, as will appear
in the sequel.


DEATH OF MUTRAN HANNA.
167
We accordingly departed from Italy and reached Diarbekir in
safety, and were soon followed by the newly appointed Vicar
Apostolic who died in that city a few days after his arrival.
Some further correspondence ensued which resulted in the con-
firmation of Mutran Hanna in the patriarchal dignity, and a
pallium was sent to him from Rome with which he was invested
at Baghdad a little more than a year before his death, which
took place in that city, A.D. 1841.”
I must now recall to the reader's mind the condition ex-
acted from Mutran Hanna on his first recognition by Rome,
namely, that he should not consecrate any of his relations to
the Episcopal office. This was effectually to abrogate the order
of succession to the Patriarchate which had so long obtained
among the Nestorians. There can however be no doubt that very
many of the Chaldean proselytes were still attached to the old
régime, and considered the destruction of the Beit-ool-Ab, or
Patriarchal family, as an invasion of their ancient rights and
privileges. There is every reason to believe that Mutran Hanna
sympathized with them in this respect, not only from a feeling
of family pride, but because at heart he was opposed to many
of the encroachments of Rome, as the frequent complaints made
against him by the Latin missionaries, and those of his own
people over whom they had acquired supreme influence, fully
testify. But he was under restraint, and the non-fulfilment
of the required condition would inevitably have led to his im-
mediate deposition, and to the more perfect subjection of the
entire body of the Chaldeans to the See of Rome. Hence
he dared not openly provide a successor from his own family;
however, he went so far as to ordain one of his nephews priest,
and in 1834 this individual was taken by his father and another
uncle to Mar Shimoon, Patriarch of the mountain Nestorians,
who consecrated him Metropolitan at Ooroomiah, with the title
of Mar or Mutran Elîa, and appointed him Bishop over the
Nestorians in the neighbourhood of Amedia. The prevailing
opinion is, that this was done by the advice of Mutran Hanna,
who, being himself prohibited from consecrating his nephew,
conceived this scheme, in the hope that after his death the suc-
cession might be continued in the old line. Mutran Elîa, who
was doubtless a consenting party to the plot, abjured Nes-


168
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
torianism a few months afterwards, was absolved, and received
into the bosom of the Chaldean Church. Before his death
Mutran Hanna consecrated another Metropolitan, named Mutran
Auraham, and appointed him over the district of Akra. After
changing sides more than once, he returned to Nestorianism
in 1847, was absolved by Mar Shimoon, and is now recognized
by him as Bishop of the Nestorians in the Zebâr and Mezuriyeh
provinces.
But to return to our narrative. Immediately after the death
of Mutran Hanna, Mutran Laurentius started for Diarbekir to
communicate the intelligence to the two Bishops who resided
there, namely, Mutran Basileos, the Archbishop, and Mutran
Yoosef, the runaway Bishop of Amedia. An epistle was then
written by these three to Mutran Michael, of Sert, and Mutran
Zeyya, of Khosrâwa, requesting them to join in electing a
successor to the Patriarchate. Zeyya promised to be with them
in spring, as soon as the snows had melted from off the moun-
tains; however, he did not abide by his word, and the remain-
ing four proceeded to the election. As each laid claim to the
dignity, nothing was decided between them, and the council
was broken up, professedly on the ground of Mutran Zeyya's
absence. Zeyya on hearing this went to Baghdad, and took
counsel with Monsignor Trioche and Mutran Botros, who wrote
a joint letter to the Propaganda, informing them of the pro-
ceedings of the four monkish Bishops, and strongly recom-
mending Zeyya as the person most fit in every respect to fill
the vacant chair. An epistle was accordingly sent from Rome,
blaming the course taken by the Bishops, and stating, that as
they had not agreed upon a successor, the Holy Father was
obliged to take upon himself the duty of filling up the appoint-
ment, directing them at the same time to acknowledge Zeyya as
their Patriarch. On bis accession to office, Mar Zeyya ordered
Mutran Yoosef to proceed to Amedia, but afterwards allowed
him to reside at Alkôsh; and finding that great dissensions
existed among the monks of Rabban Hormuzd, he allowed as
many as chose to retire from the establishment. Forty-five of
their number, among whom was Kas Michael, took advantage
of this licence and left the convent. The general opinion is,
that the new Patriarch, well acquainted as he was with the


MUTRAN ZEYYA.
169
turbulent spirit of the monks, and the opposition which they
had raised to Mutran Hanna, fearing lest his authority might
be thwarted in the same way, would most gladly have abolished
the conventual brotherhood.
I shall now endeavour to elicit some of the secret motives
which led the See of Rome to appoint Mutran Zeyya to the
vacant Patriarchate.18 In the first place, by so doing they got
rid of the hereditary succession, and thus deprived the Beit-
ool-Ab of that traditional importance which gave them a degree
of influence among the people not likely to be exerted in favour
of Papal encroachment. Secondly, Mar Zeyya was an élève of
the Propaganda, and therefore a promising instrument for car-
rying out their designs. Thirdly, he was a Persian by birth,
and consequently could lay claim to the protection of any of the
foreign consuls in Turkey. The importance of this last con-
sideration I must explain more in detail. Hitherto the com-
munity styling themselves “Chaldeans," had not been recog-
nized by the Ottoman Porte. Mutran Hanna, like most of his
predecessors, had received an imperial firman acknowledging
him to be Patriarch of the Nestorians, which document the
Romanists carefully secured on his death, and this was the only
political sanction which Mar Zeyya possessed for exercising
patriarchal jurisdiction over the Chaldeans. But this warrant
was found to be of little value in the frequent appeals which
the affairs of the community obliged him to make before the
Turkish authorities; for, in the first place, it was not in his
own name; and, secondly, it granted certain rights and privi-
leges, not to a Chaldean, but to a Nestorian Patriarch, which he
was not. To supply this deficiency, as also to carry out the
designs of Rome towards the Chaldean community, which was
now completely under her control, since the abrogation of the
law of succession in the Beit-ool-Ab, the French government
was solicited to appoint a consul to Mosul, for the express
purpose of extending the benefit of her assumed protectorate
over the further proceedings of the Latin missionaries.
that this was the only conceivable ground of the appointment
being made, since France has not the shadow of commercial
interest in these parts whereupon to establish the necessity of
such a measure. Through the intervention of the society of
I say


170
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Lyons, the petition was granted, and Mar Zeyya, being a
Persian, now enjoyed all the privileges of a European in Turkey,
with the additional support of a French consular agent to back
him in the exercise of his ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Early in 1843 Mar Zeyya proposed to change the time of cele-
brating Easter among the Chaldeans, and to assimilate it to the
usage of the West, which created such a ferment among the
people of Mosul, who were growing jealous of any further
alterations in their ancient customs, that he was obliged to
abandon the attempt. About this time we arrived at Mosul,
and many Chaldeans manifested a strong desire to reform the
errors which had lately been introduced into their rituals, a
detailed account of which will be given in a succeeding chapter.
They moreover wished, if possible, to restore the patriarchal suc-
cession in the person of Mutran Elîa, the nephew of the late
Mutran Hanna ; but finding him too pusillanimous to attempt
anything on his own behalf, and wanting in energy to effect any-
thing for the general good of the community, they next turned
to Mar Shimoon the Nestorian Patriarch, who had been driven
to Mosul about the middle of the year after the massacre of his
mountain flock, and proposed that he should take the initiative
and lay claim to the patriarchate, promising to support him by
every means in their power. All kinds of intrigue were now
set on foot, aided and abetted by French influence, which was
the only stronghold of the papal party, to counteract the efforts
of the reformers. Complaints were made against them to the
local authorities as disturbers of the peace; the Turks refused to
interfere to put down the movement, because Mar Zeyya could
not prove that he was recognized by the Porte, and therefore
had no right to exercise jurisdiction in the Sultan's dominions.
Mar Zeyya himself wrote a lying epistle to the British Ambas-
sador at Constantinople complaining of the proceedings of our
mission; Mar Shimoon was offered large sums of money by the
Romanists, together with the patriarchate over the Chaldeans,
if he would submit to the Pope ; in fact every possible artifice
was employed to support the tottering power of Rome among
the Chaldeans of Mosul. Fearing the defection of some of the
Bishops the Society of Lyons now consented to allow them a
yearly salary to the following amount :


MUTRAN ZEYYA
171
The Patriarch, 20,000 piastres, or £200.
Bishop of Diarbekir, 8,000
Amedia, 5,000
Kerkook, 4,500
Sert,
4,500
Mardeen, 4,500
Mutran Elia, 2,000
But the fears which were excited by these manifestations of
opposition to Romish usurpation and error, induced the papal
party to send Mar Zeyya to Constantinople, where through the
influence of the French Embassy he obtained a firman acknow-
ledging him as Patriarch of the Chaldeans. This was the first
recognition by the Ottoman Porte of the new community.
The withdrawal of our mission from Mosul damped the
energies of the reformers, who had hoped that the Church of
England would have assisted them in restoring their Church to
its primitive independence and orthodoxy. Moreover on the
return of Mar Zeyya from Constantinople in 1845, fresh
attempts were made to destroy the remaining influence of the
Beit-ool-Ab. Mutran Elîa was not allowed to exercise his epis-
copal functions, and claims were set up by the monks of Rabban
Hormuzd upon the property, consisting chiefly of houses, land,
and several water-mills, which still continued in the possession of
the patriarchal family. The French consul co-operated with the
monks, and two hundred and fifty persons were deprived of their
patrimony and reduced to beggary through this joint agency.
I am happy to say, however, that energetic remonstrances from
a different quarter have succeeded in reclaiming part of the
wrested property, and in restoring it to the rightful owners, most
of whom reside at Alkôsh and the neighbouring villages.
Mutran Zeyya did not long fill an office, the functions of
which were virtually exercised by the Propaganda, and he soon
grew tired of the interference and espionage of the Latin mis-
sionaries, who criticised all his acts, and reduced him to a mere
tool in their hands. His resistance alarmed the Romanists, and
a charge was brought against him of having embezzled certain
moneys which had been placed under his care, and which he had
expended in restoring the convent of Mar Gheorghees, opposite


172
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
the town of Mosul, where he had intended to form a seminary
for the education of Chaldean youth. Charges of a different
nature were also laid against him, which are generally believed
to be without foundation, and he was ordered to proceed to
Rome to answer for bimself. Knowing full well that his oppo-
sition to the Latin missionaries would result in his downfall
and perhaps imprisonment in the Holy Office, he refused to
obey the summons, and left Mosul for Khosrâwa, his native place,
from whence he tendered his resignation of the patriarchate.
This took place early in 1846; whereupon Monsignor Trioche
sent letters from Baghdad to Mosul, ordering that they should
be read publicly in the churches, in which he assumed patriar-
chal authority, and styled himself “Ruler and Director of the
Chaldeans.” Several of the priests refused to read the obnoxious
epistles, and the whole community was in a ferment, some in-
veighing against the encroachments of Rome, others clamouring
for the return of Mar Zeyya, whilst a few held with the Vicar
Apostolic. This state of things continued for several months,
until at length the supporters of the ex-patriarch, on being
assured by him that he would not resume that office, gave way,
and Mutran Yoosef was appointed to succeed him, not however
without some manifestations of opposition which continue to this
day. Mar Yoosef was raised to the patriarchate in 1846.
The present Chaldean hierarchy is as follows:
Mar Yoosef, Patriarch, resides at Alkôsh and Mosul.
Mutran Botros of Diarbekir.
Michael of Sert.
Ignatius of Mardeen.
Basileos of Jezeerah.
Laurentius of Kerkook.
Zeyya, ex-Patriarch, resides at Khosrâwa.
(name unknown), consecrated Metropolitan of Khos-
râwa by Mar Yoosef in 1848.
Elîa, officiates as presbyter at Baghdad.
It does not appear that any limit of separate territorial juris-
diction was fixed at the time of the great schism in the sixteenth
century, when the primacy over the Nestorians was first divided
between two Patriarchs. The rival claims of each to be consi.


THE CHALDEAN DIOCESES.
173
..
dered supreme spiritual head over the entire community neces-
sarily prevented any such amicable settlement. The political
recognition of the Elîas by the Porte gave them ecclesiastical
authority over the plains, and over such parts of the mountains
as acknowledged the Ottoman sway; and from this circumstance
their jurisdiction came to be considered as being bounded on the
north by the Tyari, (which until the last few years was almost
independent of the Turkish government) although there are
many Nestorians dwelling in the mountain-districts between
Mosul and that province, who, from not having gone over to the
communion of Rome, still regard Mar Shimoon as their Patri-
arch. The fact is that the greatest confusion exists with respect
to the extent of the two patriarchates, and the only rule now ob-
taining is this : such villages as still adhere to Nestorianism look
up to Mar Shimoon as their head; and, on the other hand, those
who join the seceders place themselves under the ecclesiastical
jurisdiction of the Chaldean Patriarch.
We have already
seen how five new Chaldean Bishops were created without any
appropriate dioceses : these have since been scattered over this
region wherever the number of the seceders called for episcopal
superintendence; or, for lack of so good a reason, where such
an appointment was likely to contribute to further proselytism
from the ranks of the Nestorians. During his occupancy as
Bishop of the See of Amedia, Mutran Yoosef succeeded in redu-
cing many villages of the Supna to the obedience of Rome; but
the long residence of Mar Shimoon at Mosul affording the Nes-
torians in the mountain-districts south of the Tyari frequent
opportunities of consulting him on their ecclesiastical affairs,
which they were debarred in a great measure from doing whilst
he continued secluded in Central Coordistan, has put a check
upon further proselytism, and not a few of the later seceders
have returned to their ancient faith and discipline.
I shall now proceed to give a statistical account of the exist-
ing Chaldean dioceses.
Mar Yoosef, besides exercising the functions of Patriarch, has
the episcopal superintendence of Mosul and the neighbouring
villages, Baghdad, and the See of Amedia.*
* It is rumoured that the Patriarch intends shortly to consecrate one of his
nephews to this latter See.


174
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
The following is the number of churches, clergy, and popula-
tion comprehended within the diocese of Mosul.
Churches.
5
2
1
Mosul
Telkèf
Batnaia
Tell Iskof
Bakôfa
Alkôsh
Kermelis
Piyyös
Anseriyyah
ܝܕ
Priests.
6
4
1
2
1
4
1
1
0
Families.
350
320
60
110
20
250
1
2
2
1
0
25
20
10
.
15
20
1160
Diocese of Baghdad.
Baghdad, (Mutran Elîa resides here as
presbyter)
1
2
60
.
Diocese of Amedia.
ܝܙ
.
Dehòk
Maalthâya
Shiyyoz
MarYaacoob,
or Ka Sepher
On the borders of
the mountains
west of Rabban
Hormuzd.
1
1
0
0
0
50
20
20
1
1
21
0
ܝܙ
Dizzi.
Bidwil
Bebôzi.
Mézi
Teamận
Atoosh
In the Mezuriyeh dis-
trict behind Sheikh
Adi.
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
20
20
10
7
4
11
2
0
1
0
0
3
0
Amedia
Menghèsh
Daoodia
Tineh.
Arâden
Inishk .
In the Supna, com.
prehended within the
province of Bahdi-
nân.
3
150
30
30
50
20
.
1
1
.
1
2
1
1
14
8
466
Diocese of Diarbekir.
Diarbekir
Tcarookhia
1
1
3
1
120
30
2
4
150


THE CHALDEAN DIOCESES,
175
Diocese of Mardeen.
Churches. Priests.
4
Mardeen
Families.
60
1
Diocese of Sert.
I have not been able to learn with
exactness the details of the Chaldeans
in this district. The annexed summary
is, I believe, a tolerably correct estimate
of the churches, clergy, and population
of the eleven villages included within
the diocese.
12
9 300
Diocese of Jezeerah.
ܝܝܙ
0
1
Jezeerah
Zakho.
Takiân
Peishaboor.
Girki Pedròs
Tell Kabbeen
Beidar.
1
0
1
2
0
ܝܙ
In the valley of the
Kahboor west of
Zakho.
60
8
15
60
12
10
14
1
1
1
1
0
6
5
179
It is said that besides the above there are a few Chaldean villages in the
mountains of Buhtân comprehended within this diocese.
.
Diocese of Kerkook.
Kerkook
Shaklâwa
Armoota
Ainkâwa
There are also three villages in the
district of Sina, on the borders of Persia,
said to contain
Between
Baghdad and
the Great Zab
river.*
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
40
30
25
55
1
4
3
68
8
9
218
Diocese of Khosráwa.
Khosrâwa
2
3
150
The Chaldeans of Mosul tell me that there are several other villages in
the valley of Salamast, north of Ooroomiah, which acknowledge canonical
obedience to the Bishop of Khosrâwa. Not having visited the district
myself I cannot vouch for the truth of this statement.
* I visited this district during a trip which I made from Baghdad to Mosul in
1843; but the route is generally so devoid of interest that I have intentionally
omitted any account of it in my narrative.


176
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
If the above estimate is correct, and I can vouch for the tole-
rable exactness of the greater portion of it, the present Chaldean
community in the East does not exceed 20,000 souls, scattered
over a large surface of country extending from Diarbekir to the
frontiers of Persia, and from the borders of Tyari to Baghdad,-
a district which in former ages contained a vast Nestorian
population.
If we compare the present Chaldean community with the con-
dition of their Nestorian forefathers, as deducible from the
account given of them by Mutran Hanna in his autobiography,
justice demands that we should acknowledge the superiority of
the former in civilization, general intelligence, and ecclesiastical
order. Whilst, on the other band, if we draw a parallel betwixt
them and the Nestorians even as late as the thirteenth century,
the latter may justly claim the palm of pre-eminence in all these
respects, in proof of which we may bring forward the writings
of those famous authors who flourished among them at that
period. Like the Papal Syrians, the Chaldeans have profited by
their communion and intercourse with Rome, from whence they
have learned something of European advancement, and their
youth who have been educated at the Propaganda are undoubtedly
more generally intelligent than those brought up in this coun-
try. They have, moreover, established a few schools in several
of their dioceses; and although the instruction conveyed is re-
stricted to the elements of science, and is made conformable to
the errors of the Papacy, still we must regard the attempt to
raise the minds of their people as a decided improvement upon
the ignorance and want of all scholastic teaching, which existed
among the Nestorians of the plains before their secession to
Rome. I speak now more especially of the towns and adjacent
villages, for in the more secluded districts the Chaldeans gene-
rally are as ignorant as their Nestorian neighbours, and the
only benefit which they have derived from a change of name and
communion, apart from their rejection of the doctrine of the
Two Persons in our blessed LORD, is the promise of political
protection from France, and an occasional present of ecclesiasti-
cal vestments, church ornaments, pictures of saints, rosaries, &c.,
which latter gifts, I am happy to say, the later proselytes to
Rome know not how to use, and show no disposition to learn.


THE NAME
177
CHALDEAN.”
The suspension of the annual remittances to the Bishops from
the Society of Lyons, together with the revolutions which have
taken place in Italy and in France, and the effect which these
political changes have had upon the diplomatic agents of the
latter kingdom in Turkey, rendering them in many instances
less zealous in forwarding the views of the Latin missionaries,
have combined to weaken the attachment of the Papal Eastern
communities to Rome. These influences, joined with a love of
independence, and a strong traditional attachment to their
ancient rights and rituals, which have been encroached upon
and altered since their submission to a foreign supremacy, have
tended to make the Chaldeans more and more restless under the
Papal yoke; and I am persuaded that an offer of friendly assist-
ance from our Church to enable them to carry out their desires
for a radical reform would be hailed with gratitude by two or
more of their Bishops, and by many of the most influential
members of their community. It would not be prudent to men-
tion names; but thus much may be said, that several of the
clergy at Mosul and a number of the villages have expressed to
me their readiness to enter upon the task whenever the Church
of England, as a Church, shall offer to co-operate with them in
restoring the Chaldeans to the pure Catholic faith, and in other-
wise endeavouring to raise the standard of true and vital religion
and intellectual science among them.
I shall now make a few remarks
upon the two names, Nesto-
rians and Chaldeans, which I have used throughout this work
to designate the followers of the doctrine of the Two Persons in
our blessed LORD after the teaching of Nestorius in the fifth
century and the modern seceders therefrom to the Church of
Rome. Ainsworth in his - Travels and Researches in Asia
Minor, Mesopotamia, &c.," styles the Nestorians "Chaldeans;"19
and Mr. Layard in his “ Nineveh and its Remains" adopts the
same nomenclature, which he attempts to defend. Let us now
see how the statements of these authors are borne out by facts.
In the first place, then, I beg to observe that the term “Chal-
dean” not once used in any one of the ancient Nestorian
rituals to designate a Christian community. The Gezza con-
tains the services proper for two festivals commemorative of the
Greek and Syrian Doctors, in the latter of which Nestorius,
N


THE NAME
179
CHALDEAN.
have been called also “Sabeans," or worshippers of the heavenly
host, from the Semitic root X Mar Abd Yeshua uses it
in the same sense; thus he writes : “ Gawrièl, Bishop of Hor-
muzdshir, wrote a work against Manes, and another against the
Chaldeans ;” and again : “Daniel, of Reish Aina, wrote poems
against the Marcionites, Manichees, heretics, and Chaldeans."*
But if it be maintained, that the modern Nestorians are
descendants of the ancient Chaldeans, and may therefore justly
lay claim to the title, no valid objection can be urged against
the assumption; but in this national acceptation of the term, the
Nestorian proselytes to Rome, the Jacobites, Sabeans, Yezeedees,
and any of the Coords of this district, may with equal right
take to themselves the appellative, there being as much proof
to establish their descent from the Chaldeans of old, or rather
the Assyrians, as there is in the case of the Nestorians. It is
evidently in this sense that Assemanni uses the term in the
following extract, which Mr. Layard adduces in support of his
theory, but which in reality militates against it : “Chaldeans or
Assyrians; whom, from that part of the globe which they in-
habit, we term Orientals; and from the heresy which they pro-
fess, Nestorians." There can be no doubt but that the Chaldeans
were of the same family with the Assyrians, who were also called
Syrians, by which name, as we have seen, the mountain Nes-
torians, and the Papal Chaldeans of the plains, who speak the
vulgar Syriac, still designate themselves. This, however, is not
the subject of dispute; but whether the term “Chaldeans" was
or is used of the Nestorians by themselves or others. I have
proved that it is not. They call themselves Soorâyé, Nestorayé,
and sometimes Christiané and Meshihâyé, but never Chaldâyé or
Chaldâni. Dr. Grant's testimony goes to establish the above state-
ments ; his words are these : "CHALDEAN is a name commonly
used to designate the papal, but it is seldom applied to the ortho-
dox [!] Nestorians; and, when so applied, it is used to express
their relation to Abraham, who was from · Ur of the Chaldees.'”+
The origin of the term "Chaldean ” as applied to a Christian
sect, is correctly given in the following extract from Smith and
Dwight's “ Researches in Armenia :". -" The present Chaldean
* See Vol. II. Appendix A. Part IV.
+ The Nestorians ; or, the Lost Tribes, p. 170.
..
N 2


180
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Christians are of recent origin. · It was in A. D. 1681, that the
Nestorian Metropolitan of Diarbekir, having quarrelled with his
patriarch, was first consecrated by the Pope patriarch of the
Chaldeans. The sect was as new as the office, and created for
it.
Converts to papacy from the Nestorian and Jacobite
churches* were united in one body, and dignified by the name
of the Chaldean Church. It means no more than Papal Syrians,
as we have in other parts Papal Armenians and Papal Greeks.”
After giving this quotation, Dr. Grant remarks : “ There ap-
pears to be no propriety in applying this name to the Nesto-
rians as a Christian sect; and its casual employment among
them is a circumstance of little importance, except as it may
lead to wrong conclusions respecting their origin. If its occa-
sional use proves any thing regarding their origin, it indicates
their relation to the Father of the Faithful, agreeably to their
own explanations.”+ When the Latin missionaries had suc-
ceeded in forming a schism among the Nestorians of Diarbekir,
they wanted a name whereby to designate the proselytes. In
other instances the national title of the parent body supplied a
ready and unobjectionable appellative. Thus, by prefixing the
term “Catholic,” they adequately, and according to their views
appropriately distinguished the seceders from the Greek, Arme-
nian, and Syrian communities. A difficulty now arose; the
new converts styled themselves “Soorâyé” and “Nestorayé.”.
The Romanists could not call them “Catholic Syrians," or
“Syrian Catholics," for this appellation they had already given
to their proselytes from the Jacobites, who also called themselves
Syrians.” They could not term them “Catholic Nestorians,"
as Mr. Justin Perkins, the Independent American missionary
does. I for this would involve a contradiction. What more
natural, then, than that they should have applied to them the
title of “ Chaldeans,” to which they had some claims nationally
in virtue of their Assyrian descent ?
This, then, was the first use of the term as applied to a
Christian community, and I can confidently vouch for the fact,
* This is a mistake; no proselytes from the Jacobites were received into the
Chaldean Community.
+ The Nestorians, &c., ut supra.
# Residence in Persia among the Nestorians, p. 171.


THE NAME
181
CHALDEAN."
that it was never before used by the Nestorians in any such
acceptation. It is true, indeed, that the present Mar Shimoon
styles himself in his official documents “Patriarch of the
East,” and “Patriarch of the Chaldeans;" but this latter
title he or his immediate predecessors most probably assumed
to put themselves on an equality with the Patriarchs of the
plains, after they had joined the Church of Rome and taken
that appellation, and as a stratagem to repel the name of
“Nestorian,” which then more especially began to be regarded
as a reproachful epithet through the aspersions cast upon it
by the Latin missionaries. The Nestorians, generally, as we
have seen, disavowed the title, nor is there the shadow of a
proof that the Eastern Patriarchs ever used it. I have before
me the impression of a seal belonging to one of the late Elías
of Alkosh, which bears the following motto: “ The undeserv-
ing Elîa, by grace Patriarch and Occupant of the throne of
Addai and Mari.” This was the title by which the Nestorian
Primates designated themselves before their submission to
Rome, and the same is inscribed on all the tombs of the de-
ceased Patriarchs whose remains were buried in the convent
of Rabban Hormuzd; so that when Mr. Layard writes : “In
the chapel [of Rabban Hormuzd] are the tombs of several
Patriarchs of the Chaldean Church,20 buried here long before
its divisions, and whose titles, carved upon the monuments,
are always Patriarch of the Chaldeans of the East,'"* he
makes a serious mistake. I have examined with care all the
epitaphs, and could not discover therein any such phraseology.
The language of the Nestorians I have called Syriac, since
it is precisely the same as that used by the Jacobite Syrians,
the only difference being in the form of the character and
the vowel-points, which were altered by Gregory Bar Hebræus,
the Monophysite doctor, in the 13th century. For distinction's
sake, however, it is sometimes styled “Syro-Chaldaic," a term
not indeed strictly correct, but for want of a better by no
means inapplicable.
* Nineveh and its Remains, vol. i. p. 236.


182
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER XII.
Political relations of the different governments around Mosul previous to 1840.
-Mohammed Pasha acquires jurisdiction over Bahdinân and Buhtân.-
His murder of the governor of Zakho.--His attempt to entrap Bedr Khan
Beg, who prepares to resist his aggressions.--The Coords plunder the
Tyari Nestorians in 1841, and the latter retaliate.-Intrigues of Mohammed
Pasha to get possession of the Tyari country.—His attempt upon Bedr
Khan Beg's life.- History of the mission-house built by Dr. Grant at
Asheetha.- Visit of Romish missionaries to Asheetha.—Mohammed Pasha's
enmity to the Nestorians, and his report upon Dr. Grant's building.--His
treacherous dealings with regard to that missionary.—The Coords propose
to throw off the Ottoman yoke, and invite the Nestorian Patriarch to join
them.-Mar Shimoon refuses and appeals to the Pasha of Mosul.-Inter-
nal dissensions among the Nestorian and Coordish tribes in central Coor-
distan.—Testimony of Mons. Boré and Mr. Ainsworth on this subject.
BEFORE resuming the narrative of our mission, I shall proceed
to lay before my readers a short account of the political con-
dition of the districts around Mosul, in order that they may
be the better able to understand the nature of those intrigues
and machinations which finally resulted in the massacre of the
mountain Nestorians.
The character of Mohammed Pasha, of Mosul, surnamed
Injé Beirakdâr, has been pourtrayed in a former chapter ; but
as this individual acted so important a part in the after affairs
of the Nestorians, I shall endeavour to expose more fully the
feelings which actuated his conduct towards that unfortunate
community. We have already seen by what cruelly vigorous
measures he succeeded in establishing his authority, not only
over the rebellious inhabitants of Mosul, but also over the pre-
datory Arabs of the desert, and Yezeedees of Sinjâr. After
having reduced these tribes to abject submission, his thirst of
power and love of gain led him to hanker after an extension of


CUPIDITY OF MOHAMMED PASHA.
183
the territory allotted to him by the Sublime Porte. The pro-
vinces of Bahdinân and Buhtân, being the nearest to Mosul on
the north, were the first which excited his cupidity; and he
endeavoured by every means in his power to get these two
districts annexed to his pashalic. Bahdinân* was at this time
nominally subject to Baghdad, but had been ruled for ages by
an hereditary Coordish chieftainship, of which Ismael Pasha
was the living representative. In 1832 the Coordish Pasha of
Rawandooz took possession of the strong fortress of Amedia,
and placed it under the command of Rasool Beg his brother.
The constant disturbances and insurrections which arose in
consequence of the intrigues of these two rival chiefs, the one
striving to hold what he had obtained by conquest, and the
other to regain possession of what he had lost (fomented as
they were by Mohammed Pasha, who nevertheless was the first
to report to the supreme government the anarchical state of the
district), finally induced the Porte to add the whole of Bahdinân
to the Mosul pashalic, by which concession the authority of
Mohammed Pasha was extended to the borders of the Tyari
country.
But not satisfied with this addition of territory, Mohammed
Pasha found means to prevail upon the Porte to place Buhtân
also under his sway. This province, which comprises the whole
of the district west of Bahdinân as far as Jezeerah, and
stretches northward to the west of Tyari, was under the imme-
diate jurisdiction of Bedr Khan Beg, and, in a late reform
attempted by the Turkish government for regulating the con-
dition and political relations of the Coordish and other mountain
tribes in this part of its dominions, had been annexed to the
pashalic of Diarbekir. Mohammed Pasha found it a com-
paratively easy task to convince the Porte that this arrangement
was likely to be productive of great inconvenience to the two
pashalics, and upon his repeatedly promising to establish the
Sultan's authority more firmly in Coordistan, and thus to in-
crease the revenue of the government, Buhtân was transferred
from Diarbekir and made a dependency of Mosul.
These concessions took place in the early part of 1841, and
* The province of Bahdinân borders upon the Tyari country on the north,
and contains two towns, namely, Zakho and Amedia.


184
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
success.
Mohammed Pasha lost no time in endeavouring to make good
his jurisdiction over the newly-acquired districts. His first
efforts were directed against the hereditary Coordish chiefs,
being fully persuaded that whilst these continued to share the
government with him, his ambitious designs must fail of perfect
Accordingly, in December of that year, he sent a
party of soldiers to Zakho, under pretence of escorting some
military clothing to Mosul, but with secret instructions of a
widely different nature. The soldiers executed their mission to
the letter by murdering the governor, his nephew, and several
other members of his household. Zakho was then placed under
a Mutsellim appointed by the Pasha of Mosul.
Shortly after this, Mohammed Pasha requested Bedr Khan
Beg to appear before him: but the treachery practised upon
the governor of Zakho was of two recent occurrence to induce
the wily Coord to accept the invitation. His refusal to obey so
incensed the pasha, that he sent him word to prepare for a visit
which he intended to pay him at Jezeerah. The threat concealed
under this message was not lost upon Bedr Khan Beg, who
forthwith proceeded to build castles in different parts of the
mountains, and otherwise to fortify himself against any sudden
attack on the part of Mohammed Pasha. The poor Christians
of Buhtân were the principal labourers employed on these mili-
tary works, and not only were they made to serve without pay,
but numbers were maimed for life by the heavy weights which
they were forced to carry.
About this time a party of Berwari Coords seized upon some
flocks belonging to the Tyari Nestorians, and killed several of
their men.
This act was followed by instant reprisals: the
Nestorians entered the Berwari district, took from the Coords
more than they had lost, and then retired to their mountain
fastnesses. There is reason to believe that Mohammed Pasha
himself was the instigator of this outrage, in order to compro-
mise the Christians of Tyari, against whom he sought some real
ground of complaint. On hearing what had occurred, he
ordered several of the Bahdinân tribes to assist those of
Berwari against the Nestorians; but the winter of 1841 having
set in, put a stop to the projected invasion. He also wrote to
the Pasha of Erzeroom, requesting him to send a force from Van


DR. GRANT'S MISSION HOUSE.
185
during the following spring to attack the Nestorians on the
east, while he promised to co-operate with him and fall upon
them on the south and west.
The protracted siege of Amedia, which resisted for several
months the most vigorous measures made to reduce it, and the
disturbances created in Bahdinân and Berwari by Ismael Pasha
in his efforts to regain possession of his hereditary rights, gave
Mohammed Pasha's army full employment during the spring
of 1842, and diverted him from any warlike attempt upon the
Tyari country. Mohammed Pasha, however, proved that he
could at least think of more than one enemy at a time, and
could wield other than military weapons. After some persua-
sion, he succeeded in inducing Said Beg, a nephew of Bedr
Khan Beg's, to come to Mosul, where he entered into a secret
league with him to betray his uncle and compass his death.
Said Beg was accordingly despatched to the valley of Zakho
with a friendly message from Mohammed Pasha to the Emeer
of Buhtân ; but the object of his mission becoming known to
the Coordish chief, a strong detachment of soldiers was sent
against him, who inflicted a severe chastisement upon the tribe
to which he belonged, and carried away with them a considerable
booty. When Mohammed Pasba learned that his stratagem
had signally failed, he wrote a letter to Bedr Khan Beg con-
gratulating him on his fortunate escape, and praising him for
the rigour with which he had punished the offenders !
During the summer of this year (1842) the late Dr. Grant,*
of the American Independent Board of Missions, commenced
building premises for an extensive missionary establishment at
Asheetha, the largest village in Tyari, and the nearest to the
Berwari district. He himself informed me before his death,
that on asking leave of Mar Shimoon to commence the un-
dertaking, the Patriarch referred bim to Noorallah Beg, the
Coordish Emeer of Hakkari, pleading at the time that he had
not the power of granting his request. Noorallah Beg gave the
necessary permission, and the Doctor remained in the Tyari
country to superintend the building.
There is reason to
* Dr. Grant is well known in Europe and America as the author of “The
Nestorians, or the Lost Tribes," an ingenious attempt made to prove that the
Nestorians are the descendants of the “ dispersed of Israel.”


186
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
believe that the Nestorians generally looked upon this pro-
ceeding with suspicion, not so much on account of any plans
which the zealous missionary had in view, but because the
work was carried on under the sanction of Noorallah Beg, their
avowed master and secret enemy. It appears that it was part
of the doctor's plan to sink several wells within the walls of
the house, in order to obviate the necessity of bringing water
from the stream which runs below the village. The Nestorians
stoutly refused to dig these wells, and on being expostulated
with, demanded of the doctor whether he expected to be be-
sieged. This fact, which I relate upon Dr. Grant's own testi-
mony, is sufficient to prove that the Nestorians had some
misgivings with respect to the undertaking; and I am inclined
to believe, from the after-fate of the building, that the crafty
Emeer, in giving his permission for its erection, secretly enter-
tained the hope, that at no distant day it would be of essential
service to him in his designs upon the indomitable Nestorians.
He had not as yet sufficient power or authority to attempt him-
self the erection of a fortress in the Tyari country; but under
the guise of friendship for Dr. Grant, to whom he was indebted
for his valuable professional services, and of good will towards
the Nestorians who manifested some regard for him, he gave
his sanction to the building of a mission-house, which he
eventually hoped to turn into a castle. Supposing, however,
that this hypothesis is well founded, the most prejudiced judg-
ment must acquit the departed missionary of having been a
conscious party to any such scheme of aggression on the part
of the Coords, or of ever having knowingly acted otherwise
than as he sincerely believed would tend to the spiritual and
temporal benefit of the mountain Nestorians.
Whilst Dr. Grant was residing in the Tyari country Mutran
Yoosef, the Chaldean bishop of Amedia, accompanied by a Domi-
nican monk, found their way to Asheetha, and held a long con-
ference with Mar Shimoon and several of his clergy. The
object of this mission was to induce the Nestorian patriarch by
promises of large sums of money, and political assistance from
France, to submit to the Roman See. Mons. Boré, who had
been deputed by the Society of Lyons to report upon the
bable success of a scheme of this nature, had given his opinion
the pro-


ROMAN MISSION TO ASHEETHA.
187
in these words: “Le clef de leur pays est dans les mains du
patriarche qui habite le couvent de Kochânes. S'il revenait à
l'Eglise, tout le peuple des montagnes, son troupeau spirituel,
imiterait cette soumission."* Two thousand francs were accord-
ingly remitted from the aforesaid Society with the avowed
object of making a proselyte of Mar Shimoon, and the most
sanguine hopes of success were entertained by the papal party.
After a discussion which lasted for several days, the missionaries
were obliged to leave the country without having made the least
favourable impression upon the Nestorians or their chief; and
it is to be feared that had they not retreated in time they would
have been expelled from the Tyari by force. A native eye-
witness informed me that the conference was broken up by
Mar Yohanan, a Nestorian bishop of Ooroomiah, and a zealous
supporter of the Independent missionaries, who addressed the
meeting to the following effect: “Fathers and brethren! If a
Mohammedan were to come amongst us, and ask us to embrace
the religion of the False Prophet, should we listen to him or
bid him welcome ? Even so these men are come hither to seduce
us, and I beg that they be no longer entertained."
Mohammed Pasha had not forgotten the Nestorians all this
time, but continued his intrigues against them, and sent frequent
reports to Constantinople representing them as a race of robbers
and rebels who set at nought the authority of the Sultan. He
moreover directed Abd-col-Samed Beg, the Emeer of Berwari, to
write him a letter respecting the house which Dr. Grant was
then erecting it Asheetha, and dictated to him how he was to
describe it. This letter, which was accordingly written, informed
the Pasha that a certain Englishman was raising an extraordi-
nary edifice in the Tyari country measuring 300 yards square,
and containing no less than 250 rooms, and that as many Nes-
torians were engaged in completing it. Mohammed Pasha lost
no time in forwarding this lying production to the Porte, hoping
that it might induce the government to place the Tyari under
his supervision, and authorize him to put a stop to the building.
There can be no doubt, moreover, that as he anticipated ultimate
success in his projects, he was anxious that no Franks should
be present when he first assumed the government of the Tyari
* Correspondance d'Orient, vol. ii. p. 232.


188
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
provinces. He had already begun to feel that the existence of a
British Vice-Consul at Mosul, acted as a restraint upon his
proceedings generally, and that he could no longer exercise bis
former tyranny and despotism with the same recklessness and
publicity; and he could not brook the idea that any foreigner
should have the opportunity of acting as a spy or reporter upon
his projected rule over the Nestorians. He had written frequent
complaints against Mr. Rassam, hoping to get him removed
from the consulate, and there is good ground for believing that
he actually directed Khaled Beg, his Persian secretary, to write
to his brother Tatar Beg, the governor of Nerwa, in Bahdinân,
to put Dr. Grant out of the way, first by decoying him to a
place of safety, and then by murdering him in cold blood with
as much secresy as possible. The unsettled state of the Tyari,
and rumours of a projected attack upon the Nestorians by the
Coords, induced the doctor to leave Asheetha before this nefa-
rious scheme could be put into execution, and he returned to
Mosul in December, 1842, bringing with him all his moveable
property which he did not consider safe to be left in the
mountains. The treacherous Pasha welcomed his arrival, and
shortly after requested him to attend him professionally.
About this time Bedr Khan Beg and Ziner Beg, the genera-
lissimo of the Buhtân army, accompanied by Ismael Pasha, the
ex-governor of Amedia, marched to the frontiers of Berwari,
and invited the Coordish chiefs of that district to join them in
an attempt to throw off their subjection to the Ottoman govern-
ment. They also sent a message to Mar Shimoon, calling upon
him to take part in the same league; whereupon the Nestorian
patriarch lost no time in forwarding an account of this confede-
racy to Mohammed Pasha of Mosul, disclaiming any participation
in the insurrection, and expressing a sincere desire to act in
accordance with the wishes of the Sultan. The Pasha, who saw
in this fresh outbreak a valid ground of complaint against the
Coords, was highly delighted that he had been referred to by
the patriarch, and was now led to hope that the government of
the Tyari would not be withheld from him much longer. For
the present, at least, his anticipations were destined to be dis-
appointed. The Pasha of Erzeroom, who was nominally the
governor of the Hakkari and Tyari tribes, having laid several


DISSENSIONS IN COORDISTAN.
189
complaints against him, the Porte sent him a severe reproof for
his intrigues in Coordistan, and ordered him to abstain in future
from meddling with the affairs of other pashalics.
I have now brought down the account of the different external
influences which were in active operation to compass the downfall
of the Nestorians up to the period of our arrival at Mosul, and
I can confidently say that the authority upon which the forego-
ing statements rest is indisputable. Of the internal political
condition of the mountain tribes, little was known with any
degree of certainty at that time, and I shall reserve for the pre-
sent what I afterwards learned of the causes springing therefrom
which conspired with those already adduced to bring about the
massacre of the unfortunate Nestorians. That the country was
in a very disturbed state owing to the dissensions which existed
betwixt the Coords and Nestorians is clear from the separate
testimony of Mons. Boré and Mr. Ainsworth, and their state-
ments alone, made several years before my visit to the Tyari,
are sufficient to belie the malicious slanders which were so freely
circulated respecting our mission. A correspondent of one of
the London daily newspapers, in giving an account of the
slaughter of the Nestorians, made me in conjunction with the
American and Romish missionaries the immediate cause of this
outrage. Who his informant was is not stated, neither on what
grounds the accusation was made, but there is every reason to
believe that the author of the libel was an enemy to the Church
and to religion generally. The following extracts go indeed to
show that the Coords were becoming jealous of the frequent
visits made by Franks to the mountain Nestorians ;* but I shall
hereafter be able to prove beyond all doubt, that this circum-
stance had really very little influence in hastening a crisis which
had long before been planned and anticipated. Unsettled feuds
of long standing were still rife and open betwixt the Coords and
Christians of central Coordistan, and the growing power of the
former, fostered as it now was by the countenance and support
of the bigoted Emeer of Buhtân, made them more and more
* The Coords of these districts look upon all the late changes in the Turkish
government as the result of European influence ; and I have no doubt that the
jealousy of Franks manifested by the Coords of central Coordistan sprung from
this source,--they regarded them as the forerunner of Osmanli despotism.


REMARKS OF MR. AINSWORTH.
191
therefore it is best that we should first take what
you
have, as
you will afterwards take our property.” And again, speaking
of Noorallah Beg, the same author writes : “ This chieftain had
foreseen that the changes occurring in the east, must sooner or
later cause his country to fall under the domination of a stronger
power than his; but above all, he disliked the position in which
he stood with regard to the Patriarch of the Chaldeans [Nesto-
rians,] over whom he claimed superiority, and whom yet he
could not dictate to. He had thus been led to barter his inde-
pendence for a recognition of his power by Hafiz Pasha of
Erzeroom, and had returned back by the influence of Turkey,
at once to keep in control his own restless predatory tribes,
and also to extinguish the power of the Patriarch, of which he
had always been extremely jealous. From the new ties of
friendship that the Christian bishop had been lately and sud-
denly entering into, with the English on the one hand, and the
Americans of Ooroomiah on the other, his enmity now burst
into an open flame, and ultimately led to the Patriarch being
betrayed into the hands of the Turks.* As far as I am con-
cerned, I extremely regret that the mission I was engaged in,
should have hastened a catastrophe, painful in itself, and calcu-
lated, unless timely assistance and consolation, and strengthen-
ing advice is given to the mountaineers, to subvert the sacred
independence which has withstood so many ages of trial and
persecution, and to sap the ancient institutions of their glorious
Church to the very foundations.”+
After the above testimonies I shall leave the reader to judge
how a friendly visit of three days which I made to Mar Shimoon
at Asheetha, in February, 1843, (a detailed account of which
shall be given in the sequel,) could have had any influence
whatever in bringing about the slaughter of the Nestorians in
the month of June following. The charge is too preposterous
to be dwelt upon, and I shall therefore drop this division of our
subject for the present to resume the narrative of our mission
from the date of our arrival at Mosul.
* On this subject Mr. Ainsworth was wrongly informed ; Mar Shimoon was
never betrayed into the hands of the Turks.
+ Travels and researches in Asia Minor, &c. vol. ii. pp. 242, 253, 254.


192
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER XIII.
Missionary labours at Mosul.—The Chaldeans desire a reform in their Church.
- Difficulties in the way.-Extract of a letter to the Society for the Propa-
gation of the Gospel on this subject.-Departure for the Tyari country.-
Journey to Amedia.- Kasha Mendu.-Description of Amedia.—Spiritual
destitution of the Nestorians in this district.–Syriac MSS.-Ancient name
of Amedia.—Jews of this town.- Ainsworth’s Persian temple, what.
Tyranny and exactions of the Government.-- Preparations for departure.
-
The severe fever which attacked several of our party a few days
after we had reached Mosul, confined me to my bed for three
months, and it was the middle of January, 1843, before I was
able to leave the house. Mrs. Badger suffered for some weeks
longer, and I record with gratitude the kind professional ser-
vices which Dr. Grant spontaneously offered us during our sick-
ness. After I had recovered, much of my time was at first taken
up with collecting the different items of information respecting
the Nestorians and Chaldeans which have been given in the
foregoing pages, and in holding constant intercourse with the
Christians of Mosul and the surrounding villages. Difficulties
soon began to spring up in our path ; many of the Chaldean
laity and several of the clergy expressed a desire to join our
communion until a reformed Chaldean body could be organized
independent of the See of Rome. Again and again were we
urged to receive them by such appeals as these : “What are we
to do? Do you advise us to submit to the papal innovations in
doctrine and discipline ? and, if not, and you are come hither
with the design of assisting us, why do you not help us to re-
store our church to its original purity ?” We now began to
feel the want of competent authority to direct us as to what
course we ought to pursue under these circumstances, and I ac-
cordingly wrote to the committee of the Gospel Propagation


MISSIONARY LABOURS AT MOSUL.
193
Society, requesting them to lay the subject before the Bishops of
the Church at home, and to make known to me their decision.
In the meantime we continued to keep up friendly relations
with the well-disposed Chaldeans, distributed many copies of the
Sacred Scriptures and other books to those who anxiously sought
after them, and availed ourselves of every opportunity to explain
to them the doctrines and discipline of our Church, of which we
found them in general profoundly ignorant, owing chiefly to
the misrepresentations of the Latin missionaries who had gone
so far as to spread the report that the Arabic edition of our
Prayer Book was not in reality the ritual of the Anglican
Church, but a fiction got up by us to delude the eastern
Christians.
The following extract from a report which I forwarded about
this time to the Gospel Propagation Society contains the sub-
stance of the suggestions which I then made with regard to the
opening among the Chaldeans of Mosul : “I wish the question
to be determined by the proper authorities at home, whether I
am to render the Chaldeans every assistance in my power to
enable them to throw off the usurped supremacy of Rome, and
to restore their church to its original independence.* Unless we
support the Chaldeans in this way, I am afraid that we shall be
able to benefit them but very little by less decided efforts. The
Romanists will increase their missionaries and their money; they
will call in every other subordinate means to their assistance, or
make concessions for a time, until they succeed in crushing
every manifestation to the disadvantage of the Roman See.
Under such circumstances, and with such opponents, we can
hope but little from a school or two which we may establish
among them, or from the distribution of books; for it will be
in their power to a great extent to prohibit the reading of the
latter, and perhaps to prevent any attendance at the former.
But if the people know that we are ready to help them to regain
their freedom, I am persuaded that no efforts of the Romanists will
succeed in turning them away from their purpose, especially
when they learn that it is not our wish to destroy but to build up
their church,—not to assimilate it to ours, but to see it purified.
* By “independence" I mean freedom from the rule of a foreign bishop ;
not the being separate from the communion of the Catholic Church.
o


REFORM OF THE CHALDEAN CHURCH.
195
the reformed Chaldeans from any system of persecution which
the Romanists might set on foot through the influence of French
political agents. This could be effected in case of necessity by
an application to the Porte through our ambassador, that they
might be allowed to enjoy equal liberty of conscience and tole-
ration with the Romanists.
“It appears to me that the above is the only plan, (I exclude
not modifications such as the Church may see fit to make,) which
on the whole seems likely to succeed in these quarters, and I
propose it because the actual wants of the people call for its
adoption. Several influential Chaldeans have begged me to
endeavour to enlist the sympathy of the Church at home in
their behalf, and I can reckon upon two or three priests and a
bishop who would at once form the nucleus of the reformed
community. .... Such a plan as that which I have proposed
would moreover in its workings be one of the most effectual
measures that could be adopted for bringing the Nestorians in
Bubtân and Bahdinân into communion with their brethren and
the Catholic Church, and thus be the means of effecting another
benevolent end which your Society had in view. The Nesto-
rians in these two provinces were formerly included within the
patriarchate of Mar Elîa, the patriarch of the plains, and are not
subject to Mar Shimoon, the primate over the Nestorian tribes of
Central Coordistan. These Christians are now left without any
direct spiritual head, having only one bishop, who resides in
Jebel Joodi, and who was ordained by the Nestorian patriarch
about eighty years ago. Very many of the Nestorian villages in
these two districts are consequently left without resident clergy,
and are dependent for the ordinances of religion upon the minis-
trations of a single priest who travels among them from place to
place. These simple people in their ignorance and helplessness
fall an easy prey to the Romanists, who if they had possessed the
means would ere this have subjected the entire territory formerly
comprehended within the patriarchate of Mar Elîa to the Papal
See. At present the Chaldeans have two bishops in this dis-
trict, one styling himself Bishop of Jezeerah or Bahdinân,
and the other Bishop of Sert, and several priests are abroad
among the Nestorians endeavouring to proselyte them to
the Church of Rome. Now, were it the design of these mis-
02


196
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
sionaries simply to admit the Nestorians into the bosom of the
Catholic Church, and to supply them with spiritual teachers
who would lead them in the paths of primitive truth, our Church
at home might look on and bid them God speed; but when we
know that Rome will rule them with a rod of iron as she did
our forefathers,—when we know that she will corrupt the purity
of Christian doctrine and practice, and lead those who are now
astray yet further from truth and righteousness, the Church I
am persuaded will feel it her duty to prevent, as far as in her
lies, such sad and deplorable consequences. And if so, as I said
before, I do not think that she can accomplish this task more
effectually than by beginning with a reformation at Mosul on
the plan which has already been laid down. After some time,
priests might be sent from the town to the villages in the two
provinces alluded to, where they might establish schools and
lead the Nestorians back into the Church. This would be a
comparatively easy task; for it is not so much because the
Romanists receive the council of Ephesus and anathematize
Nestorius that the Nestorians are backward to join their ranks, but
because of the new and unheard-of doctrines which they are re-
quired to believe in order to become 'Catholics.' If, therefore,
they saw a reformed church agreeing with them in doctrine and
discipline, saving the heresy of Nestorius, there can be little
doubt that a speedy union with their brethren would be effected.
It is not improbable that the aged Mutran Yoosef of Jebel Joodi
might be enlisted in this work, in which case the whole of his
diocese would soon follow his example."
The above quotation will give my readers some idea of the
nature of our proceedings at Mosul up to the middle of February,
1843. The roads to the Tyari country being impassable at this
season, I had given up all intention for the present of visiting
Mar Shimoon, especially as I deemed it the more prudent course
to await the result of Mohammed Pasha's charges against the
American missionaries at Asheetha, which represented them as
Englishmen who were building a castle in the mountains, and
bribing the Nestorians to throw off their allegiance to the Sul-
tan. But on hearing that the Patriarch was at this time in
lower Tyari, and that no political disturbances were likely to
occur in central Coordistan during the winter, I determined to


DEPARTURE FOR TYARI.
197
start forthwith, and accordingly made the necessary prepara-
tions for my journey with as much secresy as possible.
Mohammed Pasha, who from the beginning had shown himself
well-disposed towards us, readily provided me with a pass-
port; and at Mr. Rassam's suggestion I procured the fol-
lowing articles to carry in my hand as a present to Mar Shimoon:
viz. two pair of red boots, one canister of snuff, 20 lbs. of soap,
20 lbs. of coffee, 20 lbs. of incense, two large scarlet cloaks,
several muslin kerchiefs, a quantity of ginger, 50 pipe-bowls,
50 flints, paper, pencils, a telescope, and other small articles.
Mrs. Badger also made up a parcel of needles, pins, cottons,
tapes, &c. for the Patriarch's favourite sister, and other female
relatives of his family.
Feb. 20th, 1843.—Having previously engaged Daood who
accompanied Messrs. Ainsworth and Rassam into Coordistan in
the summer of 1840, and whose services I found
very
useful as
guide and interpreter among the Coords, we crossed the Tigris
in a ferry with our three mules, and at 9 A.m. began our journey
from the opposite side. The snows which cover the mountains
in the more direct road to Amedia at this season of the
year
obliged us to take a more circuitous route which lengthened the
distance about twenty miles. At 1 P.M. we passed the Chaldean
village of Telkèf containing a population of 400 families, who
are engaged principally in agricultural pursuits. There are now
but two churches* in the village, one of which though small
contains no less than four confessionals, and the walls are
covered with clumsy pictures of saints dressed in the most gaudy
apparel. Two priests and two monks from Rabban Hormuzd
minister to the spiritual necessities of the people, who are
strongly attached to all the superstitions of the church of Rome.
Passing Telkèf on our left we reached Batnaia at 2 P.M. This
village also is entirely inhabited by Chaldeans, who have here a
church and two priests. Two hours beyond brought us to Tell
Iskof where we put up for the night, and where we found
Mutran Elîa, the nephew of the late patriarch Mutran Hanna,
with whom I had already become acquainted, and whose bistory
has been given in a former chapter.
* Rich mentions six other churches at Telkèf ; but the ruins of these are
scarcely visible at the present day.


198
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Feb. 21st.-Left Tell Iskof at 7 A.M. and after crossing the
remainder of the plain entered a district of low hills covered
with grass, through which a clear stream meandered in its course
towards the Tigris. At 11 A.M. we reached Bahendawayah, a
small village inhabited by Coords and Yezeedees, and situated
in a pass leading through the mountain range of Rabban
Hormuzd. During the day we met a party of fifteen Jews on
their way to Mosul, whither they were going to petition the
Pasha against the exactions of the Mutsellim of Amedia. The
poor people seemed driven to desperation, and replied in answer
to my question whether they were not afraid of the governor's
vengeance : “He can do no more than take away our lives, and
death will deliver us from the sufferings which we are now
made to endure."
Towards the evening we met Kasha Mendu, the Nestorian
priest of Amedia, who was on his way to Mosul in consequence
of an invitation which I had sent him a month previously, in
order to make arrangements with him for opening schools among
the Nestorians in the valley of the Supna. He gladly joined
our party, and I found his services very useful throughout the
journey. At half-past 5 P.M. we reached the Coordish village
of Emumké, where we put up for the night.
Feb. 22nd.—We started this morning at 7 A.M. and at 2 P.M.
came in sight of the extensive plain of the Supna, bounded on
the north by the lofty Tcah Meteenah, and on the south by the
Tcah Gara range, both now almost covered with snow. There
are many Christian villages still remaining in the Supna, but a
great number have been deserted within the last few years.
Half a century ago all these villages were inhabited by Nes-
torians, but the greater part of those which remain have within
that time joined the Chaldean community, and are at present
under the jurisdiction of Mutran Yoosef of Alkôsh, who is some-
times styled Bishop of Amedia. At 6 P.M. we reached the
Coordish village of Badi Resh, where we put up for the night.
Feb. 23rd. Started from Badi Resh at 7 A.M. and followed
the course of a pretty stream for some distance, when we left it
to its winding under Jebel Gara in its journey towards the Zab.
Ainsworth calls this stream Gara," but its real name is Ava
Supna, or the Supna water ; it rises a little to the west of


JOURNEY TO AMEDIA.
199
Daoodía, and in its course through the plain receives many
additional rivulets flowing from the Gara and Tcah Meteenah
ranges. To the east of Amedia it is joined by the Robâra,
which in winter and spring so swells the Ava Supna as to render
it impassable for days together. From Ainsworth's description
one would conclude that this river runs close under Amedia,
which is a mistake, and Dr. Grant falls into a still greater error
when he calls it the “ Khazir."
The Tcah Meteenah eastward of Amedia makes a curve to
the south, which renders the valley thereabouts much narrower
than it is to the west of that town, where its average width is
from six to eight miles. The valley itself is very uneven, but
is fertile in vineyards and valonîa oak producing the gall-nut of
commerce. The grapes of this district are very large, and when
dried make excellent raisins. Very little wheat or barley is
raised here; but rice is grown in abundance about Amedia, and
in the valleys of Berwari beyond.
We were three hours in reaching Bebâdi, situated at the foot
of Amedia. This village, which until very lately was inhabited
by Nestorians, is now in ruins, but the church is still in good
repair. The town of Amedia is built upon an isolated rock
close under the Tcah Meteenah range, from which it is divided
by a deep ravine. The ascent from all sides is steep and
rugged, and it took us more than half an hour to reach the
summit. A perpendicular scarp, varying from thirty to forty feet
high, rises above the sloping sides of the hill, and forms a
natural rampart round the whole circumference of the platform
upon which the town is built. The town itself, which occupies
the northern extremity of the area, is little better than a heap
of ruins, and the rest is chiefly occupied by graves (no “sacred
groves," as Ainsworth writes), and a square castle built by the
Coordish Pasha of Rawandooz, when he took possession of the
place in 1832. This fortress is now garrisoned by 300 irregular
troops.
On reaching the town, we were conducted by Kasha Mendu
to his house, almost the only respectable private dwelling in the
place, where we were welcomed by three of his brothers, one of
whom had lately seceded to Rome, because Mutran Yoosef, the
Chaldean Bishop, had given him permission to take a wife


200
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
within the degrees prohibited by the Nestorian canons. From
several reports which had reached me, I had been led to imagine
that the Nestorians in this district were far more numerous
than they really are. The cause of this decrease is to be
referred, not only to the secession of many of their numbers to
Romanism, but also to the severe oppression to which all classes
of the people have been and are still subjected from their tyran-
nical rulers. Kasha Mendu informed me, that six years ago
there were no less than fourteen flourishing villages of Nes-
torians in the valley of the Supna, the greater portion of which
are now desolate, without an inhabitant. The whole Nestorian
population of this district does not now exceed 100 families,
besides a few villages which still remain steadfast to their
ancient faith to the west of Daoodia, in the Mezuriyeh, and in
the country bordering upon the Great Zab river. But what
else can be expected, left as these poor people are without
episcopal superintendence ? Mar Shimoon has had too many
troubles to contend with in Coordistan to attend to that dis-
trict, which has always been considered within the jurisdiction
of Mar Elia, the Nestorian Patriarch of the plains. Amedia
was left without a Bishop for years before it was filled by
Mutran Elîa, as has been recorded in a former chapter; and
since his return to the Chaldean Church, no successor has been
appointed to fill his place. In consequence of this neglect, all
the Nestorians of the Supna, and of the entire district south
of the Tcah Meteenah, are left without a head, and Mar
Yeshua-yau, of Doori, who used occasionally to ordain priests
for these parts, is getting too infirm, and the Papal party too
strong for him to attempt to do any thing towards benefiting
the Nestorians beyond the limits of his own diocese in the
Berwari.
During the day I visited the little oratory of the Nestorians
not far from Kasha Mendu's dwelling. It is a small room in
a private house, the Christians never having as yet been per-
mitted to build a church within the town of Amedia. The
room was dark and dirty, and every thing which it contained
bespoke the poverty and wretchedness of the few remaining
Nestorians of the place. One third of the apartment was par-
titioned off by a ragged curtain, and formed the bema; a


KASHA MENDU.
201
a year
a
:
square unhewn stone in the centre of the remaining space
served as a reading desk, on which was placed a large and
beautifully written lectionary, while several other church books
were piled one upon another on the damp floor. I next visited
the small Armenian chapel close by : it was certainly superior
to that of the Nestorians, but still very miserable. There are
now only two Armenian families at Amedia, and until lately a
priest was stationed here by the Bishop of Van to attend to
their spiritual wants; but he has since been recalled. The
Nestorians in the town number twenty-two families, and the
Chaldeans ten souls. Once Mutran Yoosef
pays
them
visit, when he celebrates mass in the house of Kasha Mendu's
brother, one of his proselytes. The priest showed me the cope
and other ecclesiastical robes, which the bishop uses on these
occasions : they were made of no better material than bright
cotton print bordered with tinsel ; yet the simple people here
regard them as very fine, and argue therefrom the opulence
and dignity of the wearer. They were indeed sumptuous when
compared with the ragged vestments of poor Kasha Mendu,
who was loath to offer them to my inspection. He then showed
me the brass chalice and paten used at the celebration of the
Holy Communion, and the two candlesticks of the same metal,
which are placed upon the altar during that service. The sight
of these sacred utensils filled me with mingled emotions : their
very existence and continued use was a triumph of the cross
over the persecutions which its followers here have endured for
ages from the infidel Moslems, while their meanness and base-
ness bespoke too plainly the abject condition of these unfor-
tunate Christians.
Kasha Mendu then showed me a collection of MSS. which
he had saved from the wreck of the Nestorian villages in the
valley of the Supna. They amounted in all to about 150
volumes, some of which were very old, and many well written.
I succeeded in purchasing nine of these for the Christian
Knowledge Society, and was anxious to obtain from him a
complete set of the entire Nestorian ritual; but the priest
pointed out to me the curse invoked at the end of the re-
maining books upon all who should buy or sell them for gain,
or who were in any way instrumental in alienating them from


202
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
the churches to which they belonged. Among the MSS. which
I secured, was a small folio lectionary, written about 600 years
ago, in a large and beautiful hand. I notice this volume par-
ticularly, for the following reason : Mr. Layard tells us that
Kasha Mendu had seen the word “ Ecbatana,” or “Ekbadan,"
recorded as the ancient name of Amedia in a MS. which was
once in his possession. When I revisited that town in 1850, I
begged the priest to show me the MS. to which he had re-
ferred in his conversation with Mr. Layard; that is, in order
not to put a leading question, I requested him to show me the
book in which he had read the ancient name of Amedia. He
replied at once : "I sold the book to you seven years ago ;"
and on further inquiry, I discovered that he meant the Lec-
tionary. Turning to the notes of my first visit, I found that
I had extracted from a record at the end of this volume the
following: “This book was written at Kalaat Bibáka, which
is Amedia.” Kasha Mendu instantly recognized the name,
and notwithstanding many after inquiries, he persisted in de-
claring that he neither knew nor had ever heard the word
“Ekbadan.” I conclude, therefore, that the author of " Nineveh
and its Remains ” must have misunderstood the priest. The
Lectionary I presume to be at present in the library of the
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
In the evening, nearly all the Nestorians of the town came
to visit me at the house of Kasha Mendu, and with them a
number of Jews. The greatest cordiality appeared to exist
between these two people, brought about by the frequent and
long-continued oppression which they have shared in common.
They related to me many heart-rending tales of their past
sufferings, and told me what they still had to endure at the
hands of their despotic rulers. Such has been the withering
influence of Mohammedan despotism in this once flourishing
district, that Amedia, which a few years ago contained as many
as 2,000 families, does not at present contain more than 300 in
all. Many of the remaining Christians and Jews would gladly
leave it and seek refuge in the Tyari; but an order has been
issued by the Pasha, forbidding any person to leave the town to
seek a residence elsewhere. Here, then, these poor creatures
are obliged to remain ground down to the dust by oppression,


SYNAGOGUE AT AMEDIA.
203
with scarcely any means of obtaining a livelihood; their dwell-
ings more fit to harbour wild animals than human beings, and
without any other prospect of deliverance nearer than the
grave.
Feast of S. Matthias.—The weather being unsettled this
morning we decided to defer our departure till the morrow, by
which arrangement I had some further opportunities of ex-
amining what was worthy of notice in the town and of acquiring
additional information respecting the surrounding districts.
During the day I visited the chief synagogue of the Jews,
situated in a quarter of the town allotted to this people. It is
a large apartment enclosed within a spacious court, round which
on the inside runs a wide portico. Every thing in the interior
of the building looked wretched beyond description : the walls
were broken through in several places, and the floor was covered
with filth and rubbish. This also is the work of the infidels :
the
poor
Jews have ceased to meet together for public worship
on account of the insults to which they are subjected, and be-
cause their synagogue has been so frequently rifled and dese-
crated by the Mohammedans. There were about twenty rolls
of the law in wooden cases put up in different parts of the room,
some well written, and all of white sheep skin, and of a modern
date. I inquired whether they did not possess any ancient
MSS., but was answered in the negative. Ten years ago there
were as many as 500 Jewish families in this town, now there are
not more than fifty.
Sindôr, a large village to the left of the road on our way to
Amedia, is entirely inhabited by Jews; from one source I learned
that they numbered there no less than 300 families, while
an other informant assured me that it did not now contain more
than fifty houses. At Badi, also, there are a few Jews, and in
several villages in this district an Israelitish family or two may
be found living among the Coords. They all speak the same
language as the Nestorians and Chaldeans of these parts, viz.,
the Fellehi, or vulgar Syriac, nor could I perceive or learn that
there was any difference in the dialect of the two people. The
Jews hereabouts are very poor and ignorant; only a few among
them can read Talmudic, and fewer still know any thing of the
biblical Hebrew. On inquiring whether they had any tradition


204
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
as to what tribe they belonged to, they replied in the negative;
several of the Jews at Mosul profess to be descendants of the
tribe of Levi. There is another smaller
synagogue
and a “bouse
of prayer” belonging to the Jews at Amedia besides that already
described, but these I did not visit.
We next went to inspect what Ainsworth describes as the
remains of a “Persian temple,” situated about the centre of the
area upon which the town is built. To my great disappointment
I could discover no vestiges there of “ sepulchral caves or trun-
cated obelisks,” but a mere oblong ditch or trench, measuring
eighty feet by forty-six, cut out of the solid rock, in which ten
rough and misshapen masses of the parent stone were left as if
to serve for the basements of as many pillars. This ditch, which
is from six to eight feet high, lies in a deep hollow, and I have
no doubt was intended for a cistern, of which there are many
more of much smaller dimensions about the town. The follow-
ing exact plan of the excavation will show at once that it never
could have been designed for a temple; its low position, as well
as the irregularity of its internal construction, are both at
variance with any such notion.
WWWS
From the cistern we walked through the remains of an old
bazaar and a heap of ruined houses, now the receptacle of noisome
filth and ordure, to the eastern gate called Bâb-ooz-Zeibâr, from
its being the entrance into the fortress from the district of that
Here we saw a number of natives engaged in repairing
name.


TYRANNY OF THE GOVERNMENT.
205
never
the walls which had been thrown down by the guns of Moham-
med Pasha's army during the late siege. Scarcely a day passes
but twenty or thirty Christians, Jews, and Moslems, are seized
by order of the governor and forced to work on the fortifications
and other buildings, for which they never receive the least re-
muneration. One poor Jew; who was preparing flax for the
loom not far from the house in which I lodged, was driven by a
soldier to do service at the serai without being allowed time to
secure his property.
A Nestorian entered the town with our
party, carrying a heavy load on his back. On making inquiry
I learned that he had been sent to Azekh, beyond Jezeerah, a
distance of four days' journey, to purchase tobacco for the
Mutsellim. This individual visited me at Kasha Mendu's house
in the evening, and on my asking him what sum he had received
for his trouble, he replied: “Thanks be to God that I executed
my errand so as to please the governor; as to payment,
I
expected it.” Here was a poor man obliged to travel for eight
days, maintain himself and his family during that time, and
wear out his clothes, without receiving the least compensation.
While at Amedia I sent a Christian into the valley below the
town to gather wild plants. While thus engaged a soldier
accosted him, who had just felled the trunk of a large tree.
Pointing to the log he said: “Come, friend, you must carry this
up to the governor.” “I cannot,” replied the Christian, “I am
on business.” “If you don't, you krave, I will break your
head,” retorted the other. This threat he would most probably
have put into execution, but on hearing that the Christian was
engaged for a Baliôs (the name generally given to all Frank tra-
vellers in these parts), he left his prey to go in search of some
other unfortunate Jew or Christian.
These are a few specimens of the system of tyranny and
oppression which is carried on in the distant provinces of the
Turkish empire, and which is fast bringing it to ruin. But this
is not all; the people here and in the villages around have de-
mands made upon them for money as often as the cupidity of
the Mutsellim or Pasha (for it is difficult to know certainly from
which of these the orders emanate) dictates, and if the sums are
not forthcoming, stripes and confiscation of their property are
sure to follow. So again with regard to the produce of the soil :


206
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
an official is sent by the Pasha or Mutsellim to settle the tithe
which he judges the land cultivated by each individual will yield.
This he never fails to exaggerate, and fixes the excise accord-
ingly. In the next place he tells the peasants that the pasha
wants money instead of produce, which he then proceeds to value
sometimes at thrice the value which the poor people can obtain
for it in the market. Thus for a mann of raisins, which sells for
one piastre and a half, he exacts five piastres; for a mann of
tobacco, which is sold for ten, he exacts twenty-two and a half
piastres ; and so with rice, cotton, sesame, and other productions
of the soil.
The following is another bright specimen of Turkish injustice.
Mohammed Pasha sometimes receives presents from the Arab
tribes, and more frequently plunders them, of large flocks of
sheep and other cattle; if not in want of the sheep he sends
them out under a military escort to the districts around Mosul,
and fixes the number which each village must buy at his own
valuation. It frequently happens that several die on the road,
and more are slaughtered by the guards for their own private
use while on the road; of these they are careful to preserve the
ears, which they string together on a cord and carry with them.
On arriving at a village they make over to the kiahya, say,
eighteen sheep, and demand
payment
for twenty. If any
demur
is made by the unfortunate peasants, two pairs of ears are pro-
duced by the soldiers as an equivalent for the deficiency. The
kiahya is held responsible for the amount, and proceeds to deal
out the sheep to the villagers, who dare not refuse to purchase
them.
What government can stand under such a system as this?
The case with many of the larger towns in the interior of
Asiatic Turkey is wretched enough, but it is in the distant pro-
vinces and villages, far removed from the eye of European influ-
ence and criticism (which nevertheless are the chief support of
the empire), that such tyranny and oppression are in full
vigour.
Part of this day was taken up with the necessary preparations
for our departure. The presents which I had brought for the
patriarch and what little baggage I had with me were packed up
in four separate bundles, weighing about forty pounds each, so


DEPARTURE FROM AMEDIA.
207
as to render them more convenient for the Nestorian porters,
who were to bear them after me through the snow into the
Tyari country, as the roads were still impassable for beasts of
burden. Each of the party provided himself with a pair of
woollen sandals, called zergool by the Nestorians, and a hooked
stick, which I afterwards found of great service in crossing the
snows, and in ascending and descending the rugged precipices
of the remarkable country upon which we were about to enter.


208
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER XIV.
Departure from Amedia.—The Mezurka Pass and Fool's Stone.—Nestorians
in the Berwari.-Pass the frontier of the Tyari.—Dangerous descent to
Asheetha. Produce and trade of the Tyari country.—Costume of the
mountain Nestorians.—Mechanics. - Houses.— Physiognomy.—Names.-
Language.--Ignorance and decay of learning among the Nestorians.-
Their moral character.- What the Nestorians call themselves.
Thus equipped, on the morning of Feb. 25th we issued forth
from the eastern gate of Amedia, and descended into the
valley on the north of the fortress called Robâra, or the
Meadow, covered with orchards, and dotted over with small
country houses now in ruins. From this pretty vale we
wound round the base of the Tcah Meteenah by a tortuous
and narrow foot-path until we got fully into the Geli Me-
zurka, so called from a Coordish village of that name situated
higher up in the pass. A copious mountain torrent, supplied
by the melting snows above, toppled through the deep gorge,
forming in its rapid course many a miniature waterfall, by the sides
of which grew festoons of wild flowers in rich abundance. The
remains of a pavement are still visible throughout the
pass, but
even with this assistance we found the ascent difficult and toil-
In somewhat less than two hours we reached the Seri
Keri, a large sugar-loaf mountain in the opening of the Geli, and
a little to the right a gigantic cliff called Latikâtha d'Khalâva,
forming an immense wall round a level space which in by-gone
days served as a summer retreat for the people of Amedia.
These elevated spots are called “Zozân” by the Nestorians and
Coords, and “Yaila” by the Turks. The Syriac word Zoma is
not equivalent to Zozân, as Dr. Grant would have it ; but
means a temporary hut or tent put up in the Zozâns. The
some.


THE FOOL's STONE.
209
proper Syriac word for these summer retreats, which are com-
mon throughout central Coordistan, is Kuprâna.
A little beyond, and rising beside the narrow road which
leads over the summits of the mountains, is an isolated rock
which Ainsworth calls “ Peri Balgah-si (the Honey place of the
Fairies,)” whereupon he adds : “a belief in such things ex-
tending even to Coordistan.” The real name, however, is Beri
Balal Deena, or The Stone of Balal the Fool, connected with
which is a common tradition not unworthy of being recorded.
It is related of Emeer Mehdi the Coordish ruler of Hakkari
some centuries ago, that in one of his warlike expeditions he
laid siege to Amedia, and took possession of many villages in
the surrounding district; the fortress, however, bravely resisted
all his efforts to reduce it. Having taken an oath that he
would not return home before he had become master of the
place, he is said to have encamped seven years in the valley of
the Supna, and to have planted vineyards and eaten the fruit of
the same during the campaign. Finding that at the end of this
time he was no nearer the accomplishment of his purpose, he made
a solemn promise to the governor of Amedia that if he would
only allow bim and his suite to pass through the town he would
instantly raise the siege, restore to him what he had conquered,
and leave the country in peace. The condition having been
accepted, Emeer Mehdi is said to have entered Amedia by the
western gate, and in his progress through the bazaar one of his
attendants seized upon an article of some value, which so en-
raged him that he ordered the offender to be killed on the spot.
He then passed through the eastern gate, and after ascending
Geli Mezurka, stopped at this isolated rock to refresh himself.
Before proceeding on his journey he took off his cloak and fas-
tened it to the rock, saying in Coordish :
Beri Balal Deena!
Kooblé ta hersé deena,
Tehoobé Shamboé oo Bahdeena.
Which translated literally runs thus :
O Stone of Balal the Fool!
The Kooblah of the three creeds,
Thou art the limit of Shamboé and Bahdinân.
P


210
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
In these lines the disappointed Emeer ridicules his fruitless
efforts during a seven years' campaign by calling himself a
“ fool,” under the name of Balal, a famous jester among the
Coords, and then magnifies his own power by claiming to be
the Kooblah of the three principal religions, i.e. Christian,
Jewish, and Mohammedan. The Kooblah, or South, is the
quarter to which the Moslems turn when praying, and is
apparently used here to signify the centre or head. Shamboé is
the Coordish name for Hakkari ; and tradition relates that for
a long time this stone actually formed the boundary between
that country and the province of Bahdinân.
Three years after Emeer Mehdi had returned to the seat of
his government, a wandering minstrel was sent from Amedia
to obtain from him the removal of the cloak. He so far suc.
ceeded in pleasing the Emeer by his musical powers, that the
latter promised to grant him any favour that he might ask.
The minstrel begged for the cloak, and he was told to go and
take possession of it.
Emeer Mehdi appears to have been a renowned chieftain in
his day, if we may believe all the stories which are told of him
by the natives. The large castle near the Jewish village of Beit-
Tannoori, not far from Doori, the ruins of which are still extant,
is said to have been destroyed by him when he laid siege to
Amedia.
Hitherto we had met with little snow in the direct road, but
now the face of the country was entirely covered with it. The
five Coordish soldiers who had been sent with us for our pro-
tection made the poor Nestorians walk on before in order that
by their superior weight, laden as they were with their packs,
they might render the way less difficult for those in the rear.
In some places the snow was more than twelve feet deep, and
notwithstanding every precaution several of our party were re-
peatedly buried up to the waist. After stumbling on in this
fashion for about an hour we had a fine view of the Berwari dis-
trict before us, and of the Tyari in the distance. To our left
stretched a pretty valley as far as the eye could reach, through
which ran one of the tributaries of the Khaboor, and to our right
flowed several streams which after joining the Bedu rivulet flow
into the Great Zab about ten miles farther south. From the


BERWARI.
211
eminence on which we stood we could also see Kalaat Koomri,
the residence of the Emeer of Berwari, while directly at our feet
was the small Nestorian village of Hayyis.
Berwari is inhabited by Coords and Nestorians, the latter
occupy fifteen villages containing about 200 families, with ten
churches and as many priests, under the episcopal jurisdiction of
Mar Yeshua-yau (whom Ainsworth incorrectly calls “ Ishiyah.”)
The Romanists have not as yet penetrated thus far, nevertheless
the Nestorian population in this district, like that of the Supna,
is fast decreasing, owing to the tyranny of the Coords and the
cruelties practised upon them by Abd-ool-Samid Beg the Emeer.
Some additional remarks on the state of the Christians in Ber-
wari will be found in the narrative of my second visit to these
parts made in the spring of 1850.
After crossing the Gabet Nerk, which bounds the valley
beyond Hayyis, we descended into a pretty meadow called Suaret
Shukoorli, to the north of which rose another high hill which
we traversed before reaching the two small Nestorian villages
called Mâya and Derishk. Mâya lay in our way, and gladly
would we have put up there for the night, but our guards bade
us trudge onwards. Yielding to their prejudices we continued
our journey by the side of a stream lined with poplars, and in
one hour reached the large Coordish village of Bedu, situated at
the extremity of a high and craggy range of hills and com-
manded by several forts. Bedu is the nearest village to the
Tyari, and forms the limit of Mohammed Pasha's jurisdiction in
this direction. It was some time before we could be accommo-
dated with lodgings; but in the course of an hour a barn was
cleared out for us, when one and all of the party gathered round
a smoky fire to warm ourselves and dry our clothes which were
wet through with the snow that had fallen during the day. In
the course of the evening, and after they had been refreshed
with a hearty supper, the guards began to sing for my amuse-
ment and their own. The subject was one of pastoral love and
romantic chivalry, and the tones of the performers though wild
were extremely sweet and pathetic. The song was kept up by
two only, but the whole company joined in the chorus. Ever
and anon my thoughts would wander to the Christians who
dwelt among the fastnesses of the everlasting hills before me
P 2


212
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
which seemed to bid defiance to the infidel invader; and in
thinking of the message of peace and love which I was commis-
sioned to carry to these long-neglected followers of CHRIST, I
forgot, in hopeful musing upon the future, the toil of ten hours'
walk through fields of snow and over rugged and precipitous
mountains. Before the jovial guards had ceased their melody I
was locked in a sound sleep from which I did not wake till the
grey morn warned us that it was time to pursue our onward
journey.
Feb. 26th.—We left Bedu at 7 A.M. with the wind blowing
very cold, and the heavens threatening a storm. Our course
lay first through a valley, on which the snow lay several feet
deep, and in two hours reached the foot of an almost perpen-
dicular ascent called Pyâri, covered with snow from its base to
the suminit. Here our toil began : after every few steps we
were obliged to rest, taking the greatest care lest by some mis-
hap we should lose our balance and thus be precipitated into
the ravine below. When we reached the top, which it took us
upwards of an hour to accomplish, we found ourselves as it
were in a sea of snow : not a speck of earth nor the branch of a
tree was to be seen, with the exception of a pile of stones raised
upon an elevated spot to mark the direction of the road. Moun-
tains upon mountains rose before and around us, and I could
scarcely realize the fact that I was travelling to a habitable part
of the world.—Such are the ramparts which have for ages
secured the Nestorians of Tyari from the Moslem bondage and
Roman domination, to which their brethren of the plains have so
long been subjected; but which, alas ! have now been crossed
by the armies of the infidels who will rule them with a rod of
iron.
After travelling for an hour and a half over this elevated table-
land we reached the edge of the descent which leads directly to
Asheetha. An immense peak, the base of which stretched down
into the valley in which the village is situated to the depth of
several thousand feet, and towered above our heads almost to an
equal height, seemed to mock every attempt to traverse its
snow-clad sides. It made one giddy barely to look down the
precipice before us; but how we were to descend this awful
cliff was still a problem which I could not solve. A narrow way


DESCENT OF THE RAS KADOMA.
213
formed in the deep coating of snow which covered the moun-
tain, and so hardened by use that it seemed like a bed of ice,
wound through the space between the bottom of the valley and
the spot to which we had attained. Here the porters took off
their burdens, tied them with a strong rope, and spread a felt
upon the slippery road. Sitting down upon this with the rope
held tightly in both hands, their knees bent, and their feet
pressing upon the loads, it needed no impulse to set them
a-going. No sooner had each seated himself than he slid down
at a fearful rate, acquiring additional speed the farther he
descended, and seeming ever and anon, as he was hurried down
the zig-zag course, as if he would shoot out of the beaten track
and be hurled into the deep ravines which bounded it on either
side. The safe landing of my companions at the bottom of the
valley hardly gave me confidence, and it was not without some
secret misgivings that I sat me down to follow their example.
Through some neglect I was not provided with a felt, and being
unencumbered with baggage, my first essay had nearly proved
fatal. Hardly had I seated myself than I slid off the pathway,
and should inevitably have been buried in the ravine, had not
one of the Coordish guards, who, at the time, was lying down
in the snow, caught my foot and broken my fall. The second
trial was more fortunate, but my readers may rest assured that
I felt no little pleasure when I found myself walking on my feet
not far from the village, although my hands were quite numb
with the fruitless attempts which I had made to arrest my pro-
gress by grasping the loose snow. Such was our descent of the
Râs Kadôma, and I sincerely advise any
of
my countrymen who
may wish to visit the Tyari to choose a different season for the
excursion.
On looking around I perceived that the valley threw off
several lateral branches, on the sides of which the little town of
Asheetha is built. The snow had been partially cleared off the
ground, and flocks of sheep and a number of small black oxen
were feeding upon thorns and dried shrubs which at this
season are brought from the Berwari. Passing a stream over a
rude bridge of planks we directed our steps to the Kalleita, or
public room, where we were received and welcomed by Sham-
mâsha (Deacon) Ishâk, Mar Shimoon's youngest brother, Kash'


214
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Aurâha the archdeacon, and a number of other Nestorians, who
were seated round a comfortable fire holding a village conference.
A carpet and quilt were spread for me in a corner of the room,
and in the novel and interesting scene before me I soon forgot
the danger of our morning's slide.
As our party were too much fatigued to think of starting on
the morrow, it was decided that a messenger should be sent to
invite the Patriarch to hasten his visit to Asheetha. This deter-
mination was come to in the evening by the villagers, and next
day a priest set off for Chamba, eight hours farther north,
where Mar Shimoon had taken
up
his temporary residence. In
the meanwhile, and during the succeeding three days of our
stay, I had a good opportunity of becoming acquainted with the
social and political condition of the Nestorians of Tyari, the sum
of which I shall now endeavour to lay before my readers, toge-
ther with such experience of their character and customs as I
acquired from the unfortunate refugees and captives who some
months later found a home with me at Mosul.
The village of Asheetha takes its name, according to Dr.
Grant, from the Syriac word Asheetha, an avalanche; but this
is the more vulgar derivation. Kash' Aurâba informed me that
in their books it is always written Shathista, a foundation, it
being considered the first and largest village of Tyari, and the
key of the province. Asheetha itself is divided into five quar-
ters, called severally: Tcemmané, Teemmané Tahteitha, Matha
d’Umra-Khateebet, Isroor, and Merweeta, and contains a popu-
lation of about 2500 souls. The people are in general robust
and well-made, and till the ungenerous soil of their native hills
with unwearying industry. The chief produce of the district is
Prághi, called by the Coords Gárez, Talik, and Khruria or
Dhoorra, three kinds of millet or pannick, which, when ground,
make the bread-flour in general use throughout this part of
Coordistan. Very little wheat is raised throughout the Tyari
or the Hakkari provinces; but rice is much more abundant.
Scarcely any vegetables are grown at Asheetha; but cucumbers,
melons, and beans, are common about Leezan and Minyânish.
The walnut, pomegranate, and apricot, grow almost sponta-
neously in the valleys, and the mountain sides are covered with
vineyards producing the most luscious grapes, from which the


216
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
and is almost confined to the fabrication of agricultural imple-
ments, which each peasant generally manufactures for himself.
Of iron they have abundance in several parts of Tyari; this
they smelt and beat out into rude plough-shares and such other
tools as they require for tillage. The people of Asheetha, how-
ever, are famed for tempering steel, and the best packing
needles used by the Coordish muleteers, are made in this village.
There are several mines of lead at Doori, in the Berwari, and at
Serspeedho, in lower Tyari, as also sulphur mines in other parts
of the mountains, from which the Nestorians prepare their own
bullets and gunpowder. Silversmiths they have none, and in
fine, scarcely any other trades than those already mentioned are
known among them. For the most part, each man is his own
farmer's joiner and blacksmith, and his wife, besides attending
to the domestic concerns of the family, acts as his help-mate in
these several avocations.

NESTORIAN HOUSE IN THE TYARI.


JEWISH PHYSIOGNOMY.
217
The style of building at Asheetha and throughout the Tyari
country is very simple, each dwelling generally consisting of a
long room serving the inmates for all the purposes for which we
require several distinct apartments, and a part of this is in many
cases partitioned off as a pen or fold for the sheep, and other
cattle. Some few houses have a second story, the lower one
being partly under ground, which serves as a warm retreat
during the severity of winter. The roofs are all flat, which
obliges the residents after a heavy fall of snow to lose no time
in removing it. On account of the gnats and mosquitoes which
nightly swarm in these regions during the summer, the villagers
for the most part retire from their houses and sleep on scaffolds
called arzálé, consisting of a platform supported by four upright
poles, and raised from sixteen to twenty feet above the ground.
The climate of Tyari is salubrious, although the cold of winter
and the heat of summer, especially in the valleys, are excessive.
Intermittent fevers are common in these districts, but the
people in general attain a good old age.
Dr. Grant has very strongly insisted on the Jewish phy-
siognomy of the Nestorians of central Coordistan. From this
opinion I must beg to differ : at Amedia I had frequent oppor-
tunities of seeing the two people face to face, and the difference
in their features and general complexion appeared to me as
great as exists between the descendants of Israel and any of
the European races.
The beads of the Nestorians are round,
in which respect they resemble the Saxon family, whereas the
Jews, even in these districts, preserve the high crown and the
receding forepart, which distinguish them in every part of the
globe. Then, again, light hair and hazel eyes are colours more
common than
any other among the Nestorians, whilst such are
comparatively rare among the Jews, who have black hair and
dark
eyes
wherever I have met with them. A striking difference,
moreover, exists in the complexion of the two races, that of the
mountain Nestorians being usually a ruddy brown, and that of
the Jews, a pale brunette on a smoother skin.
The same author adduces it as a corroborative evidence of
the Jewish origin of the Nestorians, that Old Testament names
are of constant occurrence among them. I requested Kash'
Aurâha, while I was at Asheetha, to write me down promiscu-


218
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
ously all the Nestorian names that he could remember. In a
list of eighty which he drew up, I find only ten Old and twelve
New Testament names applied to males, the rest being of a
later date, and many common to the Coords as well as to the
Nestorians of this region ; and among an equal number of
female names, there are not more than eight taken from Holy
Scripture. Now this ratio of biblical appellatives is to be
met with among all the Mohammedans and Christians of Turkey,
and I have no doubt is exceeded in some of the northern parts
of the United States. The Doctor's own Christian name was
Asahel, that of Dr. Smith and the Rev. Mr. Hinsdale, two
other American missionaries at Mosul, Azariah and Abel, and
that of Mr. Hinsdale's son Abel Abdallah.
The language spoken by the Nestorians of the mountains is
a corrupt Syriac, and varies considerably in different provinces.
This dialect, which is generally called Fellehi in the plains and
Soorith (Syriac) in Coordistan, is mixed up with many Arabic
words in the villages around Mosul, with Coordish in the Tyari
and Hakkari, and with Persian in and about Ooroomiah.
The two former understand each other better than they do those
of the latter district, and several of the clergy complained to me,
when I visited the country in 1850, that the vulgar dialect of
the New Testament lately published by the American mission-
aries at Ooroomia was more difficult for them to comprehend
than the classical Syriac which is printed with it in a parallel
column. The ancient Syriac is not understood by the lay moun-
taineers, and very few of the ecclesiastics, I regret to say, know
more than simply how to read it. It is in this language, how-
ever, that all their rituals are written, from which it necessarily
results, that the intellect at least can be but little profited by an
attendance upon the services of the church. I have met with a
religious treatise or two in the vulgar dialect, but these are held
in no esteem, and are scarcely ever used. Epistolary commu-
nication is kept up by a few of the clergy who frequently mix
up much that is vulgar with the classical Syriac. The same
observations apply to the Chaldeans of Mosul, who only speak
the Arabic, yet their services, with the exception of the Epistle
and Gospel, which are now read in that language, are carried on
in the ancient Syriac. The Chaldeans in the villages around


IGNORANCE OF THE MOUNTAIN NESTORIANS.
219
Mosul are in a like case with the mountain Nestorians, speak-
ing the same dialect, or nearly so, and understanding scarcely
anything of what is read in their churches.
The Nestorians of central Coordistan are, generally speaking,
very simple and ignorant. Deploring this state of things among
them, Kash' Aurâha said to me one day : What can you ex-
pect ? The poor people have scarcely ever seen anything but
the heavens above, and the earth beneath them.” The only
books which they possess, are the church rituals, and I have not
heard of a single author at present existing among them. To
be able to read the service books, and write a tolerable band is
considered the very acme of education, and this is all that is
required in candidates for holy orders. While at Asheetha I
had an opportunity of seeing the Archdeacon give this kind of
instruction to several youths, who were destined to become
deacons. Five sat down round a psalter, placed upon a low
stool, in such a way, that to two at least the book was upside
down. The best reader led the way, and the rest followed bis
voice and finger as he pointed to the place where he was read-
ing. The Archdeacon would occasionally stop and explain the
meaning of a difficult passage or word which he supposed they
could not understand; but this scarcely interrupted him in his
copying or transcribing, in which occupation he spends most
of his time. The same course is pursued in other villages, in
none of which, however, is there so capable an instructor as
Kash' Aurâha, and as schools are unknown among them, the
reader may easily imagine how gross must be the ignorance of
these neglected mountaineers.
I cannot better describe the moral condition of the Nesto-
rians in central Coordistan, than by quoting the language of
Mr. Ainsworth, whose remarks on this subject, prove that he
had made a just estimate of their character : “It has been ad-
vanced by the most eminent traveller of the present age (De
Humboldt), that certain climates, more especially Alpine districts,
where but a brief interval of sunshine alternates with storms,
and where the ruggedness of nature begets sternness and
moroseness in mankind, are most favourable to the propagation
of a religion of asceticism and monastic seclusion. But here, in
the heart of Coordistan, where snow-clad rocks perpetually frown


CHARACTER OF THE MOUNTAIN NESTORIANS.
221
diable defect, namely, that with the forms and practice of wor-
ship they are not taught to understand the Gospel.
“In a country where none can read but the priests, it is most
essential that attention should be given to the instruction of the
people in the humanizing precepts so characteristic of and pecu-
liar to Christianity. It is not the fault of the laity, for they are
regular attendants at church, but of the priests solely; who
partly chant and partly mumble through a liturgy of great
beauty and excellence, and through the ennobling lessons of the
New Testament, in so unintelligible a manner that no practical
advantage can be derived therefrom. And it is to be remarked
here that the old Syriac, in which the rituals and Testament are
written, differs also much from the Syriac dialect at present
used by the mountaineers. Certain prayers are familiar to all,
but they have little moral effect. Many persons piously dis-
posed retire to a corner of the church to pray in privacy, and I
have often observed that such persons adhere also to the old
oriental practice of frequent prostrations, a form not observed
by the clergy ; [the priests are directed to stand between the
porch and the altar in the Nestorian rituals, as the ministers
often do in our own church while the people kneel: within the
sanctuary they often prostrate themselves :) but there is no
plain distinct enunciation of the precepts and practice of our
SAVIOUR or of His Apostles. There is no sermon or lecture to
expound difficulties of doctrine, to awaken reflection, or to sus-
tain faith by convincing the intellect: thus the main body of
Nestorians are only nominal Christians, and must remain so till
assistance is sent to them from more favoured nations. Left to
themselves and without education the people have deteriorated,
and with the carelessness and ignorance of the laity have come
laxity and superficiality among the clergy.
“It would be a great injustice, however, to these moun-
taineers, were I not to acknowledge that they are superior in
intelligence and in moral worth to the inhabitants (Christians
and Mohammedans) of the same classes in Anatolia, in Syria,
and Mesopotamia. There are some forms of society, and many
decencies of life belonging to improved civilization, that are
omitted by the mountaineers; but there is no doubt that they
are, as a race, more quick and impressible, more open, candid,
:


222
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
sincere, and courageous, than the inhabitants of the afore-men-
tioned countries. Their bearing is erect, but without the swag-
ger of the Turk; their eye firm, but without ferocity; their
forehead ample and high, unclouded by suspicion and evil
feelings.
“But this slight superiority over neighbouring nations gives
them no claim to be looked upon as a people enjoying all the
real benefits of the Church to which they belong; their general
demeanour and tone, their implacability towards their enemies,
and many points in the daily conduct of life, are not only not
consonant with, but are severely reprobated by the religion
which they profess to follow. The origin of the demoralization
and of the religious and intellectual prostration of this remark-
able people, was beyond the control of man, and was primarily
connected with those many revolutions with which it has pleased
the Almighty to visit eastern nations; but the present exist-
ence and continuance of this state of things is evidently to be
attributed to the want of communication with other nations,
and to the neglect of education among the clergy as well as the
people ; and it is sincerely to be hoped that the same day that
these facts shall be clearly felt and fully appreciated, will see
commence the future regeneration and humanization of one of
the most interesting and most remarkable, yet little known peo-
ple, that are to be met with on the earth's surface.” *
To the above it may be added that the Nestorians are frugal
and even parsimonious in their habits, and generally honest in
their dealings with one another. Robberies are almost un-
known in the mountains, and domestic and drunken broils are
far less frequent among them than in our own country. Would
that I could bear so favourable a testimony to them in other
respects, but the truth forbids it. The Nestorians, though sim-
ple, are cunning, over-reaching, and covetous, and will tell false-
hood after falsehood with such barefacedness that I doubt
whether they consider lying a sin. Conjugal unfaithfulness and
kindred crimes were scarcely heard of among them when I first
visited the Tyari ; but after the massacre of 1843, since which
time many hundreds of Nestorians, male and female, have been
* Ainsworth's “Travels and Researches in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia,” &c.
vol. ii. 281–285.


NAME OF THE NESTORIANS.
223
brought into contact with the people of Mosul, a great change
for the worse has taken place in this respect. The Turks, and
I regret to say several Europeans whose character and office
demanded far different conduct from them towards these unfor-
tunate Christians, have been the principal agents in bringing
about this deterioration of chastity. May God, in His mercy,
avert the sad consequences of such wicked examples.
I shall conclude this chapter by making a few remarks on the
names by which the Nestorians designate themselves, and in so
doing shall take the liberty of correcting several statements on
this subject made by Dr. Grant and later travellers. Dr. Grant
in attempting to support his favourite hypothesis regarding the
Hebrew descent of the Nestorians, writes : “ The word Nazarean
or Nsâra is specific in its application to the Nestorians, and is
never applied to the Armenians or other Christian sects.” The
premises here laid down being fallacious, the author's conclusion
necessarily falls to the ground; for, in the first place, Riddle*
says that the Christians were styled “Nazareans” by the Jews,
and from them by the Gentiles also, and in proof of this he
adduces the authority of Epiphanius, Jerome, and Prudentius.
He also distinguishes these Nazareans from a Jewish sect of the
same name which existed at the same time. Nasrâni, moreover,
is the common title for " a Christian " throughout the East at
the present day, and more especially in Mesopotamia, the term
being less general in Syria. The same appellative is the only
one used on the northern coast of Africa to denote a follower of
Christ, and in Malta also, where it was doubtless carried by the
Mohammedans who took possession of that island in the ninth
century.
Further, on our way to Amedia, and just as we emerged from
the Suaretooka pass overlooking the Supna, Kasha Mendu ob-
served to me :
“There are many villages of Nsâra in this plain.”
On asking whether he meant Christians of his church, he re-
plied : “Some are Nsâra Meshihayé and others Nsâra Fran-
gayé.” In this answer the priest gave the distinctive appellative
of the two sects into which the Nestorians are at present divided.
The Nestorians frequently use the term Meshihayé (i.e. followers
of the MESSIAH,) when speaking of themselves, but generally
* Christian Antiquities, p. 135. § 2.


224
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
add thereto the word “Nestorayá,” when they wish to distin-
guish themselves from the Chaldeans who lay claim to the former
title as their peculiar right, and never apply it to the Nestorians.
These latter, on the other hand, seldom call the Chaldeans by
any other name than that of “Frangayé,” (Franks), the term
“Catoleek” or Catholic, being scarcely ever heard among them.
But even “Meshihaye” is an appellative less used by the Nes-
torians to denote those of their own sect, and Christians
generally, than that of Soorayé (Syrians). Ask a Christian
mountaineer what he is, and in ninety-nine cases out of a hun-
dred the reply will be: “I am a Sooraya.” If asked to explain,
he will most probably add “Meshihaya Nestoraya,” or “Nes-
toraya ” only.
From the above it will appear that these people are not so
averse to being called “ Nestorians” as some travellers have re-
presented. There are indeed some among them who appear to
prefer the latter title to that of “Meshihayé," probably because
the Chaldeans so denominate themselves; in proof of which I
shall adduce the case of a little Nestorian girl of Amedia who
was under Mrs. Badger's care for several months. On her first
arrival at Mosul a Chaldean asked her to what community she
belonged. "I am a Nestoraya," was the reply. To which the
other answered: “Why do you not rather call yourself a Me-
shihaya; for was not the MESSIAH greater than Nestorius ?”
“ Very true," retorted the girl," but even the gipsies who play
upon the tambourine celebrate the praises of the Messiah, and
cry out Isa ! Isa ! but they are not Christians on that account.”
In like manner in asking the Patriarch the proper application
of these several terms, he replied :
eral terms, he replied: “We call all Christians
Meshihayé, Christiané, Soorayé, and Nsâra; but we only are
Nestorayé."


225
CHAPTER X V.
Churches at Asheetha and Leezan.—Nestorian Clergy, their incomes, and the
veneration in which they are held.—Observance of Sunday and Friday.-
Feast in commemoration of the dead.—Anthem used on such occasions.-
Thank offerings.- Office for the purification of unclean water.-Design of
that service.-Charms in use among the Nestorians.-Specimens of the
same.
THERE is but one church at Asheetha, which is dedicated to
Mar Gheorghees (S. George), a favourite saint among the
Nestorians. The building is of stone, with a flat roof, and
stands alone, in which respect the mountain churches differ
from those of the plains, which for greater security against
Mohammedan bigotry and oppression, are enclosed within an
outer court. The church at Asheetha is small for the popula-
tion of the place, being not more than fifty feet square, divided
into two chapels, the inner one being used in winter, and
the outer during summer. The sanctuary, or bema, occupies
nearly one-third of the area, and is separated from the nave by
a wall-screen, the opening through which is covered by a move-
able curtain. The stone altar is fixed against the wall, and
before it is a raised step where the priest stands during the
celebration of the liturgy. In the chancel, which in the moun-
tain churches is not generally marked off by a partition of any
kind, stand two stone lecterns, one for the prayer-books, and
the other for the New Testament lectionary. On the cover
of the latter a metal cross is placed, which all devoutly kiss
before and after divine service. The baptistery occupies a square
apartment to the south of the sanctuary, and serves also for a
vestry, where I saw the breeches, surplice, girdle, stole, chasuble,
and shoes, * used by the Nestorian clergy in their ministrations.
* Called severally in Syriac: prazóna, peena, zunnára, hurrára, estla or
shoshippa, and msané.


226
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
These vestments are all made of white calico or linen, and are
of the plainest shape: the breeches are not unlike the common
shalwar of the country; the surplice, like a shirt with short
sleeves; and the chasuble, a plain square cloth with a cross in-
scribed on the centre, which is thrown over the head and
shoulders, and the two parallel corners held between the thumb
and forefinger of each hand. The girdle and stole consist of
a narrow band or scarf with alternate white and blue crosses
worked on squares of the same colours, the white crosses on
the blue, and the blue on the white ground. The stole reaches
only as far as the loins, where it is confined beneath the girdle.
In the above description I have described the only ecclesiastical
vestments now in use among the Nestorians ; those worn by
the Patriarch and Bishops being of the same pattern, but of
somewhat better materials. These robes, I ought to remark,
are not generally used, except during the celebration of the
Holy Eucharist and the administration of Baptism ; at the daily
prayers and other services of the Church, the priests seldom
change their usual costume, which scarcely differs from that of
the laymen, except in the turban, which with them is usually
black or of a dark colour.
The annexed is a rough ground plan of Mar Gheorghees at
Asheetha:-
EAST
O
MWIMMING


CHURCHES OF THE TYARI.
227
Sometimes the Nestorian churches consist of three aisles,
as does that of Mar Gheorghees at Leezan, which I visited in
1850, and of which the following is a sketch :-
EAST
6 We
All the churches in the Tyari are constructed of very rough
materials, and the building, though substantial, is extremely
rude and plain. The people, however, are very much attached
to them, and numbers, I am persuaded, for greater safety would
have settled in the plains after the massacre of 1843, had it
not been for their associations connected therewith.
would gladly go to Mosul,” said many of them to me, “but
how can we abandon the churches where our forefathers wor-
shipped, and where their bones have rested through many
generations ?” The Syriac word for church is Eta, or Oomra ;
but the Nestorians frequently use the word Deira, which literally
means a convent, though there are at present no monastic
establishments in the mountains.
While on this subject, I may take the opportunity of noticing
another of Dr. Grant's fallacies in his argument in favour of
the Hebrew origin of the Nestorians, founded upon the in-
ternal arrangement of their churches, which he makes to agree
with that of the Jewish temple, divided as it was into an inner
and outer court, and a holy of holies. Now, if this identity
of order proves any thing, it proves too much, since the same
disposition is preserved not only in all the oriental, but also
Q 2


228
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
in all the occidental churches, and which the doctor would
doubtless have been well acquainted with, had he not been
brought up a Presbyterian or Independent. The Nestorians
divide their churches into a hécla (temple) or nave; a khorós,
choir or chancel ; and a medhbha (altar) denoting the sanctuary
or sacrarium, into which none but the clergy are allowed to
enter. And the same remarks apply to the churches of the
Chaldeans, Syrians, and other Christians in these districts.
The Nestorian clergy receive little support from their people,
and consequently are obliged to work for their living as do the
laity. They generally cultivate a small piece of land, and not
unfrequently weave and make wooden spoons. It is customary
however, for the villagers to help them gather in their harvest,
and some give them a tithe of their own produce as they feel
disposed. They receive no burial fees, and the trifle paid for
baptism goes to the support of the church, and is taken by
the Wekeels, or Wardens, who are supposed to apply it to that
purpose.
Besides this the churches generally possess a few
acres of land, which the wardens cultivate on the same account,
but not unfrequently apply it to their own use. The value of
about one shilling is given to the priest for celebrating marriages,
but half of this sum he is expected to return to the bridegroom
after the service is concluded. The bishops are not much better
off in this respect, the only tithe which they receive being a
capitation tax to the amount of five pence yearly, levied upon
every male within their respective dioceses who had reached the
age of puberty. Offerings in kind are occasionally made to them
by their parishioners at harvest-time; but the quantity is deter-
mined by the will of the donor. The income of the patriarch
will be treated of hereafter.
The Nestorian clergy, however, have great influence over the
people, by whom they are highly venerated, and who seek their
advice in every affair of importance connected with their political
and domestic concerns. On meeting a priest, or in taking leave
of him, laymen always kiss his hand, and then lift it to their
foreheads, and not unfrequently remove their caps or turbans
partly off the head with the left hand whilst they take his in
their right to raise it to their lips. In addressing a priest they
call him “Râbi” (Rabbi,) or Râbi Kâsha” (Rabbi Presbyter,)


COMMEMORATION OF THE DEAD.
229
and not unfrequently “ Kessi,” a Coordish word equivalent in
meaning to our English “my dear," "my own," which term is
also used by all classes in addressing the Patriarch. A Bishop
is generally saluted as “Aboona,” our father.
As the second volume of this work will be entirely devoted to
an inquiry into the doctrines, rites, and ecclesiastical discipline,
of the Nestorians, little need be said here on that subject; I
shall proceed, however, to give an account of certain practices
and superstitions prevalent among them which are more or less
connected with their religious prejudices.
Sunday is observed with the greatest strictness by the Nesto-
rians; none will work or travel on that day. It is generally
spent by them in attending the services of the Church, in village
conferences, and in rural amusements. Friday also, is con-
sidered sacred by the mountaineers to a certain extent; some
go so far as to abstain from labour, and all deem it unlucky to
enter upon any new undertaking on that day. “Sunday,” said
Mar Shimoon to me, "is a lucky day; but we do not work
thereon, because there is a positive command forbidding us.
Friday, on the contrary, has no such sanction, yet the fear of
failure and disappointment prevents many from beginning any
fresh enterprise on that day."
Once a year there is a kind of agape to commemorate the
departed in all the mountain villages. This service generally
takes place on some Saturday in the month of October, and for
days previous such families as intend to contribute to the feast
are busily engaged in preparing their offerings. These consist
of lambs and bread which are brought into the church yard, and
after the people have communicated of the holy Eucharist the
priest goes forth, cuts several locks of wool off the fleeces and
throws them into a censer. Whilst a deacon swings this to and
fro in presence of the assembled guests, the priest recites the
following anthem :
“THE FOLLOWING IS TO BE SAID OVER THE LAMBS THAT ARE
SLAIN IN SACRIFICE FOR THE DEAD:-
Glory be to the FATHER, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Ghost, both now and ever, and to ages of ages.
Amen.
When ye present oblations, and offer pure sacrifices, and bring


230
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
lambs to be slain, ye should first call the priests, who shall sign
them with the sign of the cross before they are slain, and say
over them these words : He was brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He
opened not His mouth in His humility. O LORD, the mighty
God, accept at our hands this oblation which we offer before
Thee this day.
If ye vow a vow and purpose in your hearts to offer oblations
and sacrifices, ye may not leave any part of it, but ye shall dis-
tribute the whole of it, and give the skins of the lambs to the
Church.
If ye offer lambs to be slain in oblation, ye shall not bring
them female but male, as was the oblation of Abraham and Isaac
who sacrificed to their LORD, and the LORD will forgive our
sins and the sins of our dead.
If ye bring lambs to be offered, the unbelieving and prayerless
may not stretch out the knife upon them; but let him [who
slays them] be pure that he may make others pure, whether he be
Gentile or Christian, that the sheep slain may be fit for sacrifice.
Let this oblation which Thy servants offer to-day be for the
forgiveness of their sins, and to their preservation and help,
may it heal their wounds, and wipe out their transgressions, and
save them from every plague. Even so, in Thy mercy, accept
this oblation.
But if ye are not able to offer all male lambs, let there be
female ones among them, that your work be not hindered; and
if you so do in purity of heart, the LORD JESUS will accept your
oblation.
O LORD, let this oblation which Thy servants have willingly
and with a pure
heart offered
up before Thee this day be unto
them a light in darkness to guide them to that place where all
the righteous are at Thy right hand. Vouchsafe unto them, O
LORD, the promised beatitudes, and the denarius of the bridal-
chamber in the last day, that day of retribution.
O LORD, let the oblation which Thy servants have offered
before Thee this day be acceptable as was that of faithful Abra-
ham the righteous, who vowed his son in oblation and stretched
out the knife upon his throat, whereupon he saw a lamb hung
on a tree like his life-giving Lord who was crucified on Golgotha


OBLATION IN THE SERVICE FOR THE DEAD.
231
to save Adam and his race from punishment, and became the
origin of righteousness and salvation to every Christian. 0
LORD, accept this oblation.
O JESUS, let this work which Thy servants offer unto Thee to-
day be acceptable before Thee as was the blessed David.
Thou the quickener of their dead, the forgiver of their sins, the
supporter of their children, the comforter of their aged, the giver
of chastity to their youth, the shelter of their widows, the
defender of their orphans, and the nourisher of their babes and
sucklings. Accept at their hands this oblation, and save them
from death.
O merciful LORD, let the oblation which Thy servants have
offered before Thee be acceptable in Thy sight as was the zealous
Elijah, and Abel the head of the building, and Solomon the just
king, and Hezekiah the happy king, and Daniel the seer, and
like the oblation of Jonah the Hebrew, and of Joseph the Egyp-
tian, and like that of the righteous of old. Let this their obla-
tion be to their forgiveness from this time forth and for ever;
and let it be acceptable before the CREATOR and before Jesus
the triumphant King as was Moses of old.
Accept, O LORD, who art the Living and the Son of the
Living, who fillest the heaven of heavens, and art the upholder
of the earth by Thy hidden power, the work of Thy servants ;
forgive their sins, purify them from their transgressions, heal
their wounds, and pardon their ignorances. The Church now
calleth upon Thee to deliver them from the hand of him that
taketh captive, from sudden death, from the thief that cometh
by night, from the power of the unseen Satan, from the fire of
hell, and from the voice which speaketh in the night, which
when Thy servants hear, O Lord, they shall rise from their
graves, even at the living voice of Jesus the King. And when
the elect righteous shall wake up, and when He shall come in
the clouds of heaven to raise up the cast-out dead, as saith the
prophet, then may they offer praise to the Son of the Highest.
O Thou compassionate One, accept at our hands the service
which we offer this day, and deliver us from the Evil one, who
is the Devil, and from unprofitable words, and from every de-
stroying plague. Deliver Thy servants, 0 Thou merciful One,
and accept at their hands this oblation.


232
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
O Thou compassionate One, have mercy upon us at this time,
and accept from us this service. Hear our prayers and suppli-
cations, 0 Thou heavenly One, hasten to our help, and save our
life from death, we sinners who have strayed, 0 Thou Blessed;
we wicked and perverse, O Thou Strong One; we adulterers
and liars, 0 Thou Upholder; we fornicators and plunderers, O
Thou Helper ; we sinners and blind, 0 Thou who dost give
light; we vile and proud, O Thou pitiful One; we unjust and
unmerciful, O Thou who art full of mercy; for if Thou shouldest
weigh our sins the mountains would be found lighter than they.
Woe unto us since we have become the companions of Satan!
On Thy great name, 0 Thou who art compassionate to all,
do Thy servants call; have pity upon our life, O Thou who art
the Quickener of all; put away from us all evil, cold, heat,
locusts, grasshoppers, and blight, 0 Thou who dost avert ad-
versity from all, through the prayers of the righteous who
approved themselves unto Thee. Have mercy upon us, 0 Thou
who art glorified of all, through the intercessions of the martyrs
Mar Gheorghees and Mar Serghees, and of S. Mary the blessed,
who put away all devouring insects, frost and death which de-
stroy all, and who became a mother and parent to the Son of
the LORD of all.
Accept from us this oblation which we have offered unto
Thee with a joyful heart, through Thy own name, O FATHER,
Son, and Holy Ghost, the great and Eternal King, at whose
command the glorious sun and moon go forth, and by whose
hand all creation is upheld. On this day may the souls of Thy
servants mix in glory and blessedness with Elijah and Enoch the
meek, and in exultation and joy with Titus and Onesimus, and
with the martyr Kuriakòs; may they rise up from their graves
and put on glory, and ascribe honour and praise to Thy name.
Accept, O LORD the mighty God, the oblation which Thy
servants offer up unto Thee this day as Thou didst the oblation
of Abel in the field, and that of the blessed Noah after the
deluge, and that of Elijah the righteous prophet, and Mel-
chizedeck the high priest and priest, and Moses with whom
God spake in a vision. Even so, O LORD, in Thy mercy accept
this oblation,
Accept, O LORD, this sacrifice as Thou didst the widow's two


OBLATION IN THE SERVICE FOR THE DEAD,
233
mites which she cast into Thy treasury, and the oblation which
Thy Apostles offered in the upper chamber, and like those which
the true martyrs of the Old and New Testaments offered up
unto Thee in love and purity.
O LORD, the High, the Excellent, the Compassionate, who
sittest on the ship of the clouds, at whose voice the dead
shall rise up in the twinkling of an eye,—accept, we pray
Thee, this service of Thy servants, and save them from death,
give them the reward of heavenly happiness, deliver them from
destruction, and from the envious and unpitying, O CHRIST,
who art the hope of all who put their trust in Thee.
() LORD God the immortal, O Jesus the just, His only Son
Christ, accept from this congregation the oblation which they
offer up unto Thee with Diodorus, and Theodorus, and Mar
Nestorius, and Anthonius, and Macarius, and Pachomius, and
Serapion, and Arsamas, and with the seven youths of the cave
of Ephesus, who fled from before Decius, and slept a sleep of
three hundred years at the order of the Immortal, and the
LORD of the sleepers awoke them. Have pity upon Thy ser-
vants who have offered these prayers and supplications unto
Thee, through the intercession of the Apostles and Fathers the
companions of Peter, and of the orthodox doctors, and of
Stephen the first-fruits of the martyrs, and of Mar Gheorghees.
Upon Thee, O JESUS the triumphant King, do I who am a
sinner call; cleanse me, O LORD, from my sins, save me from
the hand of him who taketh captive, and do not number me
with those who are on the left hand; but mingle me with those
who are on the right, and fit me, in Thy mercy, for that king-
dom which passeth not away, that I may exult with Enoch and
Elijah, and with David the prophet, who sang hallelujahs by
night and by day. Unto Thee lift I up
mine
eyes,
O Thou that
dwellest in the heavens, even as the eyes of a servant do look
unto his master, that Thou mayest have mercy upon me in that
great day when Thou shalt appear in Thy glory. Have pity
upon Thy servant according to his need; have mercy upon me,
O LORD, according to Thy grace when Thy justice shall judge
us at the last day. Rebuke me not in Thine anger, but save
me, through Thy name, in this world from all mine enemies,
and from those who hate me. O LORD, I have called upon


234
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Thy name, answer Thou me. Listen, O Lord, to my words,
and accept this service at the hands of Thy servants.
Be, O LORD, a help unto me; O LORD, be Thou my keeper
at sunset, sunrising, and at noon, and deliver me in this tran-
sitory world from the power of the hater.
Hear, O God, and have mercy upon me, O Lord Jesus. In
Thee, O Lord, have I put my trust, let me not be confounded
at the last day. Rebuke me not, O LORD, in Thine anger for
ever. Hear, O LORD, my voice when I call upon Thee, O Thou
who dost exist from eternity, in the afternoon, at morning-tide,
and at noon, by day and by night. Thou art my God, Thou
art my God, upon Thee do I wait; save me from mine enemies,
and have mercy upon me, O LORD.
O Jesus, forgive the dead who confess Thy glorious natures,
and who were baptized in Thy name, O FATHER, Son, and Holy
"Ghost, who rejoicest all, and have mercy upon us.”
The above anthem concluded, the lambs are cut up and di-
vided amongst those present, and so also the bread. On these
occasions many come from distant villages to join with their
brethren in commemorating the festival. A similar custom
prevails among the Jacobites, Papal Syrians, and Chaldeans of
these parts. Such of them as can afford it kill a lamb, and
distribute bread and other provisions among
the
poor a week or
month after the decease of any of their near relatives, with the
idea that these offerings in some way profit the souls of the de-
parted. We have already noticed a yearly feast of the Yezeedees
very nearly allied to the practice of the Nestorians as above
described; but whether kept up with the same design it is
difficult to determine.
Dr. Grant notices another species of sacrifice which is occa-
sionally offered up among the Nestorians. These, he says,
“are usually offered to return thanks for God's benefits, or to
obtain new favours from Him; as, for instance, the recovery of
sick friends, or their own restoration to health. The animal
is then usually slain before the door of the church, when a little
of the blood is often put upon the door or lintel. The right
shoulder and breast belong to the officiating priest of the church,
though he does not always receive them, either through neglect


PURIFICATION OF UNCLEAN WATER.
235
of the person who offers the sacrifice, or, as some of the priests
informed me, from a wish to avoid following the wicked example
of Eli's sons, who made the sacrifices of the temple an occasion
of selfish gratification. Few, however, refuse their portion on this
account. The skin is also given to the priest, as was required
in the burnt offerings. Lev. vii. 8.” And this the doctor con-
siders as a corroborative evidence of the Hebrew lineage of the
Nestorians. But here again we may observe that this argument
proves too much, since the Mohammedans throughout Turkey
often sacrifice a lamb with the same intention at the door of
their Mezárs (shrines), and sprinkle the building with the blood
of the slaughtered animal, which is afterwards cut up and dis-
tributed among the people of the village. A like practice still
prevails among the Jacobites around Mosul and in Jebel Toor.
On another religious rite common among the Nestorians, the
same author writes: “Whosoever toucheth the dead body of
any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the
tabernacle of the LORD : because the water of separation was
not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean.' Numb. xix. 13.
This is the sentiment of the Nestorians; but, as in many other
cases, it is modified by Christianity. Baptism, it is affirmed,
purifies our bodies, so that no contamination is received from
the dead body of a Christian. But if any person touch the
dead body of a Jew, a Moslem, or a heathen, he is considered
unclean, and must not touch any clean thing, or enter a church,
till he has been duly purified with water. They are also careful
to wash themselves after their own burial services."
The following office extracted from their own rituals, and
which is still in use among the Nestorians, will serve to give a
just idea of the original design of this practice, and to correct
the somewhat confused idea respecting the same conveyed in
the above paragraph.
THE PURIFICATION OF UNCLEAN WATER.
Our FATHER, &c.
Prayer.
May the adorable name of Thy glorious Trinity be ever wor-
shipped, glorified, honoured, praised, blessed, and magnified, in


236
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
heaven and in earth, O LORD of all, FATHER, Son, and Holy
Ghost. Amen.
Anthem.
He who is from everlasting.-The LORD is praised in the
highest. O Thou Self-Existent, Who dwellest in the lofty place,
Who commandest and rulest over the depths, let the right
hand of Thy majesty rest upon this unclean water, sanctify it
in Thy compassion, that it may be to the forgiveness of the
people, through the prayers of the nine ranks (of angels) and
of the perfect and such as fast.
Prayer.
In Thy grace have pity upon us, 0 Thou compassionate One;
turn Thee unto us, 0 Thou who art full of mercy; cease not
to look upon us and to care for us, for our hope and trust are
in Thee at all times, and in all places, O LORD of all, FATHER,
Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Canon.
Psalm li.—With the hyssop of Tby mercies let our souls be
healed, 0 Thou compassionate One.
Doxology.
Come to our help, O LORD, and strengthen our weakness,
for our hope is in Thee by night and by day.
O CHRIST, who dost not forget any who call upon Thee, in
Thy mercy, cast not out the prayer of Thy worshippers.
| Then the deacon shall carry the vessel containing the water to the priest,
who shall say over it this
Prayer.
O Thou compassionate One, Whose name is holy, Whose abode
is holy, and the place of Whose dwelling is holy, and holy are
the powers above who sing thrice holy unto Thee in their halle-
lujahs, and Who art unceasingly worshipped by the Holies of the
corporeal and incorporeal essences with holy voices ; sanctify, O
LORD, the temple of our souls, cleanse the thoughts of our
hearts, heal our diseases, blot out our ignorances, pardon our
sins, and make us, O LORD, pure temples for Thy great God
head, and adorned abodes meet for the honour of Thy service,


PURIFICATION OF UNCLEAN WATER.
237
O Thou sanctifier of all by the power of Thy word and spirit, O
LORD of all, FATHER, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
With Thy blessing, O LORD, may Thy servants be blessed,
and through the care of Thy providence may Thy worshippers
be kept, and may the eternal security of Thy Godhead, and the
endless peace of Thy sovereignty reign among Thy people and in
Thy Church all the days of the world, O LORD of all, FATHER,
Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
| Then the priest shall say as follows :
By that sovereign and divine command wherewith the waters
of Jordan were sanctified when our Saviour was baptized
therein by the hands of His servant John, may this water be
cleansed from all uncleanness of dead and drowned (corpses],
and be to the life and health of all who shall drink thereof or
wash therewith, in the name of the FATHER, Son, and HOLY
Ghost. Amen.
( Here the priest shall sign the water with the sign of the cross, and shall
afterwards say :
We beseech Thee, 0 Thou holy One, who by Thy baptism,
didst sanctify all seas, rivers, streams, springs, and fountains, to
sanctify by Thy grace this water ; let Thy Holy SPIRIT rest
upon it that it may be to the help and health of body and soul,
in the name of the FATHER, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
| Here the priest shall again sign the water, and say :
May the sovereign and divine power hidden in the sign ofthe
cross rest upon this water, that it may be to the health of body
and soul, and in the name of the FATHER, Son, and HOLY
Ghost. Amen.
| Here the priest shall conclude by signing the water a third time."
The object, then, of this office is not to remove any personal
contamination derived from touching a dead body, for no such
idea is entertained by the Nestorians; but to purify the water
in which any animal has been drowned, or into which any
corpse has been thrown. On my first arrival at Amedia I had
an opportunity of witnessing the performance of this service : a
cow had fallen into a cistern in one of the adjacent villages, and
a messenger was sent to Kasha Mendu with a bowl of the water,


238
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
over which he recited the above form ; after which he told me
that not only was the water thereby purified from all defilement,
but the flesh of the cow, which before was unclean from having
been drowned, might now be eaten. The more common use of
this office, however, is at burials : thus, if there happens to be a
running stream in the road over which a funeral has passed, on
returning from the grave the company stand on its banks
whilst the priest goes through the service; if not, it is read
over a bowl filled at the same spring or well from whence the
water was brought with which the dead body was washed. It
appears, therefore, that in all these cases the water is supposed
to be contaminated by contact with corpses, and not the persons
of those who touch or wash them. The Chaldeans, since their
union with the Church of Rome, have abolished this ceremony.
As might be expected in a people among whom education has
been neglected for so many ages, and who cannot consequently be
supposed to possess any deep or adequate sense of the high and
holy truths which they profess, the Nestorians entertain many
superstitions respecting the powers of evil, and the value of
certain talismans to allay or counteract them. Thus they have
charms against the evil eye, the poison of reptiles and plants,
the rot and other diseases in sheep, the tyranny of rulers and
the designs of wicked men, &c. most of which adverse in-
fluences are believed to be destroyed by certain passages of Holy
Writ which are profanely used to this end. I have in my pos-
session an entire volume of these charms, from which the fol-
lowing specimens are -translated.
Charm to remove hatred.
In the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who is the security
of the world and the peace of the universe, reconcile A. B. with
C. D. by the power of that voice which called unto Cain the
fratricide from heaven, saying, “Am I my brother's keeper ?”
In like manner,
and by the power of the same voice, may the
malice and hatred of A. B. be openly destroyed, and all quarrels
and disputes cease betwixt these two parties ; so that A. B. and
C. D. may agree together in love, and the gate of the sanctuary
and the door of mercy be open to them, and the mouth of
the devil be stopped against them, and they never again turn to


CHARMS.
239
hate one another ; but let them be bound together in love and
concord, and give heed to one another, in the name of the
glorious Trinity. Amen.
Charm to destroy love and excite hatred.
In the name of the Father, &c. I beseech Thee, O Almighty
LORD, that A. B. may separate from G. D. [a woman,] as far
as the east is from the west, and the north from the south ; and
that as wax melteth before the fire so the love of A. B, the
son of C. B. may melt, pass away, and be extinguished, from
the heart of G. D. the daughter of H. D., and that as snow
melteth from off the mountains, and ice from the cliffs, so A. B.
may be separated from G. D. in the name of the devil, whose it
is to instil hatred instead of joy. Amen.
Charm to prevent a smelting furnace from kindling.
In the name of the FATHER, &c. when thou passest through
the fire thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flames kindle
upon thee. Nebuchadnezzar the king ordered the furnace to be
kindled and cast therein the three children Ananias, Azarias,
and Misael, and an angel was sent from heaven who scattered a
dew upon them and the fire was extinguished. By the same
power and command I bind, cast out, and excommunicate the
fire, that it may not flame, kindle, or burn, so that the fire may
not burn the wood, nor the wood the metal, in the furnace of
A. B. the son of D. B. [his mother] by the same power by which
S. George extinguished the furnace of fire which was kindled
for him eleven days. By that same power let the fire in the
furnace of A. B. be extinguished, that it may neither flame nor
ignite on the right hand or on the left, and let it be so bound
until I shall loosen it. Amen.
Charm to excite love in a man towards a woman.
I ascend seven mountains, and descend into seven valleys, and
I saw there a tree of frankincense, and I conjure with awful
oaths, that as incense burns in the fire even so may A. B. the
son of C. B. [his mother] burn with the love of C. D. the
daughter of E. D. [her mother.] Amen.


241
CHAPTER X VI.
Arrival of Mar Shimoon at Asheetha.-Demonstrations of loyalty and respect on
the part of the villagers.—Description of Mar Shimoon.-His address to
the people of Asheetha.—Arrival of deputies from Noorallah Beg.-Their
message and the violence of Deacon Ishâk the Patriarch's brother.-— Reply
of Mar Shimoon to the Coordish Emeer.— Interviews with the Patriarch
regarding missionary operations among the Nestorians.—Extract of a Report
to the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts on the same
subject.-Letter of Mar Shimoon to the Archbishop of Canterbury.-
Return to Amedia.—Church of Mar Audishu.—Many Nestorians eat swine's
flesh.—Journey through the Mezuriyeh mountains, and return to Mosul.
It is now time to resume our narrative. After waiting two days
I was agreeably surprised to hear that Mar Shimoon had reached
the adjoining village of Serspeedho on his way to Asheetha.
No sooner was this intelligence made known than as many as
twenty of the peasants began to make preparations for his re-
ception. Five or six occupied themselves in raising a rude stone
in the centre of the common hall, to which the fire was to be
removed from beneath the chimney, where it could not be en-
joyed by all the expected company. Some brought clean straw
to spread over the place which was to serve as the Patriarch's
seat and bed; whilst others ran from house to house collecting
wood and provisions for his use. All was bustle, hurry, and
confusion in anticipation of the coming visit. Four porters next
appeared carrying the Patriarch's baggage, which was placed in
a corner of the room, and such articles taken therefrom as were
known to be requisite, such as a carpet, mattress, pillow, and
six small coffee-cups. A copper ewer seemed to attract the
notice and affection of an old woman, who, as soon as it was
produced laid hold of it and covered it with kisses. For two
hours the village was in a complete uproar, when it was an-
R


242
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
nounced that the Patriarch had made his appearance on the top
of the mountains. A general turn-out now took place ; men,
women, and children to the number of a thousand, congregated
round the church, whilst the more hardy and zealous went for-
ward to be the first to greet their chief. I joined myself to this
party, and in exchange for my salutation of kissing the Patri-
arch's band received his blessing and a hearty welcome. The
group was now one of indescribable interest, and the scene
around grand in the extreme. Mountains upon mountains
hemmed in the secluded valley on every side, the village poured
forth its tenants from the scattered dwellings, who flocked from
every quarter, some leading a son or daughter through the deep
snow, whilst mothers were seen bearing in their arms their in-
fapt offspring whom they presented to the Patriarch that he
might lay his hands upon them and bless them. Arrived at the
church Mar Shimoon and his followers went up directly to the
door and kissed the cross engraven on the wall above it. He
then sat down on the step leading into the church, the assembled
crowd standing at a respectful distance: he seemed to know
every one present, and as each came forward in a stooping pos-
ture, and with uncovered head, to kiss his hand, he greeted him
with some familiar inquiry about his own weal and that of his
family.
I cannot better describe the person of Mar Shimoon than by
quoting the language of Dr. Grant: “The patriarch is thirty-
eigbty ears of age, [he was four years
older when I first saw him,]
above the middle stature, well-proportioned, with an expressive
and rather intelligent countenance; while his large flowing robes,
his Coordish turban, and his long grey beard, give him a patri-
archal and venerable aspect, which is heightened by an uniformly
dignified demeanour: were it not for the youthful fire in his eye,
and his vigour and activity, I should have thought him nearer
fifty than thirty-eight. But his friends assured me that the
hoariness of his beard and locks was that of care and not of
age.
His situation is certainly a difficult and responsible one, since
he is, in an important sense, the temporal as well as the spiritual
head of his people. To preserve harmony and settle differences
between the various tribes of his spirited mountaineers, and with
the Coords by whom they are surrounded, is a labour that would


MAR SHIMOON.
243
.
tax the wisdom of the greatest statesman ; and I could hardly
wonder that the boar-frost of care was prematurely sitting upon
his locks. It was quite evident that the patriarch's anxiety ex-
tended not less to the temporal than to the spiritual wants of
his flock, as his first inquiries related particularly to their poli-
tical prospects, the movements of Turkey, the designs of the
European powers with regard to these countries, and why they
did not come and break the arm of Mohammedan power, by
which many of his people had been so long oppressed, and for
fear of which the main body of them were shut up in their
mountain fastnesses." This description applies in every respect
to Mar Shimoon when I first saw him : in his person he had
altered little if at all; but there was a heavier gloom upon his
brow, and dark forebodings of the gathering storm which was
so soon to burst upon himself and people, frequently found
utterance and mingled with his familiar talk. The portrait in
the frontispiece was taken seven years later, when the unfortu-
nate patriarch was a mere wreck of his former self.
From the church the assembly repaired to the common room,
which was soon thronged with the elders of the village, who sat
round the fire in a semicircle opposite the Patriarch. Deacon
Ishâk took his seat at the head of the company at a respectful
distance from his brother Mar Shimoon, who opened the meet-
ing by referring to a letter which he had lately received from
Mohammed Pasha of Mosul, complaining that some of the Tyari
Nestorians had consorted with Ziner Beg, a Coordish chief
whom he had outlawed, but who was now protected by Bedr
Khan Beg, and had committed several excesses in the districts
within his jurisdiction. “Friends and brethren," said the
Patriarch, “I am come hither on business of the government;
on the business of Mohammed Pasha of Mosul. It remains
with
you
to decide whether
you
will accede to my proposition at
once, or whether you will detain me here forty days longer.”
This prelude was answered by a low bow from all present, and
the exclamation proceeding from a hundred voices of “Upon
our heads you are come; upon our eyes are you come ;” an
eastern metaphor expressive of their loyalty and devotion. His
holiness proceeded : “Your words incline me to believe that you
are my obedient followers; and why should it not be so ? Other
R 2


244
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
villages accuse nie of partiality to you, and you all know my
affection for you.” (Cries of “We are your servants; we are
your subjects.") “Yet I fear that there are some among you
who are not faithful, --some there are even at Asheetha who do
as they please, follow what leader they please, and acknowledge
no other authority than their own. Tell me, whose subjects are
you? Are you under the control of Noorallah Beg of Hakkari,
or of Mohammed Pasha of Mosul, or of Bedr Khan Beg of
Jezeerah, or of Ziner Beg ?” (Cries of “We are your slaves;
walk over our necks : we will die for you.”) “ Some of you, I
understand, consort with Ziner Beg; now, are you so blind that
you cannot foresee the consequences of such folly? Ziner Beg
is a rebel, and it has been intimated to me by Mohammed Pasha
that some of you are abetting him. It is the intention of the
Pasha to send a strong force against him, and such a charge
proved against you would be amply sufficient to justify his pro-
ceeding to attack you also. And are you so desirous to see the
infidel soldiers among you, that you are doing all in your power
to invite them ?” (Cries of “God forbid.”) “ Are we not suf-
fering enough at present from other quarters, that you must
needs plunge yourselves into misery irremediable ? As it is,
while you are at peace with Mohammed Pasha, and on good
terms with the Coords of Berwari, you can go and come, cut
wood for your fires, gather thorns for your sheep, trade and tra-
vel, without fear of molestation ; but if it be true that you are
abetting Ziner Beg, as I said before, you cannot go a better
way
to lose those advantages, and to put a yoke upon your necks
such as you have not bitherto borne.” Here the Patriarch
paused, while those present conversed together in an under
breath, wondering what would be the finale of their chieftain's
address, and evidently at a loss to discover who were the culprits
among them. After leaving them a little time to breathe freely,
the Patriarch proceeded: “Friends and brethren, if you wish
to prove to the Pasha of Mosul and to me that
you are faithful,
I will advise you what to do. You must assemble a force of
300 strong from this village, and march instantly against Ziner
Beg, rout his followers, and if possible capture the chief alive or
dead. I understand that he has not many men with him, and
your cause and courage are better than his. In thus doing you


246
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
:
lull us into security, and to put us off our guard, in order that
in a few months he may follow up his game and enslave us.
Make peace with him ? No, never ; except at the point of our
daggers.” The messengers listened in mute astonishment to this
fiery speech, while the villagers silently waited the reply of their
chief. In his ordinary tone, and without the least expression of
excitement, the Patriarch calmly observed : “Though far from
approving of the spirit which my brother has manifested, much
that he has said is undoubtedly true. We have not been treated
well by Noorallah Beg, and therefore cannot be expected to
place much confidence in his overtures. Yet we love
peace,
and
wish to be friends with all men.” Here the Coordish messen-
gers interposed, and protested most solemnly that their master
had the greatest respect for the Patriarch, and that his only
desire now was to establish a lasting treaty of friendly alliance
with him. The audience continued for about two hours,
throughout which Mar Shimoon spoke in the same prudent and
cautious language, and Deacon Ishâk, on his part, remained as
stern and inflexible as when he opened his first tirade against
Noorallah Beg. A suitable lodging was provided for the Coor-
dish sheikhs by order of the Patriarch, who gave strict charge
that they should be treated with every mark of respect.
to it," said he, “that they want for nothing; and remember
that they are my guests and the confidential messengers of
Noorallah Beg.”
After the messengers had left the room the Patriarch held a
consultation with the elders of the village, when it was decided
what answer should be sent to the Coordish Emeer. Accord-
ingly on the morrow the two chiefs were sent for, and to them
the Patriarch committed the following message: “In the first
place present my warmest congratulations to your master, and tell
him that I reciprocate all his good wishes and intentions towards
I am far from being averse from friendship and peace, and
heartily desire that the best understanding should exist between
us; but as to appointing a place for personal conference, several
causes prevent my doing so at present, and I therefore beg that
the Emeer will accept my excuses.
The snows cover the moun.
tains, and the roads are almost impassable, as you well know
who have been seven days in travelling hither from Julamerk,
- See
me.


CONFERENCE WITH THE PATRIARCH.
247
consequently it would be difficult for me to undertake such a
journey now. Moreover, our lenten fast is near, and before that
is over I could not think of entering upon any business to be
transacted at so great a distance. Besides, (pointing to me
who served him for a third excuse) this my guest has come a
long way to see me, and it would be rude in me to leave him
for some time.” On receiving this message, which they did
standing, the two Coords, accompanied by the priest who had
guided them to Asheetha, bowed to the ground and took their
departure.
I cannot give the reader a better account of my proceedings in
the mountains, with respect to the mission entrusted to me,
than by quoting several extracts from a report to the committee
of the Gospel Propagation Society, written after my return to
Mosul, and dated March 30th, 1843.
“During my stay at Asheetha I had two long private con-
ferences with the Patriarch, when I laid before him my letters
commendatory from His Grace the Primate, the Lord Bishop of
London, and the Anglican Bishop at Jerusalem. *
He appeared
highly gratified with the contents, but expressed surprise that he
had hitherto heard so little of us. I took frequent occasion,
however, to lay before him, and many of his clergy and people,
the character, teaching, and discipline, of our holy Church. I
thought at times that my statements were not received with
perfect confidence; but when I proceeded to confirm them by
extracts from our ritual all doubt seemed to be removed. I had
brought with me a copy of our Prayer Book in Arabic as a pre-
sent to his Holiness, hoping that some of the mountain clergy
would be able to read it; but in this I was disappointed.
You must translate it for us into Syriac,' said Mar Shimoon,
' in order that we may know more correctly what are the doc-
trines and usages of your Church. The same desire was ex-
pressed by several of the clergy, and I hope that the Society for
Promoting Christian Knowledge will afford me every assistance
in undertaking that work. It is a necessary step which will
gain for us more than any other measure the confidence of the
people, and without which we shall make but little progress,
especially at the outset.
* Copies of these letters are given in the Introduction to this volume.


248
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
“Our proposals to establish schools were well received by
Mar Shimoon, who promised to open ten in as many of the
largest mountain villages; but the Patriarch endeavoured to
impress upon me, that unless something be done for the Nesto-
rians in a political point of view, the establishment of schools,
or any other kindred measures, in the present unsettled state of
the mountains, will be very precarious. Noorallah Beg, the
Coordish Emeer of Hakkari, has virtually robbed them of their
independence, and unless timely assistance be rendered to the
Christian population, we may soon expect to see them entirely
subjugated by the barbarous and lawless Coords.
“ The proceedings of the American Dissenters here necessarily
formed a leading topic of our discourse. Through the influence
of Noorallah Beg they have been permitted to settle in the
mountains, and two large establishments, one at Asheetha and
the other at Leezan, a village one day distant, are at present in
course of being built. They have also a school in actual existence
at Asheetha, the expenses of which are defrayed by the board,
and, if I am rightly informed, another at Leezan. . . . . I did
not fail to acquaint the Patriarch how far we are removed in
doctrine and discipline, from the American Independent mission-
aries, and this I did not so much by exposing their system as by
unfolding the principles of our own Church ; for Mar Shimoon
seemed well aware of their distinguishing tenets. I showed
him, moreover, that it would be injudicious, and would by no
means satisfy us to have schools among his people by the side
of theirs, and pressed upon him to decide what plan he would
pursue under existing circumstances. I think the Patriarch
expressed his real sentiments for the peculiar doctrines of the
Independents when he said: 'I hold them as cheap as an
onion;' but there are other considerations which have more
influence in inclining him to keep on friendly terms with the
missionaries. In the first place, Dr. Grant has gained the
apparent good-will of Noorallah Beg, and the Patriarch may fear
that if he manifests any alteration in his conduct towards the
American missionaries the Emeer might revenge it. Secondly,
although I am fully convinced that there is hardly a Nestorian
in the mountains who sympathizes with the doctrine or disci-
pline of the Dissenters whenever these differ from their own,


MISSIONARY OPERATIONS.
249
yet I am persuaded, that from the Patriarch to the poorest
peasant all value the important services of a good physician;
and besides this, they highly prize the money which the mission-
aries have already expended and are still expending among
them
with no niggardly hand in presents, buildings, schools, &c. I
am sorry to say that the mountaineers, from the highest to the
lowest, appear to be an over-reaching and gift-loving people, of
which I had abundant proof in the continual demands made
upon me, both by clergy and laity during my short stay at
Asheetha. They look for these as a matter of course, and are
not only disappointed but even affronted by a refusal. The
presents which I took in my hand to the Patriarch satisfied him
at the time, as did also those which I gave to his brother and
Kash' Auraha, his archdeacon; but since my return to Mosul I
have received a written request from the former to send him the
sum of £120 for the expenses of schools, a mare, a silk girdle,
and a string of coral beads; and from the latter, a demand
for £5 in money, a scarlet cloak, and a silk turban. These
requests are tendered in the most business-like way, as if the
petitioners had the right to make, and it was our duty to grant
them.
“In consequence of Mar Shimoon's letter, touching the
schools, wherein he informs me, that he has already opened
two according to his promise, and hopes soon to open eight
more, I have sent Kasha Mendu to inform his Holiness, that
although I prefer that the priests who act as teachers should be
paid through him, yet I am not at liberty to place such large
sums of money at his disposal ; that as soon as the schools are
established, I shall either go or send Mr. Fletcher to visit
them ;-that I am willing to make the remittances to him for
the teacher's salary every three months, but that these salaries
must be fixed beforehand. In the meantime, I consent to
advance him a small sum to cover the expenses of opening the
schools, and for making other necessary arrangements in con-
nexion therewith. I have, moreover, requested his Holiness to
inform Kasha Mendu, where he has already opened the two
schools mentioned in his letter, and have directed the priest to
visit them before he returns; as I have some fear that he
may
mean those under the direction of the American Missionaries at


250
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Asheetha and Leezan. I may be mistaken, but I have my
doubts on the subject.
“But there is one subject connected with the establishment
of schools to which the attention of the Church has already
been called, but which I beg again to lay before the Committee
at home for their serious consideration. If we establish schools
we must have books, for of these the Nestorians have none ex-
cept those used in the churches, which are in a language under-
stood by the Clergy only, and not generally even by them. If
we are to superintend the preparation of elementary books for
education, we must have the assistance of persons competent for
the task. To enter upon this work, however, without the con-
sent and promised support of the Church, we cannot, lest like
the man who failed in building his house, because he had not
previously calculated his resources, our failure may be more
serious. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge has
voted £500 for this purpose ; but unless an equal vote is pro-
mised yearly from the funds of the Church, we must soon for-
bear working. We are anxiously waiting the Societies' reply to
our first report on this subject before we enter
upon
the
sary preliminaries.
“Moreover, I have made arrangements with Kasha Mendu
for opening a school at Amedia, to be taught by him, and on
his return from the Patriarch, he will probably be accompanied
by the Nestorian priests of Dirgni and Mezi, with whom I
intend to consult about a similar measure to be adopted in these
two villages. The only book available for schools is the Syriac
psalter, of which Kasha Mendu possesses several manuscript
copies ; but how little the children will be profited by this, you
may easily imagine when you hear that it is written in a lan-
guage of which they hardly understand a sentence. The ad.
vantages to be gained, however, at the outset are these : the
children will thereby have been collected together, the school
will have been formed, and the people will have been led to
sanction and approve of the measure by seeing the pupils receive
the same primary instruction as all among them do when they
first begin to read. Other advantages might be enumerated,
not the least of which is the influence which these schools will
undoubtedly have in preventing the Nestorians remaining in the
neces-


LETTER TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.
üt
251
Supna and in the Berwari district, from joining the ranks of the
papal Chaldeans.
“ Yet if this be all that the Church will undertake, it will be
doing but little indeed, and therefore we beg that the Societies
at home will not delay sending us such powers as may enable
us to carry out the recommendations made in a former report.
To that I refer your committee in preference to entering into
any fresh details, or of making any new propositions, with
regard to our proceedings in this country. Many Chaldeans at
Mosul are anxiously waiting for us to enter upon some such
measures as have already been proposed, and if these are sanc-
tioned, I dare to express the hope, that through the Divine
blessing, the Church of England will be instrumental in doing
much good to the ancient churches in these regions.”
Before leaving Asheetha Mar Shimoon gave me a letter ad-
dressed to His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, of which
the following is a translation.*
“The salutation of safety from God, and the peace of our
LORD, from the mouth of Mar Shimoon, Catholicos and Patri-
arch of the Eastern regions, to you the Primate and Archbishop,
the Catholicos and Patriarch of the English regions.
“Be it known unto your Grace that the presbyter George
came unto us in these Eastern parts, and brought unto us three
affectionate Epistles, one from your Grace, another from the
Lord Bishop of London, and a third from the Bishop of the
Holy City Jerusalem, which Epistles he read and explained in
our hearing. We rejoiced exceedingly and beyond measure,
first on account of the words which you sent to us in your
fatherly epistles, and secondly, because of the arrival of George,
the elect presbyter, and your deputy. He himself witnessed the
* The original of the above, and of several other letters from Mar Shimoon,
addressed to the Primate and Bishops of the English Church, which will be
found in this work, are preserved I believe in the archiepiscopal archives at
Lambeth.
† All the Patriarch's epistles are headed with this cipher. The two Syriac
letters stand for JAH, and the three dots above and the one below them are in-
tended to denote the Trinity in Unity.


252
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
afflictions which we suffer from the Hanafites, [Mohammedans,]
and we also related to him what we have to endure from their
tyranny, and he will communicate all this to your Grace in our
behalf. The above mentioned presbyter, George, underwent
many hardships, and encountered many difficulties, in his way
to us, first, on account of the severity of the cold and the winter,
and secondly, from the enemies who surround us; but the
grace of God delivered him out of every danger. And be it
known unto you, that he is our agent from us to you, and we
pray that the LORD may preserve you from all evil and harm.
And we moreover beg, that the eye of your Grace may be
directed towards us, that it may not be true of you as our LORD
saith, in His teaching : ‘I was in prison and ye visited Me not,'
&c. for we are at present in slavery to the Hanafites. Besides,
we heard from the presbyter George, how that you had offered
assistance to us in money to be expended in schools for
our benefit; and in this matter also, let the presbyter be the
agent betwixt us. So much to your Grace.
“Written on the 17th of Shbât, in the village of Asheetha,
in the
year
of our Lord 1843.”
L. S.
use.
March 3rd.-Before starting from Asheetha, the Patriarch
made me a present of some mountain-grown tobacco, and
several wax tapers, which he had brought with him for his own
We left early in the morning and in less than half an
hour reached the foot of Kadoma. Two lusty Nestorians had
come with me for the purpose of carrying me up the steep
ascent; but all their efforts were in vain. After several tumbles
I determined to proceed alone, and finally succeeded in reaching
the high table-land. The snows were still on the ground, and
we were obliged to trudge on foot to Amedia, where we arrived
in safety the day following, after having spent a night at the
small Nestorian village of Mâya in the Berwari.
March 4th.— Went this morning with Kasha Mendu, to visit
the Church of Mar Abd Yeshua (vulg. Mar Audishu,) near the
village of Deiri, about three miles to the east of Amedia. Our
road lay over the off-shoots of the Tcah Meteenah, now covered
with anemones, irises, and the other wild flowers, which decked


CHURCH OF MAR AUDISHU.
253
the mountain sides with their gay and lively colouring. Deiri,
(so called from the church,) is pleasantly situated in a deep
ravine, and shaded with a thick grove of fruit trees. The air
in the vicinity was perfumed with the fragrance of violets which
grow in rich abundance on the hills and valleys around.
We
found the church deserted, and in a very dilapidated condition :*
in its internal construction, it resembles that of Mar Gheorghees
at Leezan, consisting of three parallel chapels, that on the south
side serving for the Baptistery, which appears to be its position
in all the Nestorian village churches. Tradition
says,
that Mar
Audishu was erected 366 years before Mohammed, and that it
was at one time served by forty-two monks, who resided in the
natural caves hard by.
This church is held in great veneration by the Mohammedans
of the surrounding districts, who generally respect such places
of Christian worship as were built before the advent of the False
Prophet. Ismael Agha, the Kiahya of Amedia, told me in a
very serious tone, that a Coord of his acquaintance who had
become mad, having been bound within the walls for a night,
was found in his right mind in the morning following. Kasha
Mendu drew forth from under a heap of stones the iron chain
and collar used on these occasions, and if the testimony of the
Nestorians is to be implicitly received, many wonderful cures
have been effected on maniacs by similar treatment.
In the yard of the church I observed the skin of a wild boar
which had been killed the day before by a Mohammedan, and
had been brought hither by the Nestorians to dry, after which
they intended to cut it up into sandals. On inquiring whether
the Nestorians ate the flesh, and manifesting myself some dis-
gust at the idea, I was informed that not only did they eat it,
but that I also had partaken of some sausages made with the
flesh of that identical animal the night preceding. Kasha Mendu
told me, however, that his people have taken such licence only
within the last few years, the mountain Nestorians, as well as
the Jacobites of Jebel Toor, still manifest great abhorrence for
swine's flesh, and the same prejudice is not uncommon even at
* I was glad to find, on my visit in 1850, that this church had been restored,
and that the LORD's Supper was administered in it to a congregation of Nes-
torians from Amedia and the adjacent villages by Kasha Mendu.


254
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS,
the present day among the papal Syrians and Chaldeans of the
plains.
On our return to Amedia, I accidentally heard of a young
Jacobite lad, who had been forced to embrace Islamism. On
my return to Mosul, I made an application to the Pasha, on the
subject, and succeeded, after some trouble, in procuring his libe-
ration, after which he was permitted to join his church without
molestation.
March 6th.—We left Amedia at 7 A. M., and after crossing
the Supna, made the western rump of Jebel Gara about noon.
The road now ran through two ravines covered with valonîa-oak,
and at 2 P.M., we reached the Coordish village of Spindar, (the
Zindar of Ainsworth.) The southern side of the Gara is quite
smooth, and entirely destitute of wood. On ascending the high
hills beyond Spindar, called Tcah Kheré, we had to our left a
pretty valley, in which lay the two villages of Tceloki and Mezi,
the former belonging to the Coords, and the latter inhabited by
forty Nestorian families with a church and Priest. A little
farther on we crossed another deep ravine, through which the
principal source of the Gomel flows, and close by which is the
large village of Khor Depni, until lately peopled by Nestorians
but the Priest having seceded to Rome, all his flock followed his
example. This district is very fertile in vineyards, fig, almond,
and pomegranate trees. After travelling till sunset, we put up
for the night at the Coordish village of Kani Baska.
March 7th.-Set off at half-past 5 A.M., once a rugged road,
and in three hours reached Bestava, situated in a narrow vale,
with several other Chaldean villages, which like that of Khor
Depni were until within the last few years inhabited by Nes-
torians. One hour more brought us to the Geli-oot-Tirsh, a
long and difficult pass leading through the Tcah Mezuriyeh
range. At the head of the pass we observed the remains of a
deserted village, amidst the ruins of which, the almond trees
were blossoming, and the vines were putting forth their early
leaves apparently without an owner. After travelling three
hours more we reached the pretty Coordish village of Shkeften-
diah, the (Kathandiyah of Mr. Ainsworth,) situated in a valley
which gives off several glens, that to our right leading to Sheikh
Adi, the sacred shrine of the Yezeedees, a detailed description


RETURN TO MOSUL.
255
of which has already been laid before the reader. Thither we
bent our steps, and it was about noon when we found ourselves
enjoying the shade and beauty of this romantic and picturesque
retreat. Twelve hours' ride from Sheikh Adi brought us back to
Mosul and to our friends in safety, after an absence of eighteen
days.


SETTLEMENT OF NESTORIANS IN COORDISTAN.
257
of the plains, which makes their settlement in the mountains
consequent upon the tyranny and oppression exercised towards
the Christians of Media and Persia by the sanguinary Tatars.
“After the fall of the Caliphs, the power of the Chaldean
[Nestorian] Patriarch in the East rapidly declined. The sect
endured persecution from the Tatar sovereigns, and had to con-
tend against even more formidable rivals in the [Roman]
Catholic missionaries, who now began to spread themselves over
Asia. The first great persecution of the Chaldeans [Nestorians]
appears to have taken place during the reign of Kassan, the son
of Arghoun, the grandson of Hulaku. But it is to the merci-
less Tamerlane that their reduction to a few wanderers in the
provinces of Assyria must be attributed. He followed them
with relentless fury, destroyed their churches, and put to the
sword all who were unable to escape to the almost inaccessible
fastnesses of the Coordish mountains."* This would bring
down the arrival of the Nestorian colonies in Coordistan to
the middle of the fourteenth century, and I am strongly inclined
to believe that previous to that period there were no Christians
inhabiting that district. Had it been otherwise we should cer-
tainly find some account of them in the more ancient histories
of this sect; but among the many catalogues of Nestorian
bishoprics still extant there is not one mentioned which answers
to any of those now existing in Coordistan proper. Moreover
there are no architectural or other monumental records in the
mountains which argue in their behalf a greater antiquity of
residence than the period generally assigned to them. From
the 14th century we may reckon the decay of the literature of
the Nestorians, and this circumstance, while it goes to establish
that era as the true date of their flight into Coordistan, accounts
also for the fact that no author of any repute is known to have
sprung up among them.
Thus thrown into the centre of Coordistan, which at that time
we can conceive to have been but thinly populated, their own
prowess, added to the natural strength of the mountain fast-
nesses which they occupied, would soon gain for the Nestorians
the respect if not the fear of the Coordish tribes. The country
* Nineveh and its Remains, Vol. I.
p
256.
S


258
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
itself seems to have had no recognized master, and up to the
present day the boundary between Persia and Turkey running
through Coordistan is a quæstio vexata which Great Britain and
Russia have interposed to decide, and a commission appointed
by these two powers is actually engaged in settling the diffi-
culty. These rival claims have no doubt tended to secure to
the mountaineers generally their political freedom, whilst the
occasional efforts which have been made by the two courts to
bring the Coordish chiefs into subjection, have led the latter to
unite themselves more closely with their Nestorian neighbours,
and to avail themselves of their support in repelling any
attempt to rob them of their freedom.
The above account agrees with the traditions prevalent in the
mountains, and is confirmed by what is actually known of the
form of government which prevailed in this part of Coordistan
until within the last few years. The Emeer of Hakkari has
been for ages the presiding chief, and the predecessors of
Noorallah Beg granted to the Nestorians the rights of clanship,
which freed them from tribute, and gave them a voice in the
election of the Emeer,* and in all the councils of the tribes, on
condition that they supplied a certain contingent of armed men
for the common defence of the state. All the villages of Tyari
enjoyed these privileges with the exception of Asheetha, Zaweetha,
and Minyanish, from which the Emeer claimed a regular yearly
tribute. Besides this he exacted from these three villages, as
well as from all the other Nestorian provinces of central Coor-
distan Kharaj, a kind of humiliation tax, the same as is annually
levied by the Turks from all the Christians of the empire. Some
villages, like that of Serspeedho in Lower Tyari, purchased im-
munity from tribute by the payment of 13,000 piastres (about
£120,) for which sum they were admitted to all the rights and
privileges of clansmen. When in want of their assistance the
Emeer generally abstained from levying the Kharaj upon the
Nestorians, but when he foresaw no immediate need of their
help, he exacted from them as much as policy suggested, lest by
* The dignity of Emeer of Hakkari is hereditary in one family, but the choice
of the individual who shall assume it belongs to the tribes, who can depose their
chief, and substitute a relative in his stead. The same is true of the Emeer of
the Yezeedees.


FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
259
tary, and
He was
pressing too hard he might raise a resistance which he would
have found it difficult to subdue.
In dition to the Emeer the Nestorians had heads of their
own, who held under him a dignity nearly allied to that of the
old Lairds of the highlands of Scotland, or the Sheikhs of the
Bedooeen Arabs. This office, like that of the Emeer, was heredi-
gave the incumbents certain rights over those villages
which were not ranked among the tribes. These chiefs were
styled “Meleks,” and previous to the outbreak of 1843 the
two individuals holding that rank in the Tyari were Me-
lek Barkho of Rawola d'Salabeken, and Melek Ismaeel of
Chamba.
The Patriarch had a two-fold authority, in the exercise of
which he appears to have been supported by the Hakkari
Emeers, until an increasing thirst after power, and a fear lest
the Christians might acquire political ascendancy in the moun-
tains, led them to use every effort to undermine it.
regarded as their spiritual head by all the Nestorians in Persia
and Coordistan, and his approbation was sought to sanction any
measures of state proposed by the council of the tribes. We
have already seen how the present Mar Shimoon exerted this
power on the occasion of his visit to Asheetha, and I shall
hereafter record how he headed an army of 3,000 men on a
warlike expedition beyond the Tyari country.
The Patriarch, moreover, exercised the functions of a civil
magistrate : whenever disputes arose between the Christians
and Coords of any of the mountain provinces, the litigants
were free to decide before what court they would bring their
differences, whether before that of Mar Shimoon or the Emeer.
A Nestorian, however, dared not, when cited thereto by a
Coordish plaintiff, refuse to appear before the tribunal of the
latter, from whose sentence there was no appeal.
no appeal. But he
might choose the Emeer as his judge in preference to the
Patriarch, even when the defendant was also a Nestorian. It
is said, that until within the last few years, such an appeal
was of rare occurrence, it being considered a crime for a Chris-
tian to go to law with a brother Christian before an unbeliever,
which sentiment they justly grounded on the injunction of S.
Paul (1 Cor. vi. 1–8). I mention the possible exceptions, how-
s 2


260
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
ever, in order to show the superior authority which was exercised
by the Coordish chiefs.
In former times it was customary for the Patriarch and
Emeer to sit in judgment conjointly whenever disputes arose
between a Coord and Nestorian; but this custom ceased after
the quarrel which took place betwixt the two people, the par-
ticulars of which will presently be recorded.
Part of the Patriarchal revenue, like that of the Bishops, is
derived from a Resheeth, or poll tax, amounting to three pence
of our money, which is paid him once in three years by all the
Christians of his diocese who have attained to manhood.
Besides this, he sometimes commutes with pecuniary fines, to
be applied to his own use, the much-dreaded sentence of ex-
communication, which he passes upon those who are found
guilty of any grievous crime, whether committed against the
laws of the Church or state. An instance of this occurred
just before my arrival at Asheetha : Mar Shimoon had fixed
the dowry to be paid to the parents of a bride at 200 piastres
(about £2.) A father refused to give his daughter in marriage
to one who sought her hand for less than 500 piastres, and was
accordingly excommunicated for his disobedience. He bore
this sentence for a short time, but finding it intolerable re-
lented, and the culprit was restored to the communion of the
Church, and to the society of the villagers, for the sum of
100 piastres. Now although the nature of this punishment is
ecclesiastical in its name and origin, yet inasmuch as it was
awarded to crimes which in other countries are not taken cogni-
zance of by the ecclesiastical courts, and being inflicted and
removed at the will of the Patriarch, proves that he exercised a
civil as well as spiritual jurisdiction over all such as submitted
to his authority.
Another source of the Patriarch's revenue is derived from
the Gheweeth, or first-fruits, which the people present every
year from the produce of their land to the different churches
in his diocese, of which a tenth part is set apart for his private
This custom, however, does not prevent his receiving
directly from the more wealthy, an annual Gheweeth, the amount
of which is left to the discretion of the donor.
From the above statement, it results that the mountaineers
use.


NOORALLAH BEG.
261
lived in an almost independent state, the only acknowledgment
of subjection which the Emeers rendered to the Porte consist-
ing of a nominal tribute of 300 piastres, which they sometimes
paid to the Pasbas of Van and Amedia, and in return for which
they received a robe of investiture. Noorallah Beg had testi-
fied his submission in a similar manner, and was confirmed in
the authority exercised by his predecessors. The conquests
and ambitious designs of Mohammed Pasha, the chief of
Rawandooz, whom the Turks, not being able to reduce by force
of arms, decoyed to Constantinople, committed to him the
government of his native province, and afterwards gave secret
orders that he should be poisoned on his return home, which
crime was actually perpetrated at Amâsia, opened the eyes of
the Sultan's ministers, and directed their attention to the
political condition of Coordistan generally. Bedr Khan Beg
received a decoration at their hands, and Noorallah Beg was
more fully and formally recognised as the Emeer of the Hak-
kari districts. Dr. Grant gives the following account of this
latter event, which took place in 1839 : “I remained ten days
at Van, and had repeated interviews with my old friend
Noorallah Beg, the Coordish chief, whom I had cured during
my memorable visit to Bash-Kala.
It was gratifying
to find him still cherishing the friendly feelings with which he
welcomed me; but it remains to be seen how valuable his
friendship may yet prove. Changes have occurred which have
modified his power, and hereafter the traveller through his
heretofore lawless country will have less to fear. It is now
placed under Turkish jurisdiction : the chief has bartered his
independence for an appointment from the Pasha of Erzeroom,
and he was returning, an officer of the Porte, to govern his
spirited clans whom he had found too restless to control by his
single arm. He also foresaw that the extension of European
influence, and the consequent changes occurring in the east,
might at no distant day wrest his independence and his country
from him. He therefore deemed it wise to make such voluntary
overtures as would enable him to retain his station as the
immediate head of the Hakkari tribes."*
Armed with this new authority, Noorallah Beg soon began
* The Nestorians ; or, the Lost Tribes, p. 104.
.


262
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
to trespass beyond the powers of a feudatory chieftain, and
feeling that in case of emergency he might call in the support
of the Turks, he regarded with comparative unconcern the dis-
affection which his new measures were creating among the
Christians. He now exacted the Kharaj from all the Nestorians
without distinction, and demanded a yearly tribute from the
produce of the landed property belonging to many of the
churches. His directions to the Coordish tax gatherers were,
that in case of any demur in the payment, they should spread
their carpets upon the altars, and otherwise defile the temples
of the Nestorians; and so great had become his jealousy of
the Patriarch's influence, that he threatened to impose a heavy
fine upon such villages as should show him more than common
respect. He moreover intrigued with the Meleks, and suc-
ceeded in attaching them to his party, chiefly by making over
to them that portion of the ecclesiastical revenue which was
yearly set apart for the use of the Patriarch.
But there is every reason to believe that the Porte, in thus
extending for a time the powers of the Coordish chiefs, enter-
tained the design of finally subjecting them to Ottoman rule.
The stratagem had so far succeeded in central Coordistan, that
the power of the mountaineers was weakened by the dissensions
which soon sprang up among them. In furtherance of this
political scheme, the Turkish government in 1841 divided the
authority, which until then was almost entirely exercised by
Noorallah Beg, between two individuals, giving to the latter the
district of Bash-Kala, and to his nephew, Suleiman Beg, that
of Julamerk. New intrigues were now secretly set on foot by
the rival chiefs, and the latter so far succeeded that an attempt
was made about this time by the Nestorians to raise him to the
dignity of Emeer, and to depose Noorallah Beg. I shall give
the narrative of this project and its results as nearly as pos-
sible, in the words of Kash' Audishu and Kasha Kena, of
Leezan, who took a prominent part in the village councils :
“ The Emeer of Hakkari had of late years encroached upon
the rights of the Christians, and (whether they were sincere or
not God only knows,) the Meleks professed to take part with
the people, who had determined, if possible, to exterminate him.
Accordingly Meleks Barkho and Ismaeel went to Mar Shimoon,


CONSPIRACY AGAINST NOORALLAH BEG.
263
who was then at a village not far from Leezan, and made known
to him their designs. The Patriarch did all in his power to
turn them from their purpose, and told them plainly that he
would not be an accomplice in the plot. Finding him in-
exorable, they modified their plan, and proposed, that as Noo-
rallah Beg had rendered himself obnoxious to the Christians
of the mountains, he should be deposed, and Suleiman Beg
elected in his stead, in which scheme they could rely upon the
co-operation of many of their neighbours the Coords. Seeing
that they were not to be turned from their purpose, Mar Shi-
moon chose the lesser of two evils, and promised to become the
medium of communicating to Suleiman Beg the result of their
conference, which he did shortly after. In the meantime, how-
ever, the affair got wind; but as Noorallah could not hope to
overcome them by force of arms, be set new intrigues on foot,
and fomented dissensions among the principal confederates.
Some months passed away without any strike having been
made, when the Meleks and Elders came to Kasha Kena and
desired him to write and inform the Patriarch that they had
decided to fall upon the Emeer within a few days and destroy
him,—that the young and old were ready to join them,—that
arms had been provided for those who did not possess them,-
and that it was now useless for him to attempt to foil them in
their project. On the receipt of this letter, Mar Shimoon sent
a confidential messenger to Kash' Audishu, calling him to a
consultation. Thinking that I might be a long time absent,'
said the priest in his narrative, I took my ass and gun, and
accompanied by one of the villagers set off into the Berwari to
fetch a load of salt, which I required for the use of my house-
hold. While seated at a short distance from the village a Coord
accosted me, and inquired what was going on in the mountains.
I accordingly related to him what I knew ; whereupon, to my
great surprise, he told me that the Nestorian elders had visited
the Moollah of that same village a few days before, and had
got him to write a letter to Noorallah Beg, to the effect that
they gave up the person of their Patriarch into his hands, to
do with him as he pleased, and that henceforth they recognised
him as their only chief, to which letter all affixed their seals.
(Whether this was a blind or not to throw the Emeer off his


264
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
guard, God only knows.) I went immediately to the Moollah,
who assured me that wbat I had heard was true; so without
delay I hurried after Mar Shimoon, who was then at his house
at Kochânes. On hearing my report he was at a loss what
course to pursue, but finally determined to seek safety in flight,
and accordingly set off that same night for Jelu. The night
following a party of Noorallah Beg's followers attacked the
Patriarchal residence, and burned it with fire. Mar Shimoon
remained in Jelu for some months, when a partial reconciliation
was effected by Melek Ismaeel, who brought him back to his
own house in Dez.'»*
This state of things, however, did not remain stationary for
any length of time : some of the principal Nestorians held
with the Emeer, whilst others espoused the cause of the Pa-
triarch, who at a loss what to do, applied to the Pasha of Mosul,
and made known to him the critical position of his people.
The Pasha, as we have already seen, itched to have a finger in
the affairs of Coordistan, and intrigued to widen the breach
between the two contending parties, in the hope that he
himself would eventually succeed to the government of the
mountains. I have in my possession the copies of twenty
letters which he sent to Mar Shimoon about this time, all of
which show the exquisite cunning of his deep-laid schemes.
As the Patriarch could not read Arabic or Persian, these letters
were translated into Syriac by a Jacobite deacon at Mosul, who
presented me with the rough drafts of the same after the Pasha's
death.
here can be no doubt, that some fear as to the result of
this reference to the Turkish authorities on the part of Mar
Shimoon, added to his former jealousy of the Patriarchal influ-
ence, instigated the Emeer to strengthen his position so as to
be able to crush the Christians at a blow. In order to this, he
cultivated the friendship and alliance of all the Coordish chiefs
in the neighbourhood, and invited to his court all the disaffected.
Ali Beg, who with his brother Hadj Asaad Beg, had created a
* The burning of the residence of the Patriarch, at Kochânes, was the prin-
cipal cause of the estrangement existing between him and the Emeer on the
occasion of my visit to Asheetha, and the fact itself was referred to in the speech
of Deacon Ishâk, as has been recorded in a preceding chapter.


ISMAEL PASHA.
265
rebellion in Mardeen, and were reduced by Resheed Pasha, and
who rebelled again after that the government of that town had
been entrusted to him by Mohammed Pasha of Mosul, were
both refugees in the Hakkari, under the wing of Noorallah
Beg. Ismael Pasha, the ex-governor of Amedia, who had an
old grudge against the Nestorians, and who afterwards took an
active part in the warlike expeditions against them, was also a
frequent visitor there. The cause of this enmity on his part
deserves to be related. We have already described this chief as
the hereditary Pasha of Amedia, who claimed descent from the
Abbaside Caliphs, and whose family was consequently held in
high veneration by the Coords. In 1832 the chief of Rawan-
dooz, in his campaign into these parts, ejected him from his
fortress, and placed a garrison there under the command of
Resool Beg, his brother, to whom he made over a large portion
of the province of Bahdinân, which he had seized upon and
appropriated. In order to regain possession of his inheritance,
Ismael Pasha applied to Mar Shimoon for assistance, who, with
the consent of Noorallah Beg, headed a force of 3,000 armed
Nestorians, many of whom were priests, and led them as far as
the village of Ba-Merni, in the Supna. Just before this, the
army of Mohammed Pasha of Mosul, bad taken the castle of
Daoodia, and a messenger was despatched from thence to Mar
Shimoon, informing him that it was the intention of the Pasha of
Mosul to take Amedia, and consequently, if the Nestorians followed
up their design of re-instating Ismael Pasha in the government
of the province, they would be fighting against the Osmanlis. On
hearing this, the Patriarch sent a reply, to the effect that they
never wished to oppose the Sultan's authority, and that as affairs
had taken such a turn, he would contrive a scheme to with-
draw from the contest. He accordingly informed Ismael Pasha
that it was necessary for him and his troops to celebrate Easter
at the church of Arâden, a Nestorian village a few miles distance
from Ba-Merni, promising to return as soon as the feast was
over. In the dead of the night the Nestorian contingent crossed
the Tcah Meteenah, and the day following re-entered the Tyari
country. Ismael Pasha never forgot this treachery: for a long
time after he was kept under surveillance at Mosul, from whence
he escaped to Bedr Khan Beg, with whom, and with Noorallah


266
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Beg, he became a joint confederate in all the cruel and san-
guinary measures which were afterwards planned and executed
upon the unfortunate Nestorians.
Ziner Beg, who had committed so many depredations in the
Berwari, and on whose account the Patriarch visited Asheetha,
as has already been related, was also a refugee among the
Artushii Coords, under the fostering wing of Noorallah Beg.
Fearing to bring down upon themselves the vengeance of
the Pasha of Mosul, the Nestorians of Asheetha had listened
to the advice of Mar Shimoon, went against this outlaw, and
entirely routed his followers. He was afterwards raised to the
chief command of Bedr Khan Beg's troops, which he headed in
their several attacks upon the Tyari. The circumstance of his
having been thwarted and defeated in his designs by the Nes-
torians, sufficiently accounts for the bitter hatred which he
manifested towards them on the occasion of the massacre.
But the most powerful associate of the Hakkari Emeer was
Bedr Khan Beg himself. An innate hatred of Christianity,
combined with a restless anxiety to prevent as far as possible
the extension of Osmanli rule in Coordistan, made this bold
and bigoted chieftain a ready confederate against the Nestorians.
Had it not been for his powerful co-operation, there is every
reason to believe that the attack upon the Tyari would not have
been made, or if attempted, would have been successfully met
and repulsed by the hardy mountain Christians. I shall now
leave these infidel conspirators to ripen their nefarious schemes,
whilst I give some further account of our missionary proceedings
at Mosul.


267
CHAPTER XVIII.
Missionary labours at Mosul.--Effects thereof upon the Chaldeans and Jacobites.
- Flight of Mar Shimoon and his arrival at Mosul.—His letter to the Eng-
lish Bishops.—Sir Stratford Canning's intervention in behalf of the unfor-
tunate Nestorians and Mr. Rassam's zeal and benevolence in the same cause.
-Deceitful conduct of the Turkish authorities towards the Nestorians.-
The Nestorians rise against the Coords at Asheetha.- Arrival of liberated
captives from Jezeerah.—Appointment of a Turkish commissioner to obtain
the release of the captives, &c.— The Romanists attempt to bribe Mar Shi-
moon.—Intrigues against the Nestorians.--News that our mission is to be
withdrawn.-Further account of missionary labours. The authority of the
Church wanted in order to the proper conducting of Eastern missions.-
Letters of Mar Shimoon to the English Bishops and the Society for Propa-
gating the Gospel on the withdrawal of our mission.—Death and funeral of
the author's mother.
BEFORE leaving for the Tyari country I had begun to fit up a
small chapel in my own house for the use of our mission and
the few English residents at Mosul, and my first care on my
return from the mountains was to see it completed. Here we
assembled daily, morning and evening, whilst in every other
respect we endeavoured to conform strictly to the injunctions
of our ritual. The moral effect of this measure upon the native
Christians equalled our expectations. It brought before them
in a tangible and unmistakeable form our service and discipline,
and numbers who visited the chapel generally left with some
remark of this kind : “ We now see that what we have been told
about the English, of their having no churches, no altar, no
Eucharist, and no regularly ordained priesthood, is untrue.”
Shortly after my return from the mountains we had associated
with us, at the recommendation of the Lord Bishop of London
and the Lord Bishop of Gibraltar, two Eastern ecclesiastics,
Kas Michael Giamala, formerly of the convent of Rabban Hor-


268
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
muzd, and Kas Botros Hazaz, ex-superior of one of the convents
in Mount Lebanon, the former a Chaldean and the latter a papal
Syrian priest, who were refused communion in their own churches
on account of their reformed opinions. Kas Michael I found
to be a first-rate Syriac scholar, and intimately acquainted with
the Chaldean rituals, and Kas Botros was equally well versed in
the Arabic and in the Syriac of the papal Syrians and Jacobites.
The nature of our further missionary proceedings may be gathered
from the following extracts of a report to the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, dated Mosul, June
15th, 1843.
“ Our united efforts have been more successful than we anti-
cipated: no less than fifty Chaldean families have declared
themselves opposed to the Pope's assumed authority over their
Church, and to the innovations which have been introduced
among them during the last forty years, and these are now im-
portuning us to form them into a separate congregation with
Kas Michael as their curate. They do not desire to become
proselytes to our Church, to adopt our ritual, or to come under
the jurisdiction of our Primate, nor have we sought to induce
them to throw off any of those ecclesiastical customs and cere-
monies peculiar to their Church and community, acting in this
respect in accordance with the principle sanctioned in our Thirty-
fourth Article ; but what has been added to, or taken from the
faith and discipline of their forefathers they wish to expunge
and restore, the heresy of Nestorius always excepted. The ques-
tion now is, whether the Church at home will assist them in
carrying out this reform, for without our help they must remain
where they are, return back to Rome, or relapse into infidelity,
either of which alternatives is greatly to be deprecated. Any
attempt to open schools among the Chaldeans, while they remain
within the pale of the Roman Church, is out of the question :
the Papists here have schools of their own, nor will they here
any more than elsewhere allow their children or people to avail
themselves of our teaching either through the medium of schools
or of books. It remains, therefore, for the Church to decide
whether she will sanction our taking the initiatory measures for
organizing a community of reformed Chaldeans, such as pur-
chasing a house, fitting up a chapel, and engaging a deacon or


MISSIONARY LABOURS AT MOSUL.
269
more to assist Kas Michael, as their spiritual necessities may
require. In connection with this congregation it should be our
care, as it is a measure greatly desired by the well-disposed
Chaldeans themselves, to establish a school wherein their chil-
dren should receive such instruction as may fit them to become
useful members in the Church of their forefathers.
“ The idea has occurred to me more than once of opening our
own chapel to the Chaldean congregation; but there are several
reasons arising out of the political condition of the Christians in
the Ottoman Empire, as well as the desirableness of making it
appear to all that we aim at no final amalgamation of the two
Churches, Anglican and Chaldean, or of subjecting any of the
Eastern communities to our ecclesiastical obedience, which con-
vince me that such a step would be imprudent, and tend greatly
to defeat the object which we have in view.
“I have said little in my former communications respecting
the Jacobite Syrians at Mosul; but since the arrival of Kas
Botros our intercourse with them has been more frequent. The
result, so far, has been a distinct offer on the part of the rector
of one of the two parishes into which the town is divided, to
receive the decrees of the council of Chalcedon, and to erase
from their offices all passages against the orthodox faith and
language. Upwards of a hundred families, one priest, and
several deacons, are ready to follow the example of their rector
when the Church at home shall pledge herself to afford them
that assistance which they will require in their new position.
In this case there will be no necessity for fitting up a chapel, as
the right of the congregation to the parish church will hardly
be disputed..... It therefore remains for the Church to
authorize us to reconcile these Jacobites, and to give us whatever
directions she may deem necessary for our future labours among
them.
“I am still in communication with Mar Shimoon, the patri-
arch of the Nestorians; but such is the present disturbed state
of the Christians in the Tyari, occasioned by the late and con-
tinued efforts of the Hakkari Emeer to rob them of their little
remaining independence, that no fixed plan of operation can be
successfully attempted among them, until their political con-
dition is more favourable. We are not inactive, however, with


270
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
regard to their interests generally, and are not without hope, if
the will of God permit, that our efforts may eventually lead to
the restoration of the Nestorians to the Catholic Church of
CHRIST."
Early in the month of May I received a letter from Mar Shi-
moon, in which he informed me that the combined forces of
Bedr Khan Beg and the Hakkari Emeer were about to make
war upon the Nestorians, or to attack the Berwari district within
the jurisdiction of Mohammed Pasha of Mosul, and to charge
them with the invasion. On the 4th of June I received another
letter in which the Patriarch thus describes the execution of this
long-projected scheme : “If you inquire after our weal, be it
known unto you that the Hakkari Emeer, Ismael Pasha, Bedr
Khan Beg, and Tatar Khan Agha, the chief of the Artushii
Coords, combined against us, and on the great feast of the Ascen-
sion made a sudden irruption into our territory, carried off an
immense booty in sheep belonging to Melek Ismaeel and other
of our people, murdered a number of men, women, and children,
cut off their ears and sent them to Bedr Khan Beg. Moreover,
we learn that they are preparing for a second onslaught, when
they intend to burn, kill, destroy, and if possible, exterminate
the Christian race from the mountains. From this you may see
that what befel Job has fallen to our lot: our sons and daughters
bave been slain with the edge of the sword, and our flocks, herds,
and property have become the
prey
of our enemies."
The worst fears of Mar Shimoon of a second attack upon the
Christians were soon realized. The combined Coordish forces
now advanced from the province of Dez into the Tyari country.
Their passage of the Zab was warmly contested; but over-
powered by numbers the Nestorians were obliged to give way,
and the fierce invaders advanced towards the villages, burning
and otherwise destroying whatever came within their reach. As
an instance of the revolting barbarity of these infidels, I shall
mention the following: The aged mother of Mar Shimoon was
seized by them in Dez, and after having practised upon her the
most abominable atrocities, they cut her body into two parts
and threw it into the Zab, saying the meanwhile : “Go and
carry to your son the intelligence that the same fate awaits
him.” Many women and children were taken captive during


RAVAGES OF THE COORDS.
271
this second onslaught, most of whom were sent to Jezeerah to
be sold as slaves, or to be bestowed as presents upon influential
Mohammedans. No quarter was given to the men, and there
remained no safety for the vanquished but in flight. Numbers
fled to the almost inaccessible fastnesses of the mountains, whilst
others took refuge in the Berwari districts, where an almost
similar fate awaited them. Mar Shimoon, accompanied by one
of his brothers, two attendants, Kash' Auraha and his family,
effected their escape to Mosul, which they reached on the 27th
of July. The Patriarch's party were hospitably received by Mr.
Rassam into the British Vice Consulate, and the archdeacon and
his family became part of our household.
But I cannot better describe the ravages committed by the
Coords upon the unfortunate Nestorians, and the appeal made
by the Patriarch for help, than by laying before my readers the
following copy of a letter written by Mar Shimoon to the Arch-
bishop and Bishops of the English Church, and forwarded by
me to his Grace the Primate on the 12th of August, 1843.
“From Mar Shimoon, by the grace of God, Patriarch of the
Chaldeans in the East, to our most reverend and dearly beloved
brethren, the good shepherds, Mar William, Archbishop of Can-
terbury, and Catholicos of England, Mar James, Bishop of Lon-
don, and all our brethren, the reverend Bishops of the orthodox
English Church, the successors of the Apostles, the master
builders of the churches, and the confirmers of the true Christian
faith-Peace.
“God so loved the world that He
gave His only-begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should be saved. And this
Only-begotten (to whom be worship) has given us an especial
precept, saying: A new commandment I give unto you, that ye
should love one another. And again : By this shall all men
know that ye are My disciples, &c. Also when He commenced
His Divine ministry, He gave us an example whereunto to con-
form ourselves, saying : Greater love than this can no man have,
than that a man should lay down his life for his friends. And
truly, my brethren, love is stronger than death ; and we may


272
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
well
say
this, since
you
have desired to inquire after our state,
being prompted to do so by your wishes for the union of spiritual
love, which love has been broken off since the fourth century
until now through the envy of those who hate what is good, and
the malice of the scatterer of CHRIST's flock which our Saviour
purchased with His most precious blood. And we may truly
say for our own part, that had not the Lord left us a remnant
we should have been even as Sodom, and like unto Gomorrah.
Yet hath not all this befallen us otherwise than by the Divine
permission. And now we may say that the measure is full, and
is running over; for, as saith the Divine Apostle: Where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound; yet it is not of him
that willeth, neither of him that runneth, but of God which
showeth mercy.
“And now we would briefly describe to you our condition,
since you bave requested to know the same from us. Be it then
known unto you that, by the grace of God, we are holding fast
the true faith of the Apostles, as it has been transmitted to us
by the holy Fathers, and by the general councils; and that until
now we have kept ourselves clean from all heretical defilement,
having strong hope that we may continue established in this
faith until the second coming of the MESSIAH, since we have
the promise from the mouth of God: Lo, I am with you always
even unto the end of the world. But you are not ignorant that
from the fourth to the end of the seventh century the LORD gave
Asia into the hands of the Greeks, and during this interval the
country was distracted, and the Church separated into different
communities of Chaldeans, Syrians, Greeks, Copts, Armenians,
Maronites, and others, and when Islamism was introduced all
Christians were oppressed and persecuted, becoming slaves to
the Moslems when before they were as the kings of the earth.
And in the fierceness of the persecution all the true and orthodox
shepherds were destroyed, the colleges and schools abolished;
and especially did this evil take place in our Eastern parts, so
that knowledge perished therefrom. After this came the ravenous
wolves in sheep's clothing, who, having found a seasonable
opportunity, began to preach up the papal supremacy, and the
universal jurisdiction of Rome. And seventy years ago these
wolves came hither also, and have caused the sheep to stray from
..


LETTER TO THE ENGLISH BISHOPS.
273
the fold, and by their sophistical treachery have they led away
the flock, so that they obey not the staff of the true and lawful
Shepherd. Nor do these deceivers cease to pervert the right
ways of the LORD levelled out for us by the Saviour Himself
and His holy Apostles.
“But as we dwell apart from these in a separate country called
Tyari, these wolves have not as yet been able to come to us.
Such was our condition, remaining in our own country in per-
fect peace and security, when about three years since persons
came to us from the new world called America, and represented
themselves to us as true Catholic Christians; but when we
became acquainted with their way, we found that they held
several errors, since they deny the order of the Priesthood com-
mitted to us by our Lord, nor do they receive the æcumenical
councils of the Church, nor the true traditions of the holy
Fathers, nor the efficacy of the sacraments of salvation, which
Christ hath bequeathed to His Church, viz. Baptism and the
holy Eucharist; on which account we must beware of their
working among us. But when your messenger, the pious pres-
byter George came to us, and delivered into our hands your
letters, we were filled with joy when we read their contents,
and learned therefrom your spiritual and temporal prosperity.
Whereupon we gave thanks to God, since before we had thought
within ourselves what thought Elijah the prophet, when he said :
They have slain Thy prophets, thrown down Thy altars, and I
even I only am left; but when we saw that the LORD had
reserved to Himself
many
thousands who had not bent the knee
to Baal, and these in the Land of Angels,* we exulted and
rejoiced, and gave thanks to the Most High. And we have
now given up all others that we may be united with you in
brotherhood and true Christian love. And this our confidence
was awakened in us, when we became acquainted with your truly
evangelical faith, clearly made known to us by your presbyter
George. And since he in his praiseworthy and excellent con-
versation has apprised us of your great love towards us, we
would make your brotherhood acquainted with the grievous
afflictions which have lately befallen us.
* Mar Shimoon was fond of calling England by this name after I had related
to him the paronomasia of Pope Gregory.
T


274
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
“Be it then known unto you, brethren, that during the last
two months, the enemies of the truth,—the tyrannical Ish-
maelites of Coordistan,-have risen up against us, and have
almost put an end to the Christians dwelling in the provinces
of Tyari and Dez. They have smitten our priests and dea-
cons with the edge of the sword, and have slain men, women,
and children, without distinction, and the remnant, even a great
multitude, they have carried away into captivity. Our churches
and monasteries, wherein God was wont to be glorified, and
His praises resounded at the offering up of the holy Eucharist
and the appointed seasons of common prayer, have these infidels
razed to the ground; and now, instead of prayer and praise is
heard the loud voice of the Hanafites [Mohammedans) uttering
blasphemies against the religion of Christ. Not content with
the destruction of our churches, they have despoiled them of the
holy vessels, the patens, and chalices, with the vestments, which
they have defiled, and now our inheritance has passed into the
hand of strangers, and our homes to those of infidels. We are
orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows, our necks
are under persecution, we labour and have no rest. We have
given the hand to the Hakkari Emeer and the Beg of Jezeerah
to be satisfied with bread. Truly our fathers have sinned, and
we have borne their iniquities; servants bear rule over us, and
there is none to deliver us out of their hand. They have
ravished the women in Tyari, and the maids in the villages of
Dez; our princes have been hung up by the hand, and the faces
of our elders were not honoured ; our elders have ceased from
the gates, and our young men from their music. The joy of
our hearts is gone, and our dances are turned into mourning.
The crown is fallen from our heads. Woe unto us that we have
sinned! For this our heart is faint, for these things our eyes
are dim,-because the mountain of our Zion in Tyari is desolate.
Moreover, they have destroyed all our books.
“This being our case, we beseech you to stir
up your
Christian
care and zeal, and to assist us in our poverty by your benevo-
lence and overflowing charity springing out, as it is written,
from a cheerful heart, so that we may be enabled to re-build our
churches and monasteries, and you will be the praiseworthy means
of supporting and preserving our community now persecuted by


DISTRESSES OF THE NESTORIANS.
275
the Gentiles, who hate the truth. And if it should please God
to grant us through you a safe return to our home and office, we
shall be, as it were, drowned in the sea of your bounty, and be
enabled to recompense you in any way, since your help will bind
us in obligation to you for ever. But the reward of the merciful
is with God, nor shall even a cup of cold water be forgotten by
Him. On this subject we would repeat to you the words of the
righteous Job, saying: Have pity upon us, have pity upon us,
ye our friends, and according to your ability help us; for the
wise man saith: that the friend is known in adversity. And
let this much suffice for your love. Finally, may the LORD
JESUS guard and protect you. Amen.
“Written on Friday, the 30th day of Tammooz, in the city of
Mosul, in the house of the presbyter George your deputy, in the
year of our Lord 1843, and of the Grecian Era 2154, by the
weak bands of the sinful presbyter Auraham of Tyari, the ser-
vant and archdeacon of Mar Shimoon."
L. S.
Sir Stratford Canning having been made acquainted with the
untoward condition of the mountain Nestorians, used all his
efforts with the Porte to obtain a cessation of hostilities and the
immediate release of the captives. Mr. Rassam, on his part,
zealously carried out the instructions of his Excellency, by press-
ing upon the local authorities the duty of preventing any further
slaughter, and by doing all in his power to alleviate the dis-
tresses of this unfortunate people. Mohammed Pasha, how-
ever, refused to interfere, stating that the Coords had acted
under orders from the Pasha of Erzeroom. The Pasha of Bagh-
dad, on being applied to on the subject, directed the Pasha of
Mosul to demand the slaves from Bedr Khan Beg; this he
refused to do, saying that that functionary ought to make the
demand himself. Thus the task was shifted from one to the
other, while the poor Nestorians were languishing in captivity
at Jezeerah. Mr. Rassam himself wrote to Ismael Pasha, whose
family was living upon his bounty at Mosul, begging him to
intercede for the release of Mar Shimoon's brothers, sister, and
two other female relations. The Coord testified his gratitude
T 2


276
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
in this instance and procured their liberation; but they were
not allowed to join the Patriarch. About this time a Nestorian
boy and girl were sent as a present by Bedr Khan Beg to the
Kaim Makám, or lieutenant governor of Mosul, and the sum of
27,000 piastres to Mohammed Pasha, clearly proving that these
functionaries were not averse to receiving a share of the ill-gotten
booty. Mr. Rassam strove to procure the liberation of the
children, and fearing that he might succeed, the crafty Moham-
medan sent them back to Jezeerah. Through the untiring
efforts of our excellent ambassador a vizirial letter was now sent
to the Pasha of Mosul, directing him to obtain the release of the
captives ; and Mr. Rassam having called upon him to fulfil the
imperial mandate, he flatly denied having received any such
order, and manifested the greatest indifference to all the appeals
which were made to him on this head.
Let us now turn to notice what was going on in the moun-
tains. The house belonging to the American missionaries at
Asheetha had been seized by the invaders, and turned into a
fortress by the addition of four turrets and other fortifications.*
Ziner Beg was stationed here with a force of 400 Coords, and
from this strong position practised the most barbarous cruelties
upon the villagers of Tyari. The Nestorians bore his tyranny
patiently for some time, but being promised assistance by several
Coordish chiefs east of the Great Zab, in the month of October
they attacked the garrison, slew twenty of their number, and
besieged the remainder for the space of six days. On promising
that they would immediately surrender and evacuate the fortress
they were supplied with water by the Christians, when suddenly
defying their besiegers a fresh conflict succeeded. In the midst
of these renewed hostilities a company of 200 cavalry arrived
from Bedr Khan Beg, and turned the fortunes of the day. The
Nestorians taken by surprise were completely routed, no quarter
was given, and men, women, and children fell in one common
massacre. The slaughter on this occasion surpassed the former,
the village was fired, and three bags of ears were cut off from
the wounded, the dying, and the dead, and sent as a trophy to
Bedr Khan Beg. While these outrages were being perpetrated
* On their return to the Tyari the Nestorians razed this building to the ground,
so that not a vestige of it remains.


DISTRESSES OF THE NESTORIANS.
277
upon the Tyari Christians, Mohammed Pasha had a large force
stationed at Amedia, waiting, it was said, to take possession of
the country should the Nestorians have succeeded in driving out
the Coords.
A large number of Nestorians now escaped to Mosul and the
surrounding villages. The condition of these unfortunate fugi-
tives was deplorable in the extreme: many of them were almost
naked, and all were driven to beg their bread from door to door.
Mr. Rassam exerted himself to save them from any annoyance
on the part of the Turks, and generously supplied the necessities
of a considerable portion of them. The American missionaries
took the care of about twenty, whilst, depending upon the
charity of our societies, I hired a house and lodged and provided
for the wants of from forty to sixty.* My sister, Mrs. Rassam,
and Mrs. Badger were industriously engaged in making clothes
for the poor women and children, and in otherwise sympathizing
with them in their afflictions. The local authorities in the
meantime refused any assistance, and continued to manifest the
same indifference to the sufferings of the Nestorians.
The renewed hostilities in the mountains having been com-
municated to Sir S. Canning, fresh orders were sent out by
the Porte to the different governors in these districts to obtain
the release of the captives.
Mohammed Pasha at length
acknowledged that he had received orders to that effect, but at
the same time had been enjoined to treat the Emeer of Buhtân
with great lenity. About the middle of December he despatched
the Kaim Makâm to Jezeerah on this mission, and sent by him
a horse and silver trappings as a present to Bedr Khan Beg.
A month after this forty-five captives, chiefly young women and
children of both sexes were floated down on a raft to Mosul and
brought to the British Vice-Consulate, where as many as two
hundred Nestorians had assembled, all anxious to recognize the
fond face of some dear relative of whose fate they were doubtful.
* I record with thankfulness the response of the Society for the Propagation
of the Gospel to my appeal. From the end of July, 1843, to the end of April,
1843, we had under our care from ten to sixty liberated and refugee Nestorians,
including the Patriarch's archdeacon and family, for whom we provided clothing
and daily food. Towards covering the expense of their maintenance, the Society
honoured my bills to the amount of £121. 10s. 5d. The late Anglican Bishop
at Jerusalem also contributed £5. to the same object.


278
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
It was a heart-rending scene which will never pass from my
memory. Here a husband embraced his lost wife, there another
heard that the partner of his bosom was still a slave; children
ran to the arms of their mothers who wept over them with a
parent's joy, whilst others heard the sad tidings that their off-
spring had been either sold, or slain by the hands of the infidels,
or had thrown themselves into the Tigris to escape dishonour.
A few little ones stood alone in the crowd whom no one seemed
to claim : there were three sweet children among these who
alternately wept and laughed as they saw those around them
sad or joyful. Their tender age, their winning simplicity, their
innocent unconsciousness, softened the hearts of several Moham-
medan spectators, and I saw more than one shed tears over the
fate of these unfortunate Christians. Two of the children, named
Gool Yama and Rendi (the “ flower of the sea
” and “pretty,'')
became part of our own household, whilst my sister took charge of
the third. Some of the remainder were added to those for whom
we had already provided a separate dwelling, and the rest were
taken by Mr. Rassam, who now hired a spacious Khan for their
accommodation.
There still remained upwards of a hundred captives at Jezee-
rah, but these Bedr Khan Beg refused to surrender, on the
ground that they had either become private property by pur-
chase, or had embraced Islamism. Many more were scattered
about in many parts, and were reclaimed by the unwearied ex-
ertions of Mr. Rassam, who despatched agents on this errand
all over the country, so that by the end of January, he had pro-
cured the release of more than sixty Nestorians. In February
1844, Kemal Effendi, a Turkish commissioner appointed by the
Porte, reached Mosul, and was soon after followed by Mr. R.
Stevens, then Vice-Consul of Samsoon, who was directed to
co-operate with him in obtaining the liberation of the captives,
and in such other measures as might tend to the safety of the
Nestorians in the mountains. Kemal Effendi had an interview
with Bedr Khan Beg and obtained the release of forty or fifty
captives; but it was evident from the after proceedings of this
commission that the Turkish government was averse to any
coercive or strong measures being adopted against this formid-
able chieftain. Notwithstanding the presence of Kemal Effendi


INTRIGUES OF THE ROMANISTS.
279
at Mosul, the Nestorians of the mountains were still persecuted
by the Coords, whilst the refuges in the city and surrounding
villages were harassed by the Romish missionaries, who used the
most questionable means to draw them over to their creed. A
large sum of money, understood to have been sent by the
French Ambassador at Constantinople, to relieve the wants of
the fugitives, was placed in the hands of the priests, who distri-
buted the alms at the church doors, in order to induce the
Nestorians to frequent their services. Even Mar Shimoon was
tempted in this way, and two agents were sent to him by Mar
Zeyya, the Chaldean Patriarch, while he was at my house, and
during my absence, who offered, on the part of their employer,
that he would abdicate his dignity in favour of Mar Shimoon,
and give him the jurisdiction over all the Chaldeans, and a sum
of £800, if he consented to submit to the see of Rome. More-
over it was proposed by the papal party, that the government
should be solicited to settle the Nestorians in the plains, and
French agency strongly abetted a scheme which promised to
bring this ancient community more within the reach of the
political influence of the one and the ecclesiastical control of
the other. Intrigues such as these were rife at this time; but
so far as my information extends scarcely one proselyte was per-
manently added to the ranks of the Chaldeans during the
sojourn of the Nestorians at Mosul.*
In order not to break the thread of the narrative, I have
brought down the above summary of the Nestorian affairs, con-
sequent upon their invasion by the Coords, to the time of our
departure from Mosul early in May, and shall now retrace my
steps to resume the account of our missionary proceedings up
to that period. As I consider it more satisfactory to do this by
quotations from our reports to the Gospel Propagation Society,
the reader must pardon any repetition which this plan may
entail.
In the month of August, we received a letter from the Com-
* I had almost forgotten to mention here the sum of £ 200 sent by Sir S.
Canning, in the month of March, for the relief of the Nestorians. This season-
able aid enabled Mr. Rassam to afford increased assistance to the sufferers, which
he continued to do for many months, from his own resources, after this liberal
donation was expended.


280
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
mittee, after they had read our two first communications, to the
effect, that the Society declined acceding to our propositions,
first, for want of funds, and secondly, because they never con-
templated a permanent mission at Mosul. In consequence of
this intimation, I forwarded to the Society another report, dated
23rd September, 1843, from which I extract the following:
“What effect the statement contained in my reports respect-
ing our labours hitherto, and the means which we have put into
operation for carrying out the spirit of our instructions, may
have in leading the Church at home to prolong the residence of
her agents here, to extend her original intentions towards the
Christian communities in this region, or to withdraw them alto-
gether, I hope you will not fail to communicate the same to us
whenever she shall have passed her decision on the subject. In
my former letters, I have given a full account of our proceed-
ings; but it may not be out of place to recapitulate what we
have done, and are still doing, in order that the Church may be
the better able to judge what course it would be most expedient
for us to pursue under the existing circumstances of the Chris-
tians to whom we are sent.*
“In the first place, we have endeavoured to the utmost of our
power, to redeem the honour and orthodoxy of our holy Church
from the wicked aspersions of her enemies, and the combined
and almost equally baneful influence of schismatics, who, by
identifying themselves and the irregular efforts of their respec-
tive societies with the Church of England, have led the Eastern
Christians generally to consider her a promiscuous assembly of
individuals, bearing indeed the Christian name, but divided
into numberless sects, each holding an independent Creed, and
acknowledging no other than human authority,—without any
* I never felt more strongly the want of a competent authority to refer to, in
questions relating to interference with the Eastern communities generally, than
during the continuance of our mission. I was fully alive to the fact, that many
subjects propounded in my reports could not be validly decided upon by the
Society to which they were addressed, and hence I invoked “ The Church,"
which really exists among us, but now unfortunately deprived of her legitimate
action in such matters. Until she resumes that authority which Christ Him.
self imparted to her, but which man has filched from her for a time, the Church
of England will not be instrumental in conferring any lasting benefit upon the
ancient churches of the East.


MISSIONARY LABOURS,
281
uniform liturgy, ritual, or discipline. This we have done by
seeking opportunities to make known the doctrine and apos-
tolical order of our Church, wherever we have travelled, and by
opening our house at all times to the numerous visitors who
frequent it from the town and country, and by distributing
many copies of our Book of Common Prayer in Arabic to such
as have asked for them. But the most effectual means to this
end has been the opening of our little chapel, wherein we have
carried out into practice the excellent order of our services,
The daily matins and vespers, and the weekly celebration of the
holy Eucharist, with a rigid observance of our festivals and fasts,
have done more to make known the spirit of our Church than
any other measure that could have been adopted. Numbers
from the town and villages, have been present on various occa-
sions, and since the unfortunate massacre, Mar Shimoon and
many of his people from the mountains have had frequent op-
portunities of witnessing our order, and of commending it as
true, primitive, and apostolical. . . We have moreover
distributed seven of the nine cases of the Holy Scriptures which
we brought out with us, besides supplying schools and many
private individuals with elementary treatises printed at the press
of the Church Missionary Society at Malta.
“ These efforts on our part have tended greatly to strengthen
that portion of the Chaldean community who desire to restore
the independence of their Church ; but not having been con-
fined to any particular denomination of Christians, they have
had also a more general effect in weakening the hold which
Rome has acquired over the greater portion of the Christian
population in these districts.
“Agreeably with our instructions I very early entered into
correspondence with Mutran Elîa of Alkôsh, the rightful suc-
cessor to the Chaldean patriarchate according to the custom
prevalent among the Nestorians, and by him we were encouraged
to labour among his people, while he for the present declined
taking any active part toward recovering his rights, or of
openly co-operating with us. . . . But a great difficulty exists
against any attempt to restore the patriarchal dignity to the old
line, a difficulty arising out of the personal character of Mutran
Elîa himself, which has proved a great source of discouragement


282
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
to those who really desire that the Church should be freed from
the Papal jurisdiction and restored to its original purity (Nes-
torianism always excepted) and independence. I have already
given you an epitome of Mutran Elîa's early history, his em-
bracing Nestorianism, and return to Popery, and the indifference
with which he is treated by the ruling Papal party. Since
exerting ourselves so much for his advancement and the freedom
of his people, I have had several interviews with him, but find
him so timid and supine that we almost despair of his ever
coming forward to claim the patriarchate. He is naturally
wanting in moral courage, and the ill-treatment which he and
his family bave received from the Papal party has rendered him
doubly so. . . . All this while he is opposed to the encroach-
ments of Rome, and I believe sincerely desirous that his people
should be freed from its yoke, yet with all this no further effort
can be made on his behalf unless he will come forward and act
for himself. Whereas, on the one hand, his timidity and
hesitancy have seriously affected the courage and cooled the
zeal wherewith he would otherwise have been supported by a
good portion of the Chaldean community; on the other, it has
served to encourage the Romanists to greater assumptions and
inspired them with a determination to put down, if possible, the
spirit of reform manifested among the people at any cost.
On
this account it is that many who consort with us have had their
taxes doubled, and have suffered other losses and indignities, for
which they can expect no redress while the Papal party among
the Chaldeans is recognised by the government as the Chaldean
Church.
“The Church will at once perceive the difficulty in which we
are placed by these circumstances : a difficulty which has hitherto
prevented us from making any more direct efforts among the
Chaldeans until we receive directions from home, or until by the
providence of God the way shall be made plain and open for our
further interference. I am persuaded that the Church would
hardly sanction any ulterior measures which we might use to
raise an individual, so little to be depended upon and so little
respected by the generality of the Chaldeans, as Mutran Elîa, to
the patriarchal dignity; nor do I believe that she would approve
of any attempt on our part to create a schism by drawing over


MISSIONARY LABOURS.
283
a number from their present spiritual rulers for the purpose of
forming them into a distinct community. Besides the irregu-
larity of such a proceeding, there are political difficulties in the
way of its accomplishment which would render any means to
this end abortive.*
“In connection with the Nestorians of Tyari we have also
been labouring, with the sanction and co-operation of Mar
Shimoon, among those who still people many villages in the
province of Bahdinân. Kasha Mendu of Amedia has been
engaged by us for some time in teaching the few Nestorian
children in that town. Kasha Narsi, the priest of Inishk, in
the valley of the Supna, who went over to Rome two years ago
and had been followed by all the villagers, has since repented,
and is now engaged by us in instructing his people and their
children in the orthodox faith. Priest Gheorghees of Asheetha,
who accompanied Mar Shimoon in his flight to Mosul, has been
sent by me to the village of Musakan, in Upper Berwari, to take
the care of the refugees from Tyari who have peopled it. He is
also engaged to teach the children, and does occasional duty in
one or two neighbouring villages which are destitute of clergy.
He took with him letters from the Patriarch to Mar Yeshua-yau
of Doori, the Bishop of the diocese in which Musakan is
situated, requesting him to sanction the appointment. Having
lately heard of several villages near Akra, who still maintained
their ancient creed, and refused to submit to Mutran Yoosef, the
Chaldean Bishop of Alkôsh, we sent Kas Stephân, a Chaldean
priest favourable to reform, with letters from Mar Shimoon to
visit in that direction. He found the villages ten in number,
* I ought to have mentioned before, that our efforts among the Chaldeans at
Mosul were sanctioned by Mutran, sometimes called Mar, Elîa at the outset,
since without this notice our proceedings may appear to have been in opposition
to our principles. Except by the then dominant party he was generally regarded
as the rightful successor to the Chaldean patriarchate, whose claims had been
wrongfully set aside by the See of Rome, and was consequently held competent
to grant us this licence. It is a matter for thankfulness, however, that no de-
cided measures were taken to establish him in that dignity, not only because of
the supineness of his character, but chiefly because I afterwards found, what will
be more fully shown in the succeeding volume of this work, that the hereditary
succession to the patriarchal office was an innovation on the more ancient custom
and discipline among the Nestorians and in direct opposition to their recognised
canons,


284
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
but in a very destitute state, chiefly owing to the exactions of
the local government. Mutran Yoosef happened to be there at
the time on his annual visitation to collect tithe, and was exert-
ing his influence to bring these Nestorians into the bosom of
the Church of Rome. He had succeeded with one village, but
the remainder had sent in assurances of their obedience to Mar
Shimoon, and begged that he would not fail speedily to conse-
crate a Bishop to watch over their spiritual interests. . . .
“The above is a summary of our operations among the Chal-
deans and Nestorians since our arrival here, and I beg that the
Church will speedily acquaint us whether we have thereby trans-
gressed the spirit of our instructions. If so, however discou-
raging it may be to those who have begun to look up to her
for support and protection, we must forbear, as it will be worse
than futile to enter upon measures of general usefulness to the
Churches and then have them to be taken advantage of by those
who will only turn them against the truth. And I see not how
we can continue even as we have begun to any available pur-
pose, unless the Church intends to maintain an agency here for
superintending the carrying out of her benevolent designs. For
example, of what avail will it be to establish schools in the
country unless the Church continues to support and watch over
them? The plant thus sown must be watered, or it will inevit-
ably droop and die for lack of moisture, and this the native
Churches have no means of supplying. Should our Church
abandon these Churches, there is too much reason to fear that
ere long they will fall under the Roman yoke, as the Papal
emissaries are as zealous as they are indefatigable, sparing
neither men nor money to compass this object. I need not
enlarge on the moral evil which would result from such an
alternative. Rome has already filled the East with schism, by
inculcating doctrines and superstitions which would certainly
have been condemned by the Catholic Church as heretical, had
they been propounded before the fifth century. And now that
she has lost much of her hold upon the West, she is striving
in the pangs of dissolution as it were to set up another kingdom
in the East, founded on darkness and ignorance, such as she has
established in South America, and which it will require more
than human power to destroy or even to shake. While the


MISSIONARY LABOURS.
285
ancient Nestorian Church exists (and I believe its existence
may be prolonged and its life and vigour restored by the bless-
ing of God upon the continued and zealous aid of our Church),
Rome will be checked in her onward progress ; remove this, and
her triumph here will be complete. It is devoutly to be hoped
that such will not be the fate of this venerable community, but
that God in His mercy will call to mind the indefatigable zeal
of many of its early wortbies, who, braving the most fiery perse-
cution, preached the Gospel in the extreme East, and bless them
for the fathers' sake. We believe that He who has suffered
them to decrease can multiply them a hundred fold, and who
can tell but that a return on their part to Catholic orthodoxy
may not be to them as life from the dead, and that this people
may not yet spring up to be a praise in the whole earth ?
Blessed will that Church be which God shall honour as His in-
strument in so pious a work, a work which may pave the way
for the conversion of the large infidel populations in these
regions.
“ The Papal and Jacobite Syrians.-What efforts we have
made with respect to these communities, I have already com-
municated to your committees. Kas Botros has been very
active among them, and I hope with success.
We have sup-
plied a great number of the Jacobites with copies of the Syriac,
Carshooni, and Arabic Scriptures, and have assisted their
schools in various ways, one of which is partly supported by
us. Kas Botros is moreover engaged in educating a few of their
children in the higher branches of science."
The following is an extract from a later report, dated De-
cember 18th, 1843 :
“We have now about forty Nestorians at Mosul, for whom
we make daily provision, and who are all lodged in a house
opposite my own. These are exclusive of the Patriarch, his
brother, and immediate attendants, who reside with my brother-
in-law the consul, and his archdeacon, the archdeacon's wife,
sister, and child, who live at our own table.
There are among
those under our immediate care, three priests, and eight dea-
cons, with their wives, children, and other relatives. The child-


286
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
A
ren we have already formed into a school of fourteen boys and
seven girls, the former superintended by Mr. Fletcher, who also
teaches them English, and the latter by Mrs. Badger.
Nestorian priest and deacon are engaged in reading Syriac
with them, and another ecclesiastic instructs them from a small
catechism which I have lately had translated into the vulgar
dialect for that purpose, with the approbation of the Patriarch.
The Clergy attend prayers regularly with Mar Shimoon in his
private room, and on Sunday our little chapel is crowded with
Nestorians, the Patriarch and his clergy being always present
at the service, from the commencement to the end of the liturgy,
which we celebrate every Lord's day. The Church will at once
see, that this estimation of our services by Mar Shimoon paves
the
way for our ready reception by his people: and I bave no
doubt, should the will of God be so, that if once restored to
his country and Patriarchate, future messengers from us will
be welcomed by the Nestorians, and their efforts to assist them
will be received with joy and gratitude.
“Kash' Auraha, the Patriarch's archdeacon, has made a per-
fect revision of the [so-called] Syro-Chaldaic Gospels, printed
by the London Bible Society, as well as of the Acts and Epis-
tles published by the American Dissenters at Ooroomiah. We
have now consequently from his hand a complete exemplar of
the New Testament ready for the press. The archdeacon is
also assisting me in revising the Syro-Chaldaic Old Testament
and Apocrypha, no part of which has ever yet been printed.”
About this time we received a letter from the committee of
the Gospel Propagation Society, informing us that we might
soon expect to be withdrawn from the sphere of our labours.
The reasons given for this step were as follows: 1. The want
of funds. 2. Because the Society was not prepared to sanction
the principle of direct interference with the Eastern Churches.*
* Direct interference on our part with the Christian communities in the east;
is doubtless a subject which demands the most serious deliberation before it is
attempted, nor can any such action be legitimately decided upon but by the
Church. The Greek, or Holy Eastern Church, the Jacobite, Armenian, and
Nestorian sects, and the Dissenters therefrom which now acknowledge spiritual
obedience to the Roman See, stand in different relations to us, and hence the


INTERFERENCE WITH THE EASTERN CHURCHES.
287
3. Because the Society was incapacitated by its charter from
engaging permanently in any but colonial missions. We still
continued our labours, however, being determined to work
>>
same system of missionary operations cannot consistently be pursued towards
all. I think there can be no doubt, that it is the duty of the Church to restore
the bodies held to be heretical, even if she is ultimately obliged to resort to
individual proselytism. Here, however, the existing communities already formed
therefrom, through the efforts of Latin missionaries, and styled severally the
“Syrian Catholic,' “ Armenian Catholic,” and “ Chaldean”. Churches, pre-
sent an obstacle in our way. These three dissenting bodies have abjured the
heresies for which their forefathers were originally excommunicated by the coun-
cils of Ephesus and Chalcedon, and so far we may cordially rejoice in what has
been done by the Church of Rome; but with their return to orthodoxy, they
have either retained or embraced other doctrines which have not indeed been
formally condemned by any æcumenical synod, but which are, according to our
Articles, repugnant to Holy Writ, and perhaps equally dangerous to the soul's
salvation. Are these communities to be regarded as true and lively branches of
the Catholic Church, and may we conscientiously and approvingly look on whilst
Rome accomplishes her triumph by reducing the whole of these alleged heretical
sects to the obedience of the sovereign Pontiff, and to the creed of Pope Pius IV.?
I trow not; and I think that our own recognized formularies, as well as the
theory of the Church's doctrine and ecclesiastical discipline in the earliest and
best ages of her history, will bear me out in regarding the new “ Churches
formed in the east by missionaries from Rome as schismatical and hence ought
not to be held as sound branches of the Catholic Church. But if so, let them
be led, some may say, to join the Holy Eastern Church from which they origi-
nally dissented. Most heartily might we sanction such a return and union ;
but here again another difficulty arises. We ourselves are now separate from
that Church, and there may be found to exist doctrinal as well as other differ-
ences,
which may prevent our re-union thereto for some time to come, greater
than exist in the way of a successful attempt to restore the heretical and
schismatical eastern sects to the communion of the Catholic Church, by induc-
ing them to abjure what is contrary to Sacred Scriptures in their present doc-
trines and practices. Moreover, the Greek Church makes no attempt to this
end, and is in fact in too low and depressed a condition, spiritually as well as
temporally, to make any such effort. And must we forbear to carry out the last
command of the SAVIOUR to His Church because another branch of that Church
neglects its duty, or is unable to perform it ?
I am aware that individual opinion is of little worth in deciding questions of
this nature; but I think it will be allowed on all hands, by those who wish to be
guided by the spirit of the Gospel, that missionaries generally, but more espe-
cially those who are sent to regularly organized Christian communities, ought
to bear with them the authority of the Church, whose alone it is to lay down on
what principles missionary efforts should be conducted. This subject, in its
numerous bearings upon the welfare and prosperity of Carist's kingdom in
the world suggests a powerful reason for the re-establishment of our two houses
of Convocation.


288
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
while the opportunity was given us, and not knowing but that
God might open a way for our further sojourn among the Nes-
torians, of whom I thus wrote in a letter addressed to the So-
ciety, dated 28th December, 1843 : “My late reports will
convince you that much has already been done in paving the
way for a rapid regeneration of this people. We have assisted
in establishing schools among them in the district south of the
Tyari, and have opened communications with most of the clergy
in that region. Mar Shimoon, and several of his principal
ecclesiastics, have now been with us for six months, and we
have daily proofs of his increased attachment to our Church,
and of his anxious desire that she should use all her efforts to
benefit his people. The late massacre has driven a great num-
ber to Mosul, who have not only partaken of our charity, but
have received instruction from us, and are now tolerably well
acquainted with us as a Church. These still continue here
waiting until Mar Shimoon's affairs shall be so far settled as to
allow of their return to the mountains with safety. Up to
yesterday they numbered eighty-four persons, exclusive of the
Patriarch and his immediate attendants, and I am sure it would
gratify you to see all these assembled every Sunday morning
witnessing our services with the greatest decorum and reverence.
The Patriarch and his clergy are always present on these occa-
sions, and from what I have heard it only requires an invitation
from me (which, however, I do not feel authorized to give), and
Mar Shimoon himself and all his people would gladly receive
the Holy Eucharist at our hands.*
“Besides this we have formed the children into two schools,
as I have already acquainted your committees, and no less than
sixty Nestorians receive daily catechetical instruction in our
* A few weeks afterwards, during divine service, Mar Shimoon requested
through Kas Michael to be admitted to communion with us. I begged the
priest to inform his Holiness, that it would be irregular for me to receive him
under the circumstances of the case, which I endeavoured to explain after the
liturgy was ended. This maintenance of discipline had the happiest effect upon
the Nestorian clergy generally, and from the discussion which followed I had
reason to believe that a right effort on our part would lead this people to remove
whatever obstacles prevented the re-establishment of communion betwixt us and
them. This disposition of the Nestorians to unite with our Church, will be
more fully dwelt upon in the succeeding volume.


LETTER TO THE ENGLISH BISHOPS.
289
little chapel. From these facts you may gather that whenever
Mar Shimoon is restored to his patriarchate, we shall have
acquired so extensive an influence over this people as will bid
fair, through the blessing of God, to open the way for our doing
them essential service. Granting, therefore, that for the present
we can do but little for the Chaldeans, will the Church of Eng-
land draw back from the Nestorians just as she has stretched
forth the hand to assist them, and that her proffer of assistance
has been so eagerly received ? What will become of this in-
teresting people under such circumstances I have already stated
again and again to your committees, and now repeat that with-
out the special intervention of God, ten years will not elapse
before the whole of the Nestorians in Central Coordistan, will
acknowledge the jurisdiction and assent to the errors of the
Church of Rome.”
On hearing that our mission was about to be withdrawn, Mar
Shimoon sent the following letter to His Grace the Primate.
“ From Mar Shimoon, Patriarch of the Chaldeans, to his
beloved brethren in the LORD Mar William, Catholicos of all
England, Mar James, Metropolitan of London, and all the wor-
shipful Bishops,—may
the LORD
preserve them.
“ After the kiss of salutation we inform you, beloved brethren,
that previous to this present epistle we sent you another to
which we are now waiting an answer; may God grant the delay
to be for the best. You are undoubtedly acquainted with the
combination of misfortunes, calamities, and evils, which we
have suffered from the enemies of the Christian faith. These
have massacred large numbers of our people, and carried into
captivity very many of our women and children. They have
burnt and destroyed our villages, our habitations, and our
churches, and plundered us of all we possessed, so that the
prophecy of Jeremiah has been fulfilled in us : My people have
fallen into the hand of the enemy, and there was none to help
them; the enemy saw them and laughed at their calamity.
They pursued us in the mountains, and in the wilderness did
they lay wait for us. Mine eyes are dimmed with tears, my
;
U


290
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
bowels are troubled, my glory is poured out upon the earth for
the destruction of my people; because the women, and children,
and sucklings, have been sold as slaves in the towns and vil-
lages. The heart of our adversaries, namely the Romanists or
Papists, rejoiced when they saw what had befallen us, because
we would not give ear to their words when they would have
turned us away from our old and righteous path.
“But because that God is plenteous in compassion and merci-
ful, and with the temptation maketh a way of escape, He so
ordered it that the presbyter George Badger and his colleagues
should be in these parts to gather together such as had escaped
the edge of the sword, and to provide them with food and
clothing. Indeed had it not been for the presbyter just men-
tioned, and his exertions on our behalf, we know not what
would have become of us, for after God he has been our sup-
porter and help. May the LORD
recompense you abundantly
for having sent him unto us.
“We are not as yet delivered out of our troubles and calamities,
but have strong hope in the LORD that we shall soon be saved
from all our afflictions through the medium of Sir Stratford
Canning, who is endued with godly zeal, a noble diligence, and
sound policy on our behalf. May the LORD recompense him
also for what he has already done for us ; for undoubtedly had
he not stood in the breach before us our enemies would have
destroyed us utterly. The LORD God prolong his days, pros-
per his pious designs, and give him an incorruptible crown in
His everlasting kingdom.
“But now our calamity has increased, and the trouble of our
heart has been doubled, since we heard that the brethren are
thinking to recal the presbyter George Badger to your country,
a measure we never expected, nor did we ever anticipate such a
thing from them, especially while it is our lot still to be beaten
about by the waves of adversity, and knowing that you are a
refuge even for strangers, how much more then for those who
are of the household of faith. And now that we have found a
little respite, must we lose the chief foundation of our support,
and become a prey to our spiritual enemies who mock us for
having placed our dependance, after God, upon our English
brethren, and taunt us by saying: The English only laugh at


LETTER TO THE ENGLISH BISHOPS.
291
you, nor can they give you any assistance, neither do they keep
their promises. Moreover I am certain it will be a source of
deep regret to you, brethren, should you hear that so ancient a
church as ours, viz. the Chaldean Church, is destroyed or broken
up into sects; and so much the more because you yourselves
have tasted of the cup of divisions in your own country. And
shall this also befal our Church after it has continued one for so
long, even from ancient time?
“ Therefore I entreat you, for the sake of our LORD JESUS
Christ, that you do not reject this our petition, seeing that
it is not a great thing with you, that you should continue to us
the presbyter George Badger to assist us, and because the whole
is for the glory of God and for the welfare of men.
Nor can I
think that this is a hard matter to a nation holding the true
faith, and which sends forth so many messengers among the
people and brethren, so that in you is accomplished the saying
of the Psalmist : Their sound is gone out into all lands, and
their words unto the end of the world. Is it not a small matter
to such a nation to give up one person to those who are in so
much need of his assistance ? Moreover God has said : Call
upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee. We are
now in great trouble, and shall our brethren betake themselves
far from us? This is contrary to our hope. I therefore entreat
you, and not I only but all my bishops, priests, and deacons,
nay all my people join with me in the same request, that you
will continue the presbyter George Badger to us until our ur-
gent necessity is removed.
“Moreover we would acquaint you that we have made arrange-
ments, when it shall be the Lord's will to deliver us out of our
troubles, to open schools for the instruction and education of
our people, and to take many other measures for their benefit,
such as rebuilding the churches which have been destroyed, and
bringing together and establishing the numbers who have been
scattered about in Persia, in the mountains, in the plains, and
in the villages and cities of the stranger; for great diligence is
required to restore things to their former state, nay, but as we
hope, even to a better condition.
“And now, brethren, I commit this matter into your hands,
and expect an answer from you, that you will leave with us the
U 2


292
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
presbyter George Badger and his colleagues. This is our great
hope; and may the LORD prolong your life, while we in
parting repeat a second and a third time the kiss of brotherly
salutation.
“ Written on Saturday, the first day of January, in the year of
our LORD 1844, in the town of Mosul, in the house of the
presbyter George Badger, by the hand of Kash' Auraha, the
archdeacon and servant of Mar Shimoon."
L. S.
In the month of April we received a letter from the Com-
mittee of the Gospel Propagation Society informing us that they
were obliged to adhere to their former decision, and directing
us to return homewards. The feelings of Mar Shimoon on
hearing this intelligence I conveyed to the Committee in the
following extract from a letter, dated 19th April, 1844.
“It is not for me to offer any opinion on the propriety of the
Society's determination to break up the mission to the Nesto-
rians at a moment when our services are so much in request by
them. The motives which induced them to do so I have fully
explained to Mar Shimoon ; but it is very difficult for him to
understand the constitution of our Church Societies in England,
and therefore I am not able to say, that with all my efforts I
have succeeded in removing from his mind the impression that
the authorities who commissioned us to offer assistance to his
people have broken faith with him, and treated him with marked
unkindness.”
Before we left Mosul the Patriarch addressed the two follow-
ing letters to the Bishops of the Church of England and to the
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
“From Mar Shimoon, Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in
the East, to the most holy father Mar William, Catholicos of
the Church of England, and to the company of pious fathers
and most reverend bishops, peace be with you, from God our
FATHER, and from our LORD JESUS CHRIST.


LETTER TO THE ENGLISH BISHOPS.
293
“ It is now more than a year since your deputy, the well-be-
loved presbyter George Badger, came to us with a message of
peace and offer of assistance from your holy Church. Before
the above-named presbyter came to us we knew but little of the
glory and greatness of your orthodox Church, our intercourse
with the western Churches having been cut off for a great length
of time, and all we knew of them was through the medium of
the Church of Rome,—that church which through her emis-
saries has raised up a strange faith and wicked traditions and
practices contrary to the apostolical doctrine, which corrupt
traditions we abhor. And this Church has been endeavouring
within the last century to pervert the right way as found in
these regions, and has succeeded in causing to err those who
live in the plains from the royal path, and in turning them away
from obedience to their lawful shepherds. But since the arrival
of your deputy the greatest misfortunes and persecutions have
happened to us at the hands of our enemies, with which you are
doubtless well acquainted. We have been driven from our
homes by the infidels, our houses have been destroyed, our pro-
perty plundered, our churches razed and desecrated, our old
men massacred, and our women and children carried into cap-
tivity. In all these afflictions which have befallen us, under the
providence of the Most High, your deputy has been after God
our chief support and confidence. He has fed those among us
who were hungry, and clothed our naked ones, he has collected
those of us who were scattered abroad, visited the sick, helped
the distressed, and has been all along as a father beloved of his
children, and as an esteemed brother loved by all his brethren.
We pray
God to reward him in our stead for the kindness and
bounty which he has manifested towards us; for it is indeed a
small matter for us to give him this document as a testimony of
all the various good which he has done for us and to us, for
night and day he has laboured for our welfare, comforted us in
our affliction, and never tired. And not this only, but on our
behalf he has opposed our enemies, and like a second Moses has
stood in the gap for us, and it is through his exertions that we
are not entirely destroyed, and have not been mingled with a
strange people.
“Moreover through your deputy we have learned with certainty


294
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
that there still remains in the west a holy Church independent
and free from the corruptions of the See of Rome, (which is the
mother of error,) with a priesthood derived from the Apostles, a
right doctrine respecting the holy Sacraments as well as a pri-
mitive ritual. All these things we have seen in practice in your
deputy the presbyter George Badger, and herein we rejoiced,
and do still rejoice and give thanks to God, praying that He
may multiply you exceedingly, increase and strengthen your
faith, and bless and establish
your
Church so that it
may spread
to the four quarters of the world.
Finally, brethren, accept our sincere thanks for having sent
us so esteemed and zealous a son, who though he has been with
us for a short season, yet his services have been
very
valuable.
We have good hope, moreover, that you will send him back to
us without delay with glad tidings, and in the fulness of the
Gospel of Christ, that he may accomplish what he has begun
amongst us, through the blessing of our LORD, to whom be
glory, and power, and dominion, in His holy Church, now and
for evermore. Amen.
“ Written on the fourteenth of Nisan, in the town of Mosul,
in the year of our LORD 1844, and of the Grecian era 2155, by
the hand of the undeserving Auraham.”
L. S.
The following epistle is addressed to His Grace the Primate,
as the President of the Gospel Propagation Society.
ܗ
“ To the Most Reverend Mar William, Primate of England,
and to all others of the holy Society for the Propagation of the
living Gospel of CHRIST,-Mar Shimoon, Patriarch of the Chal-
deans in the East, sendeth greeting in the LORD.
“Be it known unto you, dearly beloved brethren, that we
begin to write this epistle with a heart full of pain and grief,
since, as it appears, our two former letters cannot have reached
you because no answer has yet reached us; the LORD grant
that the delay may be for the best. But the distressful circum-


LETTER TO THE PROPAGATION SOCIETY.
295
stances of our condition constrain us to write to your
Holiness
yet a third time by the hand of our dearly beloved son the pres-
byter George Badger, who is about to leave us and go away.
There is no need that we should repeat what we have already
informed you of respecting the misfortunes and troubles which
have happened to us, for our afflictions are now doubled since
our request that you would leave with us the above named
father until our affairs were settled has not been complied with.
And now you have ordered him to depart from this place and
to leave us like orphans. One thing, however, consoles us, that
our last epistle had not reached when you ordered his departure,
and that if it had you would not have sent for him to go to you;
for our confidence in
you
is that
you
would not leave us alone
amidst devouring wolves. But still the affliction which his de-
parture occasions us remains the same, while we continue in the
same scattered condition in which we were previously. And be
not surprised at this, for you could not have sent us one like-
minded to care for our estate and to labour for us night and
day. Perhaps you may have imagined that his services have be-
come less necessary because others have been sent to our assist-
ance; but, if this is the case you are mistaken. Verily I say
unto
you, that without him our affairs cannot be settled as we
wish; and thus, if you have one real feeling of brotherly love
and affection towards us, listen to our request and permit him
to remain with us.
“Now the presbyter is preparing to go to Constantinople where
he says you have permitted him to go for a time. It may be
God's will that his sojourn there may be to our benefit, and
may be the means of bringing about a happy termination to our
affairs. We therefore obey and submit. Be it moreover known
unto you
that have made him our deputy, that he may recom-
mend what seems fit both for our temporal and spiritual
building-up. And this we do wittingly, knowing his sincere
affection for us, and his perfect knowledge more than that of any
other person of all our affairs. He moreover takes with him
two important documents which may be useful in supporting
We therefore beg that you will allow him to remain
there sufficient time to settle for us what is requisite, ... and
afterwards we wish that your Holiness will allow him to return
we
our cause.


296
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
to us, to put in order the things which have been destroyed,
and to make straight what has been perverted, through the late
misfortunes which have happened to us.
“And again we repeat our supplication that you turn not your
face away from our request, which is but a little one, but made
to a great people, and a blessed Church. For, behold, the mes-
sengers of the Pope are as spies among us, and are using every
species of intrigue to get an opportunity of entering into our
country, in order to deceive the hearts of the simple, and these
come to us without our asking them. And do you wish to go
far from us,—you towards whom we have a cordial will ? as
Isaiah saith : I was found of them that sought me not, I was
made manifest unto them that asked not after me;
but
you
neglect those who seek after
you.
And have
you
not heard that
a cup of cold water given to your Christian brethren in affliction
shall never be forgotten of God! Finally we pray to the LORD
to pour His heavenly blessing upon your Church, and upon the
blessed people who are under your spiritual government in the
LORD, that you may spread the knowledge of the Gospel of
Jesus, and sow the divine Word, and bring forth fruit thereby,
sixty, and a hundred fold, now and for evermore.
“Written at Mosul, the 9th of the month Nisan, in the year
of our LORD 1844, and of the Grecian era 2155, by the hand of
Kash' Auraha of Asheetha."
L. S.
The decision of the Committees at home called us to prepare
to leave Mosul, but the pain of separating from the scene of our
interesting labours was heightened by a domestic affliction,
which I should hesitate to introduce here, but for the manifes-
tations of public sympathy which attended it. My mother, who
at an advanced age had accompanied my sister, Mrs. Rassam,
to this far distant place, was now called to her rest.
of the approaching departure of her only son weighed upon her
spirits, and for some time previous she seemed aware that her
dissolution drew nigh. She breathed her last in my arms on
the morning of the 28th of April. Her universal charity flowing
from simple but fervent piety had won for her the esteem and
The news


DEATH OF THE AUTHOR'S MOTHER.
297
to
regard of a great portion of the Christian population, and of
many of the principal Mohammedans of the town-Mar Shi-
moon especially, who had already been an inmate of the same
house for several months, loved her as a parent. Her careful
attention to his wants, her anxiety to anticipate all his wishes,
and her deep-felt sympathy for his misfortunes, had led him to
regard her with no common affection. “She is an English
saint,” he would often
say my
sister or to me ;
She is mine
and not your mother.” When he heard of her death his sorrow
was profound, and many tears were shed by the liberated cap-
tives and refugees, to whom she had been a bountiful benefac-
tress. Mr. Rassam's relatives at once offered one of their family
vaults for her interment, and many of the principal Chaldeans
gladly acquiesced in the proposal. But the Latin missionaries
interposed, and notwithstanding the united entreaties of many
friends obstinately refused to allow one whom they deemed
a heretic to be buried in a church over which they claimed
jurisdiction. The strong feeling of resentment which such
opposition created might have been fatal to their assumed power;
but this was no time for angry debates. We wished to bury
our dead out of our sight, and knew not where to lay her. The
Jacobites spontaneously offered a spot in one of their cemeteries
close to the grave of Dr. Grant, who had died a few days pre-
viously; but we at length availed ourselves of the generous
proposal of Khawaja Tooma, Mr. Rassam's dragoman, and a
Romanist Syrian, who, in spite of the protestations of the Latin
monks, nobly placed his own family vault in the church of the
Holy Virgin at our disposal. (May God reward him and his
dead with life everlasting for this act of Christian charity.) It
was my own sad duty to lead the funeral procession ; the few
resident Europeans and two American missionaries paid the
departed this token of respect and followed her bier; then came
Mar Shimoon, Kash' Auraha his archdeacon, and six Nestorian
priests, two Jacobite Bishops and all their clergy, and an Arme-
nian priest, each chanting their respective processional anthems,
as the mournful company proceeded to the church. The con-
course of Nestorian refugees, native Christians, and Mohamme-
dans, was immense; and all that human sympathy could do to
assuage the grief of the bereaved was manifested towards us on


298
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
this occasion by a large circle of Eastern friends. The corpse
was borne into the body of the church of the Tâhara, where,
the chant of the Patriarch and Bishops ended, I read over the
remains of my mother the first part of our Burial Service, and
then committed it to the ground "in sure and certain hope of the
resurrection to eternal life,” when once the number of God's elect
is perfected, and His kingdom shall come in all its glory. Most
it be said as it was of a mother like-minded : she was
truly may
one-
WHO LIVED A SAINTLY LIFE
ABOVE THIS WORLD;
AND, WRAPT IN HEAVENLY LOVE,
FIXED HER WHOLE SOUL ON GOD,
AND FED UPON HIS WORD
IN DEEP COMMUNION:
WHOSE CEASELESS PRAYERS
FILLED UP THE HOURS OF THE DAY;
WHOSE CEASELESS MEDITATIONS
FILLED HER SOUL WITH HIM,
HER SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST,
IN WHOM
HER WASTED BODY RESTS
IN PEACE
AND BLESSED EXPECTATION :
WHOSE DISEMBODIED SPIRIT
DWELLS WITH HIM,
AND SEES HIS FACE;
AND, WITH THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT,
SWELL THE SONG
OF ENDLESS PRAISE."*
The united part which the Nestorian Patriarch and Jacobite
Bishops took on this mournful occasion is perhaps unique in
the history of these contending sects since the time of Gregory
Bar Hebræus, of whom Gibbon, as already quoted in another
place, thus writes: “In his death his funeral was attended by
his rival the Nestorian Patriarch, with a train of Greeks and
Armenians, who forgot their disputes, and mingled their tears
grave of an enemy.'
“Oye spirits, and souls of the righteous, bless ye the LORD :
praise Him, and magnify Him for ever."
over the
* “ The Hours," from the Dedication.


299
CHAPTER XIX.
Departure from Mosul.-Separation from friends.—Journey through the desert
of Sinjar.-Albanian guards.—Meeting with the new Pasha of Mosul.
His encounter with Bedr Khan Beg.-Murder of the Jacobite Primate by
the latter.—Nisibeen.--Dara, its cemeteries, palace, prison, &c.—Ancient
history of.—Mardeen.—Arrival at Diarbekir.
May 2nd, 1844.—Having made the necessary preparations for
the journey, Mrs. Badger, Mr. Fletcher, and I, accompanied by
my brother-in-law and sister, Mr. Hormuzd Rassam, Mar Shi-
moon, and a large number of native Christians, left the Sinjär
gate at 9 A.M. We all rode together for about five miles, when
we dismounted to bid one another farewell. It was a painful
parting : we were now leaving behind those who were dear to us
by ties of blood, a fond parent's dust, and a sphere of labour,
which had not indeed been without its cares, (for what labour
is ?) but which had also afforded us ample scope for fulfilling the
important mission confided to us by the Church. I bade adieu
to my dearest friends on earth, whilst the venerable Patriarch
stood by sad and sorrowful. I approached to take his hand ;
the old man threw his arms around me, affectionately pressed
both cheeks to mine, whilst the tears chased one another down
his anxious face. This was more than I could bear
mounting our animals, we turned to give our departing friends
one more look, and then plunged into the desert.
This road to Mardeen is shorter by two days than the more
circuitous route by Jezeerah ; but it is seldom traversed in sum-
mer owing to the scarcity of water. Before Mohammed Pasha's
time it was hardly passable at all on account of the plundering
Bedooeen and the Yezeedees of Sinjâr; but the vigorous mea-
SO
;


300
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
sures which he adopted to subdue these freebooters had rendered
it so secure, that, to use an eastern phrase, "a man might travel
over it with gold upon his head," and fear no molestation. Since
the Pasha's death, however, the Arabs had again returned to
their inveterate habits of stealing wherever they could, and on
this account we availed ourselves of an escort of forty Albanians
who were being sent from Mosul to meet the newly-appointed
governor. The country is well cultivated for about ten miles
from the city gates, the wheat and barley were just coming into
ear, the weather was delightful, and at noon we reached
Atmeidât, which we found deserted, the villagers having all gone
to pasture their flocks among the Jubeilah hills a few miles to
the south. We accordingly pitched our tent upon the grass,
and after spending a few hours in chatting over the friends we
had left behind, prepared to partake of our evening repast. To
our surprise it was now told us that the guards expected us to
provide food for them also. Not having dreamt of this, we
offered them money to return and buy provisions ; but they
refused. Each had brought a loaf or two in his saddle-bags,
and this they said would suffice them for the desert journey.
We invited the captain to dine with us, but he declined, on the
ground that he did not wish to be taken more care of than his
men, who during the three days that they escorted us had
nothing else to eat than the scanty fare already mentioned. I
scarcely ever saw soldiers behave better : they never uttered a
word of complaint, always threw down their cloaks to rest and
picketed their horses at a respectful distance from our tent, and
took thankfully the present which we distributed
among
them
when we parted company. All this was the more remarkable
because they were Arnaoot, or Albanians, whose very name
among the orientals is connected with everything that is low,
inhuman, and barbarous; and their general conduct, so far as I
am acquainted with it, fully justifies the native horror of these
mercenaries.
May 3rd.—We started from Atmeidât at half-past 2 A.M. by
the light of a bright moon, and after travelling an hour all signs
of cultivation ceased; but the ground was now covered with a
carpet of thick grass, and decked with innumerable hyacinths,
many-coloured anemones, irises, daisies, and a great variety of


JOURNEY FROM MOSUL.
301
other familiar plants, which scattered an exquisite and refreshing
fragrance far and wide.
In three hours we passed the ruined village of Dolabiyah,
where the Jubeilah range terminates, and at half-past 7 A.M.
reached Aboo-Marya. This is a square fortress, lately rebuilt
by Mohammed Pasha, and now garrisoned by a single soldier,
who bestirred himself to make us comfortable. Under the walls
flows a small stream in its course to the Tigris, crossed by a
bridge of three arches called Kasé Koopri, by which name the
station itself is sometimes known. We remained here till 3 P.M.
when we proceeded in a north-westerly direction towards Hegneh,
which we reached in four hours. On this part of the road
there are several artificial mounds, near which I observed re-
mains of architecture, and an occasional pavement, clearly
proving that in by-gone days this district had other inhabitants
than the roving Bedooeen. The Sinjâr hills were now on our
left, and on our right the snow-capped summits of the Tcah
Meteenah rose majestically beyond the line of the desert, re-
calling to my recollection the rugged but picturesque scenery of
the Geli Mezurka, and the message which I carried with me
when I first crossed it to enter the peaceful valleys of the
mountain Nestorians. What scenes of rapine and bloodshed
have since then been witnessed there ! How mysterious have
been the ways of the Almighty in suffering the infidel Coords
to slaughter so many thousands of Christ's followers! We may
not doubt, however, but that God has an exalted end in such
dispensations; for
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-fading skill,
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.
“ His purposes still ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower."
The fort of Hegneh is situated on a tell, or mound, beneath
which are the remains of a village, and a meagre spring of
brackish water. It was formerly farmed by the Gargarè tribe


302
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
from the Pashas of Baghdad, who permitted Baj, or toll, to be
levied here
upon
all caravans crossing the desert; but not being
able to maintain their ground against the incursions of the
Shammar Bedooeen, the Gargarè abandoned it, since which
time it has fallen into ruin. An inscription on the walls states
that the fort was rebuilt by the then governor of Baghdad in
A.H. 1212.
May 4th.-We started from Hegneh at half-past five A. M.
and at nine o'clock reached Aiwenât, another tell with a spring
of brackish water, where we found about two hundred tents
pitched in readiness to receive Shereef Pasha, who was hourly
expected. Here our Albanian guards left us to join the military
escort which was encamped here, with two pieces of artillery,
waiting the arrival of his Excellency; and the road being now
deemed safe, we resumed our journey at 6 P.m., and in a couple
of hours passed the Tell-ool-Hawa, famous for baving been the
scene of an engagement between Sufoog, the Sheikh of the
Shammar Arabs, and the Mosulean soldiery, in which Sufoog
speared the Turkish commander at the outset, took a cannon
from him, and entirely routed his followers. At midnight, we
had on our right a cluster of small mounds called Tcil Parât,
(the “Char Pera" of Ainsworth) or Forty Paras, so called from
their diminutive size and circular shape. It was here that
Colonel Taylor's brother is supposed to have been murdered by
the Arabs about fifteen years ago, and our muleteer, who was
generally very much averse to fast travelling, bade us urge our
animals to their utmost speed as we passed the dreary-looking
spot. We cantered the greater part of the way over a level
country, the grass sometimes reaching to our waist, and at 3
A.M., stopped at Roomeilât, where we found another military
detachment waiting to receive the Pasha. We pitched our tent
close to the stream which runs at the foot of the mound, and
tried to get a little rest, after our night's journey ; but the
noise of the straggling bands wbich ever and anon arrived fore-
telling the Pasha’s approach put any such attempt out of the
question. At 7 o'clock we saw his Excellency's suite escorted
by about 800 soldiers who followed him in the usual helter-
skelter disorder of the irregular Turkish cavalry. A salute was


ATROCITIES OF BEDR KHAN BEG.
303
fired from three pieces of ordnance which had been brought
hither from Mosul for that purpose, and the desert was quite
enlivened with the military parade, and the gaudy coloured
dresses of the Coordish chiefs, who had joined the escort at Tcil
Agha. From one of these, I learned that a serious outbreak had
nearly taken place between Bedr Khan Beg, and Shereef
Pasha at that village. It appears that the former had come to
meet the new Pasha at Tcil Agha with a force of 8,000
horsemen. All went on smoothly until yesterday, when the
soldiers who had been ordered from Mosul having reached
Roomeilât, and finding that his Excellency was still at Tcil Agha,
went forward to join him. On the appearance of this troop,
and the arrival of his spies, who also communicated to him the
intelligence that there were three cannon planted at Roomeilât,
Bedr Khan Beg left his tent abruptly, and was just about to
leave the encampment with all his followers, when Osman
Effendi succeeded in persuading him to dismount, and to return.
Shereef Pasha, it is said, gave him a severe reproof for his con-
duct, and in the afternoon inspected the Coördish troops on
foot, having previously dismissed all his attendants. I had a
long conversation with his Excellency during the afternoon,
when he made many inquiries respecting the Nestorian affairs,
and took frequent occasion to style Bedr Khan Beg "a brute.”
Most truly did this monster deserve the title for his barbarous
treatment of the unfortunate Tyari, which had lately been fol-
lowed up by a fresh persecution of the Jacobite Christians of
Jebel-Toor. It has already been mentioned how he forced these
poor people to work upon his newly-planned fortifications with-
out pay, and under the lash, since which time he had plundered
many of their monasteries, and just before we left Mosul, the
news arrived of his having compassed the death of the Jacobite
Maphrian (Primate) of Midyât. What immediately instigated
him to this atrocious crime does not appear; but it is said, that
the deceased Bishop was obnoxious to him, because of his zeal
in confirming his people in the Christian faith, and in per-
suading them to suffer any indignity rather than apostatize,
which the Coords were attempting to force them into. Accord-
ing to the current account of this murder, Mutran Abd-ool-Ahd


304
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
was ordered by the Mohammedan Mutsellim of Midyât to go to
Jezeerah, under the pretext, that the Emeer who had sent a
messenger to escort him, wished to see him on business of im-
portance. When they had reached a lonely part of the road,
two Coords sprang from an ambush, ripped open the belly of
the Bishop with a dagger, and then tied the corpse to the tail
of his horse. The heart was cut out by the messenger who
carried it to Bedr Khan Beg, as a proof that he had accom-
plished his mission.
We started from Roomeilât at half-past 4 of the same after-
noon, still travelling in a north-westerly direction, and in an
hour came up to a large encampment of Cocher, or nomade,
Coords, who were pasturing their flocks near the ruins of a large
Khan, before which a copious rivulet flows. The course of this
stream was towards the south-west, which appears the direction
of all the tributaries of this district. At 7 P.M., we reached
Tcil Agha (Forty Aghas), but found the village nearly deserted,
all the Coords having left to seek pasture for their sheep. We
pitched our tent on the mound, and listened to the wild songs
of a party of soldiers, who were bivouacked in the plain, and
who had escorted Shereef Pasha thus far from the town of Mar-
deen. It was quite cheering to meet again with human habita-
tions, and to behold fields smiling with abundance of wheat and
barley, nay, the very blocks of basaltic rock scattered about in
this vicinity, were a relief to the monotonous sameness of the
desert, notwithstanding its freedom and the sweet perfume of
its many-coloured flowers.
May 6th. We left Tcil Agha at 5 A.M. and in five hours and
a half reached Haznaoor, which has already been described in
the narrative of our route to Mosul. We passed several villages
during this day's journey, and a large stream called Suplakh
which rises in the Toor mountains a little to the east of Haz-
naoor. These and many other details of our journey, I have
endeavoured to lay down in the map as correctly as possible.
Haznaoor, together with the district of Midyât to which it
belongs, had just been taken from Bedr Khan Beg, by the new
Pasha of Diarbekir, and the Coords were evidently very much
chagrined at this change of masters. Wherever we travelled,


NISI BEEN.
305
we found that the fame of this chieftain was extolled by the
Coords, who regarded him almost in the light of a second Mo-
hammed. From what I gathered from the villagers, it appears
that he used to send costly presents to the Moollabs in the dif-
ferent provinces under his jurisdiction, to remit the taxes of such
as could not pay them, to distribute largesses to the poor, and
to give to any Mussulman who had no means of purchasing
arms, a sufficient sum to provide himself with a firelock, sword
and shield. The general testimony of the Coords is, that he
was a man of inflexible integrity, and had never been known to
receive a bribe to pervert the ends of justice. If this is really
true, I doubt whether the whole Turkish administration could
produce a fellow to him. Let it be observed, however, that all
this side of his character was exhibited to his co-religionists, and
his bounty was confined to them ; towards the Christians his
bigotry and intolerance led him to act with fiendish malignity,
so that when I passed through Jebel Toor, in 1850, many a
Jacobite cursed the memory of the tyrant in execrations long
and deep, and blessed the individual and the nation that had
taken so large an interest in securing his degradation and exile.
We remained a few hours at Haznaoor, and thence travelling
over our old route reached Nisibeen on the day following. To
our surprise (such restorations being quite out of date in this
empire), we found that the bridge over the Jagbjagha had been
repaired, i.e. several arches, which were broken down on our
first visit, had been rebuilt, whilst the remainder, which were
stopped up with stones and rubbish, had been left in their
useless condition, and the river continued to force its way
through half the space originally intended for its flow. The
village also appeared in a more thriving state, owing to the
number of Tai Arabs who were encamped in the vicinity.
According to Ainsworth,* it is Colonel Chesney's opinion
that the Emperor Trajan obtained the materials for his fleet
from the Jebel Toor, and that he descended the Mygdonius,
the modern Jaghjagha, into the Khaboor (Chaboras), and
thence into the Euphrates. From personal observation, I think
there is every reason to believe the wooded mountains of the
Toor to be the forest of Nisibis spoken of by Dion Cassius ;
* Travels and Researches in Asia Minor, &c., vol. ii. p. 118.
X


306
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
but I doubt whether the Mygdonius (and I have seen it at its
greatest height), was ever deep enough for such navigation, and
therefore, for this as well as for other reasons, am inclined to
agree with Ainsworth, that after taking Arbela, and descending
the Tigris, Trajan conducted his fleet into the Euphrates by
one of the canals which connect the two rivers, and thence to
Babylon.
We started from Nisibeen at 2 P. m., and retraced our old
route as far as Kasr Serteka, when we turned to the right with
the intention of visiting Dara, which we reached after a journey
of four hours. On the following morning we commenced ex-
amining the remains of this once famous place, and went first
to the cistern, which consists of ten parallel tanks, and is situated
at the foot of the hill on which the modern Coordish village
stands. The tanks are partly cut in the rock, and raised to the
height of 40 ft. by walls of solid masonry; they are each 150 ft.
long, and 15 ft. wide. Three out of the ten are destroyed,
but the seven remaining reservoirs were partly filled with water,
which bowever is not used by the present villagers, who prefer
drinking the water of the stream which runs through the ruins.
They are closed in with good arches, which are covered with long
stalactites.
We next went to the hill on the south, where several yards of
the old wall are still standing, and after careful search, could
discover no remains of a second wall, as mentioned by Gibbon
in his description of the ancient city. A little beyond, on
another eminence, is a large apartment thirty feet square, cut
out of the solid rock, and covered with an arched roof, sup-
ported by two massive pilasters. This the natives call “Beit
el Antari ibn Sheddâd,” and is supposed to have served as a
granary.
We then bent our steps to the ancient cemeteries, extending
along the western side of the town. These are all cut out of
the native rock, which appears to have been the principal
quarry. I did not count the number, but there are certainly
not less than two hundred of these tombs, some sufficiently
capacious to form comfortable dwelling-places for several Coord-
ish families, who have encroached upon the tenements of the
dead. The entrances are generally arched, and bear long Greek


308
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
determine the order to which they belonged. There are several
Arabic inscriptions engraved on the walls of the mosque, but on
examination I discovered that these had no reference whatever
to the present building, and probably existed before it was
turned into a place of worship. A clumsy square minaret has
been added to one angle of the enclosure; but like the mosque
itself, this is fast tumbling into ruin.
The Kasr, or palace, next claimed our attention, but on reach-
ing the spot where it once stood, we were disappointed at finding
little more than the original foundations, marked by lines of
massive stones, now standing. A narrow opening in the sur-
face led us to an underground apartment, which the natives call
“the prison,” and which appears to be co-extensive in dimension
with the building which once rose above it. Fifty-six stairs
brought us to the bottom of this vault, which measures 120 ft.
in height, 60 ft. in length, and 40 ft. in width. Four massive
pilasters, left standing when the excavation was made, support
the arched roof, and eight buttresses cut in the native rock,
extend along two sides of the vault. One angle of the en-
closure is occupied by the staircase already mentioned, in the
angle opposite is the opening to a subterranean passage, said to
extend to beneath the village, whilst in the remaining corners
are two narrow cells, which if intended for a place of imprison-
ment, must soon have proved the graves of the unfortunate
victims.
There are two villages standing amidst the ruins of ancient
Dara, one containing 40 Armenian, and the other 100 Coordish
families. The Christians have a small church and a priest, and
are reckoned as belonging to the diocese of Diarbekir. In the
evening several of the villagers brougbt us a few old coins, and
on finding that we paid a good price for them, we were soon
overwhelmed with similar offers, and succeeded in purchasing a
large collection, chiefly Sassanian, Roman, and Saracene of the time
of the caliphs. Some of these were afterwards secured from me
by the authorities of the British Museum, and I am persuaded
that a careful search in this district would bring to light some
interesting monuments of antiquity.
The following is Ainsworth's account of this ancient city :
“According to Procopius, Dara was built by Anastasius to re-


310
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
sixty years to fulfil the wishes of its founders, and to provoke
the jealousy of the Persians, who incessantly complained, that
this impregnable fortress had been constructed in manifest vio-
lation of the treaty of peace between the two empires."*
In the year 529 Dara was defended by Belisarius, who was ac-
companied at the time by Procopius bis historian, against a force
of 40,000 Persians. The protecting garrison amounted to no
more than 25,000 Romans, but guided by the superior skill of
their commander the victory was complete; "the standard of
Persia fell, the immortals fled, the infantry threw away their
bucklers, and 8,000 of the vanquished were left upon the field of
battle.” The triumphs of Chosroes a few years after obliged
the Romans to consent to the demolition of this important for-
tress; but the sacrifice was commuted into the payment of
eleven thousand pounds of gold, wherewith they purchased an
inglorious peace with the Persians, with the additional stipula-
tion that it should never again be made the residence of the
general of the east. War having again broken out between the
rival empires, Chosroes laid siege to Dara, which he at length
reduced after it had obstinately resisted the flower of his army
for five months. From the Persians Dara fell into the hands of
the Saracens, and has since shared the common fate of the old
Roman possessions in Mesopotamia.
We left Dara at 2 P.M., the route conducting us over the
rugged sides of the western prolongation of the Toor range,
which in this part is quite destitute of wood, and in two hours
got into the caravan road. A further ride of ten miles brought
us to Mardeen, where we were again hospitably received and
entertained by Agha Moorad the Armenian banker. Having
already given a description of this town, I shall not weary the
reader with any fresh details, except to add, what a semi-eastern
medico, dressed in an old Frank coat and Turkish red cap, was
anxious that I should communicate to the English faculty, viz.
that the neighbourhood of Mardeen is very rich in medicinal
herbs, and rare botanical plants. Among the most common,
according to my friend's testimony, are the Cicuta, Belladonna,
Serpentaria, and Valeriana.
* Decline and Fall, c. 40.


ARRIVAL AT DIARBEKIR.
311
Three days' easy travelling brought us to Diarbekir, where
we were welcomed by Khawaja Bedosh, the most respectable
Chaldean merchant in the place, to whom we had received let-
ters of recommendation from Mr. Rassam. We remained
several days under his hospitable roof, holding constant inter-
course with the Christian clergy, for an account of which, as well
as for a description of the road between Mardeen and Diarbekir,
I must refer my readers to the narrative of our outward
journey.


312
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER XX.
Departure from Diarbekir.—The Cocher Coords, their habits and peculiarities.
-An adventure.-Sewrek.-Jacobites of Gerger Dagh.—A motley party.-
Urfah, its antiquities, Syrian and Roman.-Armenian Church and people.
-Syrian Church and population.-Job's well.--Grave of S. Ephrem Syrus.
-Mohammedans of Urfah.-Seclusion of Christian females.- Produce of
the district.-Urfah, the Ur of the Chaldees.-Ancient limit of Chaldea.
The first Chaldeo-Babylonian dynasty.-Glimpse at the past history of Urfah.
May 16th.—Left Diarbekir at 7 A.M. through the Mardeen
Gate, and after passing through the pretty gardens which cover
the valley on the south of the city, ascended the level plain, and
travelled towards the northern extremity of Karajah Dagh. In
one hour and a half we crossed the Tcarookhia Soo over a bridge
of three arches, and following the road, which is here very
devious and stony, and frequently intersected by streams which
find their way into the Tcarookhia, or Kara Soo, we took shelter
at half past 11 A.m. in a Coordish encampment from a threaten-
ing storm. We had hardly got off our horses when the rain
descended in torrents, and glad indeed were we to find ourselves
under so good a shelter as a Coordish tent. That into which
we were ushered, and which was in form the same as is in gene-
ral use among this people, was sev
eventy feet long and twenty-
three wide. The material was of thick cloth, made of goats'
hair woven in pieces varying from one and a half to two feet
wide. This cloth is supported by four upright poles running
down the centre, the middle two eight feet and the side ones six
feet high. A second row of four upright poles, six feet high,
and in a line with the former, runs down the front part of the
tent, and a third row, eight feet high and resting upon the base
of the middle poles, project diagonally from the ground, com-
pleting the scaffolding of the tent. A cord from the top of each


THE COCHER COORDS.
313
of the centre poles is then tied to those forming the first row,
and is carried thence and fastened to a stake on the outside.
These ropes serve to support the cloth. A number of other
ropes attached to the rim of the tent are secured by stakes in
the common manner. The ends of the cloth are now raised
about three feet from the earth, which space is sometimes built
up with stones, but more generally enclosed with curtains of
reeds, neatly and often fantastically woven together with different
coloured threads. These serve also for partitions, a tent of the
size now described being frequently divided into four separate
apartments: one occupied by the men, another by the women,
a third with stores, and the fourth with the domestic poultry,
lambs, &c.
The dwellers in this encampment, which is called Alkôs, are
Cocher, a name given to the nomade Coords, who seldom reside
in fixed habitations, but like the Bedooeen roam about from
place to place seeking pasture for their flocks. Some few till
the soil, but by far the greater proportion procure what they
require of the fruits of the earth by bartering the produce of
their sheep, such as milk, butter, cheese, and wool, with the in-
habitants of the adjacent towns. They exist in great numbers,
scattered over the northern parts of Mesopotamia, and are also
to be found along the banks of the Hazir and Gomel to the east
of Mosul. Many of them retire into the mountain districts
during the winter, and return to the plains at the opening of
spring. They appear to be a distinct race, and are so regarded
by the town and village-dwelling Coords. Like the Arabs they
are divided into tribes, and are remarkable for certain peculiari-
ties, a careful investigation of which might result in connecting
them with some of the ancient sects of the Magi. Orthodox
Mussulmans, who question the religion and safety of the Coords
generally on account of their attachment to Ali, look upon the
Cocher as little better than infidels or pagans, and there is rea-
son to doubt whether some of them acknowledge the mission
of the False Prophet. A branch tribe, who frequent the district
about Jezeerah, are suspected, like the Druses of Mount Lebanon,
of worshipping a calf and of holding nocturnal assemblies, which
are kept secret from all but the initiated. Others called
“Shebek” occupy two or three villages in the neighbourhood


314
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
0
.
.
of Mosul, and are said to deem it a crime worthy of excommunica-
tion for one of their number to refer a dispute to the regularly
appointed Mohammedan judges. These have certain festivals
of their own, which they commemorate by circular dances, re-
sembling those of the Yezeedees. Another sect, found on the
banks of the Hazir behind Jebel Makloob, are charged, like
some of the African tribes by Niebuhr, with not restricting the
rite of circumcision to the males among them. Another called
Be-Juan, which I met with in the vicinity of Nimrood, have a
peculiar dialect not intelligible to the Coords generally. The
following short vocabulary may assist some philologist in ascer-
taining the probable source of the different words, several of
which I recognise as Persian and Arabic.
Book
Kitâb.
Mountain .
Ko.
Dog
. Sipé.
Town
Shehr.
House
Yaané.
Come here!
Boyin da.
King
Melek. Go!.
Bilé.
Insân. Where are you going? Kan da meli,
Horse
Hesb.
Bring water!
Av héra.
Boy
Awèl.
One.
· Ikju.
Great
Gawré. Two.
Dué.
Knatché. Three
. Sé.
Father
| Babò.
Four
Tchwar.
Mother
Da, Daja. Five.
. Penj.
Sow.
Bia.
Six
Shish.
Fire .
Awar.
Seven
Avt.
Water
Av.
Eight
Esht.
Earth
Zimi.
Nine.
No.
Heaven
Asmân.
Ten.
. Da.
River
Jai.
Eleven
Yanzdé.
Ass.
Herr.
Twenty
Bizt.
Sword
Shimsher.
.
.
Man.
.
.
Girl .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
After waiting for two hours in expectation of the baggage-
mules, and the guards sent with us by the Pasha of Diarbekir,
which had been left in the rear of our party, we began to be
uneasy about their fate, and despatched messengers in every
direction to learn their whereabouts. We could gain no intel-
ligence of them, the rain continued to descend, and so Mrs.
Badger, Mr. Fletcher, and I, together with our Greek servant
Georgio, were obliged to avail ourselves of the hospitality of the
Cocher for food and bedding. The food was good, and as we


THE COCHER COORDS.
317
an Arab were asked to account for this general feature of the
district, he would most probably refer to Solomon and say that
the king had employed the genii to collect all the black stones
in the Karajah Dagh, and roll them into the plain below. In
three hours from the Khan we came in sight of a mound and
ruined mill, and on reaching the spot were not a little rejoiced
to find the object of our search. Not having seen us diverge
from the road to the Cocher encampment, the guards had
driven the muleteers onwards, and not suffered them to stop
until they had reached their present resting place, a distance of
sixteen caravan hours. The poor fellows were dripping wet, as
was all our baggage; but the past was soon forgotten in a hearty
supper, and the muleteers and guards smoked their pipes, and
sung in chorus their wild Coordish songs with as much glee as
if nothing had happened.
Towards dusk a man was espied watching our party from
some distance, partly concealed in the long grass.
This being
a deserted district, and rather famous for robbers, the guards
took to their fire-arms and prepared for an encounter; but the
suspicious individual paused, and then hid himself from our
view. The soldiers now rode to the spot, and returned leading
with them an unfortunate Christian who had been plundered
and well-nigh stripped by the mounted Coords whom we had
met near the ruined Khan. On first catching sight of our party
he thought we might prove a second edition of his morning ad-
venture, and was attempting to escape when the guards secured
him. Shortly after a Beloochistan derweesh walked up to our
encampment, and related his tale.
He also had been stopped
by the Coords, who after examining his wallet, and finding no-
thing therein but a little bread, returned it and wished him
prosperity in his pilgrimage to Mecca. This man had travelled
from Beloochistan, his native country, to Muscat, thence to
Persia, Baghdad and Mosul, and he was now on his way to join
the great Hadj caravan at Damascus. He had not a farthing
in his pocket, and all he hoped was to see the tomb of Moham-
med and die.
May 18th.—Left the mill at 5 A.M. and in an hour passed
the village of Kainagh, situated near a mound, then deserted,
but since inhabited by a few Coords of the Milliyeh tribe, and a


318
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
solitary Arab family, who gain a scanty livelihood by cultivating
rice, which is raised in large quantities in this district. At 10
o'clock we forded a considerable stream running towards the
south-west, and then re-ascended the high table-land which
stretches southward beyond the Euphrates. The road was still
very rugged, and strewed over with volcanic rocks; tells were
scattered about in every direction, near to which we saw several
Coordish villages and encampments. We were within a stone's
cast of Sewrek before we were aware of it, the town being
situated in a deep hollow. The country in the immediate
vicinity is covered with vineyards, from which a tolerable wine
is made ; the other staple products being wheat, barley, rice,
tobacco, and honey. The remains of a fortress are still visible
on a mound commanding the town, which from this elevation
appears to consist of a few dozen houses, several dwellings being
joined together under one roof, as in many of the Coordish
villages already described. The town itself, however, contains a
population of 500 Mussulman families, with four mosques.
The Armenians number 120 houses, with a church and four
priests, reckoned within the diocese of Urfah. There are also a
few Greek Christians in the town, who are employed as builders ;
but they have no church or clergy nearer than Diarbekir. Sewrek
is reckoned sixteen hours from Semsât, sixteen from Arghana,
and forty from Kharpoot; it is considered within the pashalic
of the latter place.
From Sewrek we had a good view of the Gerger Dagh, which
has already been mentioned as inhabited by Syrian Jacobites.
It is situated on the western side of the Euphrates, about twelve
hours distant from Sewrek, and Mutran Matta who visited the
district to collect money for the Patriarch, informed me that
there are no less than sixty Christian villages in this mountain,
which are considered as forming a part of the diocese of Khar-
poot. He also told me of many other villages peopled by the
same community on the banks of the Euphrates between Mala-
tiyah and Semsût (Samosata,) who, according to his account,
(and being a Jacobite himself he was not likely to exaggerate
their spiritual destitution, retained little more than the bare
name of Christians. The priests were in an equally degraded
condition, scarcely knowing how to read the Syriac of their


THE JACOBITES OF GERGER DAGH.
319
rituals, and not understanding the meaning of a word of that
language. In proof of this the Bishop adduced the case of an
ecclesiastic, who, on being asked by him the meaning of Moryo,
(LORD, according to the pronunciation of the Jacobites,) replied
-water. The people of Gerger form about one-half of the
diocese of Kharpoot, the remaining portion, consisting of about
forty villages, being scattered about at some distance from that
town as far north as Palu on the Euphrates, where I have been
told that a Syriac MS. of the New Testament exists, ascribed to
the third century.
May 19th.-Having exchanged our Diarbekir guards for five
horsemen from Sewrek, we started from that place at 1 P.M. and
after fording two or three streams and passing several villages,
which will be found noted in the map, we reached Tashlik at
half-past five, where we put up for the night. We had now
before us in the distance a range of low hills called Karatsh
Er-Raha, dividing the level country between Sewrek and Urfah
into two plains. On the following morning we set off at 5 A.M.,
and in three hours reached Kara Joorni, called also Goondi
Resh and Kara Goondi. This is a large village situated at the
foot of the Karatsh Er-Raha, and inhabited by Milliyeh Coords
and a few Yezeedees. These people were most inhospitable, as
we also found them on a later visit, and refused us the shelter
of their houses. We accordingly pitched our tent by an adjoin-
ing stream, and were obliged to be on the alert for fear of being
robbed. Not liking to spend a night among such a set of
thieves, we started again at 3 P.M., and after travelling for two
hours came to a spot where one road turned off to the west, and
another towards the south. Our guards finding us determined
to pursue the latter, tried to frighten us into acquiescence by
recounting several stories of Arab ferocity. The fact was, the
fellows were themselves afraid of meeting with the Bedooeen,
who had sworn that they would murder any Turk they met in
revenge for the treatment which some of them had lately
received from the Mutsellim of Sewrek. We now continued
our journey through the hills, and at 7 P.M. reached a large
Coordish encampment of about 200 tents, where we put up for
the night. Immense flocks of sheep were feeding in the rich
pasture around, and the Coords readily supplied us with as


320
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
much milk as we required. I learned in conversing with them,
that there are as many as 700 Yezeedee families scattered among
the Coords of this district.
Our party now consisted of a motley group: first ourselves,
accompanied by three servants, one a Greek from Athens and
two Mosuleans; Mr. Rassam's brother; a black confidential
slave sent from Mosul by his master, a rich Mohammedan
merchant, to bring back his brother who had been absent for
the last fifteen years.
The slave, like Eliezer of Damascus
appears to be an important personage, and was attended on this
occasion by a Coordish servant. Next a young Mardeenlee,
returning to his office of pipe-bearer to the Pasha of Aleppo
after leave of absence; this gentleman had also a juvenile
domestic. A Yezeedee, who was converted to Islamism when
Hafiz Pasha subdued the Sinjar tribes. This fellow had joined
us in the hope of being allowed to cross the Euphrates at Birejik
without a passport. His Mohammedanism seemed to consist
in constant repetitions of the Fateha, or first chapter of the
Koran, and in cursing Melek Taoos, whom he declared to be
the Devil. Next a poor Armenian who was fleeing from the
tyranny of Bedr Khan Beg to seek a livelihood at Urfah. And
lastly our guards, consisting of five horsemen sent with us by
Omar Beg of Sewrek, and two Coords from Kara Joorni. These
last mentioned individuals were strong lusty fellows, who
trudged on foot, keeping pace with our mules, ever and anon
laughing at the fears of their mounted companions. Four of
these I found to be runaway soldiers from the army of Hafiz
Pasha at the famous battle of Nizib. They gloried in their dis-
comfiture and escape, and said as nearly as possible in Turkish :
" He who fights, and runs away,
Will live to fight another day.”
And so it will be with them to the end of the chapter, for a
more cowardly set of poltroons on horseback than the irregular
provincial Turkish cavalry I have never seen. Their glee on
leaving Kara Joorni, thinking that we were going by the safer
road, was only equalled by their sullen disappointment when
they found out their mistake. On leaving the village they
played off all manner of warlike antics, discharged their pistols,
flourished their lances, and tried to unhorse one another, whilst


URFAH.
321
I feel fully persuaded that the sight of half a dozen Bedooeen
would have made them turn their horses' heads and flee for
safety to the nearest village.
May 21st.—Left the Coordish encampment at 3 A.M. and
travelled in a southerly direction at the foot of the hills already
described. The country now began to assume a different aspect :
instead of the black volcanic stone of the Diarbekir side, we
found ourselves journeying over chalk hills, in which silex was
imbedded in great abundance. We had now before us another
chain of low mountains running north-east by south-west, and
at half-past five passed a village on a mound situated in a well-
cultivated valley, overspread with a rich pasturage. Pursuing
our former course we reached another Coordish village called
Kara Koopri, close to a pretty stream, which we crossed by a
good bridge of three arches. At 9 A.M. we entered Urfah by
the Semsât gate, and soon found ourselves comfortably lodged
under the hospitable roof of Mokdisi Yeshua.

MARESTATI
CITADEL OF URFAH.
Y


ANTIQUITIES OF URFAH.
323
The following is a fac-simile of the engraving on
duced scale :
a re-
ܘܐ
55
»ܐܦܬܟ
ܒܬ
ܘܒܘܠܗܢܐܗܐ
ܢܠܡܬ ܡܠܒܬ ܒܵܝ̄ܬ
ܗܐܡܝܝܪܥܠܡܐ
ܩܥܟܘ݂ ܟ ܡܒܐ
»ܢܬ
מתעדת
The next most prominent relic of antiquity is the débris of a
large building, supposed to have been a church; besides which
there are a number of foundations consisting of massive stones
upon which several modern Saracenic structures have been raised,
a few Grecian or Roman arches, fragments of columns, pillars,
and friezes, but no accompanying inscription to fix their date.
The only perfect edifice is a small mosque built by Ibrahim
Pasha of Egypt during his occupation of the place in 1839 and
1840.
The view of the town from the citadel is extremely picturesque :
immediately below is the pool of Sheikh Ibraheem, with its
adjoining mosque embosomed in a thick and shady grove. The
slender minaret of the mosque peers above the lofty cypress
trees, and an ancient belfry has been permitted to remain as an
index of the original Christian purpose to which the building was
consecrated. The pond or pool deserves a particular descrip-
tion. It stands, as I have already stated, at the foot of the
castle, and is supplied by several copious springs flowing from
the south-west, and running beneath a pretty summer kioshk
situated at the western extremity of the basin. The basin
r 2


CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS IN URFAH.
325
drawing out a plan for the new building. I have since heard
that the church is completed, and is now one of the most superb
Christian temples in the East.
There are 1800 Armenian families within the walls of Urfah,
and 200 in the village of Garamoosh, about three hours distant
from the town. There are eighteen priests in the city alone.
From the Armenian we went to visit the Syrian Jacobite
church, which like the former is situated in a spacious court,
with a commodious residence for the Bishop and two priests.
Here I returned the visit of Mutran Ibraheem, a simple but
good hearted old man, who expressed his desire for the exten-
sion of education among his people in the strongest terms. The
church is a small building dedicated to S. Peter and S. Paul,
and contains four altars within the sanctuary. The school com-
prised from forty to fifty scholars, to whom the present of a case
of books, chiefly from the press of the Church Missionary Society
at Malta which I had brought with me, proved very acceptable.
From the school we went to the new Syrian church which is
being built without the city walls for the convenience of the
Jacobites who reside in that quarter. The firman for raising
this additional place of worship was obtained chiefly through the
influence of Mokdisi Yeshua, our host, who is the richest mem-
ber of the Syrian community here, and has himself defrayed the
greater portion of the sum expended in its erection.
suggestion he altered the original plan of the building, which
was to have a part of the interior separated by a railing for the
females, and has since added a gallery for the purpose over the
western entrance. The Jacobites of Urfah number 180 families
with six priests; there are no villages of this community nearer
than Gerger Dagh, about two days distant.
On our way to the Oloor Jamesi we called
upon
the
governor,
Bahri Ahmet Pasha, who made many inquiries about our
steamers and balloons. He is said to be a great reader, and to
pay
little attention to his official duties, which are confided to
the mismanagement of his lieutenant and treasurer. The serai
in which he resides is large, but poor and in bad repair ; in the
yard we saw one brass cannon and an old phaeton. The citadel
is entirely destitute of artillery.
The mosque called Oloor Jamesi was an old Christian church,
At our


TOMB OF S. EPHREM SYRUS.
327
and built over a grotto said to contain two headless bas-reliefs
which we were very anxious to see. To our great disappoint-
ment the door was shut, so we proceeded to examine the nume-
rous natural caves in the vicinity, which appears to have been
the principal city quarry.
In some of these parties of Christians
were making keif, i.e., taking their pleasure and drinking arack.
In a few others we observed several open sarcophagi, but no
inscriptions whatever.
Descending the hill to the western side of the town we came
to a chapel belonging to the Armenians, and dedicated to S.
Serghees, but commonly called Khudhr Elias, for the same rea-
son that other Christian temples in the East are so called, viz.,
to secure to them the toleration and respect of the Mohamme-
dans. There is nothing worth noticing in the chapel, which is
situated in an inner court, from whence a descent of four steps
leads into a grotto containing four recesses, and opening into an
adjoining subterranean cave, the roof of which is supported by
four irregularly placed pillars. In this latter are eight tombs,
the largest of which is said to cover the remains of S. Ephrem
Syrus, and another the ashes of Theodorus, both held in high

1.
Tomb of S. Ephrem Syrus.
2.
Tomb of Theodorus.
veneration by the Jacobites and Syrians, who have had many a
battle for the exclusive possession of the sacred precincts. Even
as late as last year a scuffle ensued between the rival communi-
ties, and some bard blows were dealt on both sides before the


328
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
quarrel was ended. The use of the cemetery is now under-
stood to be common to both parties, but the Jacobites have
the exclusive right of consecrating the holy Eucharist on the
grave of S. Ephrem.
Pursuing our walk through the vineyards we reached a beau-
tiful garden on the north-west of the town, in which is a circular
fountain called by the Mohammedans Sooleiman Pyâr, but be-
lieved by the Christians to be the spring where S. Thaddeus
baptized his first converts.
There are 12,000 Mussulman families at Urfah, who are ac-
counted very bigoted, and are extremely overbearing in their
conduct towards the native Christians. Many of them are
Hadjis, i.e. have visited Mecca, and the entrances to the houses
of these devotees are gaudily painted with the symbols of their
pilgrimage, the begging bowl, flag, truncheon, axe, coffee-pot,
pipe, censer, &c. What the serpent is intended to represent I
know not. The annexed is a specimen of these designs taken
from a house opposite to that inhabited by Mokdisi Yeshua.

99/22
he
HADI'S HOUSE AT URFAH.


SECLUSION OF CHRISTIAN FEMALES.
329
Several impertinent remarks were made by these fanatics as I
rode through the streets with Mrs. Badger, whose green veil
seemed to excite their prejudices,-green being the sacred colour
of Islâm. On account of the frequent insults to which they
have been exposed, the Christian females scarcely ever venture
abroad except to church, and that not more than once a month.
They are moreover confined at home much after the manner of
Mohammedan women, and are seldom seen in the domestic
circle beyond the limits of their separate apartments. Being a
priest I was admitted, in company with Mrs. Badger, into one
of these harems, and had an opportunity of judging what were
the effects of such seclusion. I found the women excessively
ignorant, untidy, and not over clean in their persons or habits.
They stared at us with silly amazement, and seemed incapable
of comprehending anything that we said to them. Their in-
door head-dress is peculiar to this town, consisting of an
inverted truncated pyramid, made of silver plate, and measuring
about a foot in diameter at the base, hung about with chains

HEADDRESS OF A CHRISTIAN FEMALE AT URFAN.


URFAH, UR OF THE CHALDEES.
331
is a great scarcity owing to the want of wood in the neigh-
bourhood, is imported from Sewrek and Room-Kala on the
Euphrates.
Urfah, I believe, is generally acknowledged to occupy the site
of Ur of the Chaldees, the reputed birth-place of Abraham. It
is styled “Urhoi” in all the ancient Syrian MSS., and the re-
mains of a church dedicated to “ Mar Yacoob Urhoyo,” (S.
James of Ur,) are still to be seen on a hill to the south-west of
the town. By the Arabs it was called Raha, or Er-Raha, which
owes its etymology to the same root, and by which name it
is still known to the Bedooeen. This fact, together with the
existence of Harrân twenty-five miles to the south, and the
plains of Serooj to the north-west, names evidently derived from
the patriarchs, the former the brother, and the latter the great
grandfather, of Abraham, (see Gen. xi. 22, 27,) go to prove that
the whole of this district was comprehended within the limits of
ancient Chaldea. It is somewhat singular, moreover, that the
Mohammedans have placed the residence of Job in this vicinity,
which they evidently do from their tradition attached to the
Bir Ayyoob. Job, as we know, dwelt among a people called
Sabeans and Chaldeans, (Job i. 15, 17) who destroyed part of
his household, and plundered him of his flocks and herds. In
connection with this subject it is interesting to find that there
are no less than 4,000 Yezeedee families scattered among the
360 Coordish villages of the Serooj, and, as we have already had
occasion to state, no less than twice that number in the district
between Urfah and Sewrek. The continuance of this sect here,
and the connection of some of their doctrines and rites with
Sabianism and Magism is another corroborative proof that the
whole of this region originally formed a part of the Chaldea of
the Bible. It was not my lot to fall in with any of the Yezee-
dees about Urfah, but I am assured that those near Mosul, the
head-quarters of the sect, and the seat of their Sheikh, know
little of them; and I am inclined to believe that a careful inves-
tigation might result in bringing to light some important dif-
ferences between the separate communities both as regards
language and religion. I deem it not improbable that those of
this district have retained in greater purity the doctrines of an-
cient Sabianism, since according to Gibbon there was a temple


332
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
of the moon at Harrân, to which the Sabeans performed fre-
quent pilgrimages as late as the rise of Islamism.*
I think it is clear from the above that the Chaldeans must
have existed as a distinct people before the time of Chesed, Na-
hor's son, (Gen. xxii. 22,) who is regarded by some as the
progenitor of the Chasdim or Chaldeans. Ainsworth's idea is
that “Chesed only united the scattered tribes of a pre-existing
race, or else, by founding a dynasty, created a nation for the
land of Ur, which existed in the first years of Abraham, and was
only emphatically distinguished by the Hebrews as Ur in the
land of the Chaldees,' subsequently to the times both of Abra-
ham and Chesed.”+ This view is confirmed by a passage in the
Lookáté, the old Syriac MS. referred to in a former chapter,
which states that “in the time of Nahor, Terah's father, the
books and learning of the Chaldeans, their sorcery and witch-
craft, were taken into Egypt."I The idea of a Chaldean
dynasty, separate from that of Babylon, is also supported by the
following additional quotation from the same author : “In his
time, [Terah's,] $ Hesron [?] his brother warred with Kesrones
king of Babel and slew him, and took the empire from Babel.
In his time also reigned the first king of the Assyrians, whose
name was Boolsan, [or Boolasan,] and he built many cities." ||
* Decline and Fall, chap. 1.
† Assyria, Babylonia, and Chaldea, p. 154.
# If this assertion can be relied on, it settles the question whether the arts and
sciences sprang from the Chaldeans or the Egyptians.
§ That Terah was of noble descent, and a person of some consequence in his
day, may be gathered from the retinue of his son Abraham, and the respect
which was paid him by the kings of Sodom and Salem after he had routed the
four confederate kings in the valley of Shaveh. See Genesis xiv.
|| The above quotations are preceded in the original by the following account
of Peleg and Arao or Reu. (Gen. xi. 18, 20.)
“ PELEG :-In his days the languages were divided, when men designed to
build a tower to reach up to heaven.
“ARAO :-In his time the mighty Nimrod rose, the first king of Babel, and
in Egypt Panopus, who was called Misraim after the name of Misraim their
father. Then men first began to use weapons in war.”
If the chronology of the above quotations is correct, the first Chaldeo-Baby-
lonian dynasty began with Nimrod, who was succeeded by Kesrones, contempo-
rary with whom was Boolsan the first king of Assyria. It would be an interesting
discovery, if in the attempts which are now being made to read the cuneiform
monuments, these names could be identified. Several notices of this kind,


PAST HISTORY OF URFAH.
333
But I fear to pursue such investigations any further, and
shall leave the above remarks to the indulgent criticism of the
learned. Ur, or Edessa, as it was then called, and the capital of
the kingdom of Osrhoene, finally became a part of the Roman
Empire in the East under Severus, A.D. 216. At that time the
purest Syriac dialect was spoken here, where it has now almost
disappeared, except as the language of the Jacobite rituals.
Here, also, about a hundred years later flourished the famous
school which gave birth to the most celebrated apostles of Nes-
torianism. Edessa fell into the hands of the Saracens in the
eighth century, from whom it was wrested by Baldwin, A.D.
1097.
The Crusaders only kept possession for about sixty
years, and were expelled in their turn by the Seljukians under
Zenghi the prince of the Atabeks of Syria.
gleaned during my translation of the Nestorian rituals, have led me to believe
that a thorough examination of the few ancient Syriac MSS. now extant, might
throw light upon the first dynasties of Babylonia and Assyria, and be useful in
aiding and corroborating the studies of those learned scholars who are engaged
in deciphering the long-forgotten records engraved upon the monuments of
Nimrood and Koyoonjuk.


334
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER XXI.
Visit to the Shammar in the desert.—Reception by Sufoog, the Sheikh of the
tribe.-The Arabs rob us, and refuse to let us go.—Movement of the camp.
-An affray with the Sayeh tribe.-Start for Harrân.-Description of the
ruins.--The Jès Arabs.-Jacob's well.—Return to Urfah.-Character of
the Bedooeen.
May 24th.-Hearing that a large force of the Shammar, under
Sufoog, was encamped at a short distance from Harrân, we
availed ourselves of the escort of Husein, one of the tribe who
had been sent to Urfah, on important business, to visit this re-
nowned Arab chieftain. Husein, on learning my relationship to
Mr. Rassam, who is a great friend of Sufoog, readily engaged to
conduct us to the encampment, on condition that we went un-
attended by any guards from the local authorities, whose pre-
sence, he said, might excite suspicion among the Arabs, and
give them the idea that we distrusted their good-will and fide-
lity. He informed us that the Shammar had come into these
parts, at the request of government, to chastise a section of the
great Aniza tribe who had lately crossed the Euphrates, joined
some rebellious Berazîa Coords in the Serooj, and committed
great depredations in that district. The Turks not being able
to cope with these wandering marauders themselves, had called
upon Sufoog, the recognized Sheikh of the desert east of the
Euphrates, to undertake the task. With the assistance of a
company of infantry, the Shammar had chased the Aniza back
to their haunts, and the Berazîa had laid down their arms, pro-
mising obedience for the future.
Mrs. Badger, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Rassam's brother, and I,
accompanied by our Greek servant, and an Armenian pedlar,
who seized the opportunity to ply his trade among the Arabs,


336
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
it appears had already been apprised of our intended visit. A
small black tent had been pitched for our party, into which I
first conducted Mrs. Badger, and then repaired to the large
tent, where as many as three hundred of the elders of the tribe
were holding a council. On my approach all rose, and Sufoog
coming forward saluted me with a shake of the hand, and placed
me at his side on a dirty carpet and cushion, the only domestic
furniture, with the exception of a hole in the ground for a fire-
place, and several rude utensils for roasting, pounding, and
making coffee. The Sheikh was clothed in a shirt (not over
clean), a cotton gown bound round the waist with a common
girdle, over which a coarse aba, or cloak, was thrown; the ker-
chief and camel's-hair rope completed his attire. Although he
appeared to welcome us heartily, yet be spoke but little, and
confined his first inquiries to the movements of the Turkish
army, the entrance of the new Pasha into Mosul, and the pro-
bable prospects of Bedr Khan Beg, the fame of whose exploits
had reached into the heart of the desert. He looked like a man
forty years old, spare made, with black hair, and a short beard,
which anxiety rather than age had somewhat whitened. His
countenance evinced deep thought, not unmixed with cunning,
while his bronzed face and arms bespoke his exposure to the
burning sun of the desert. It would be difficult to convey an
adequate idea of the swarthy beings, the heads of the tribes,
who lined the tent in two rows, the foremost seated, and the
hindermost standing, the better to see and hear what was going
forward. Their dress was simple in the extreme, and consisted
of the usual long shirt and flowing head-dress of the Bedooeen,
from beneath which their black hair was allowed to hang in a
long curl down each side of the face. Their countenances be-
spoke craft and distrust, and there was nothing in their de-
meanour calculated to inspire one with confidence. Scarcely a
word was uttered by them during my interview with the Sheikh,
and they continued to smoke their pipes in sullen silence and
unconcern, ever and anon throwing a glance at me, which seemed
to
say: “ You are safe now, but had we met you on the road,
we should have seized the opportunity to exchange our filthy,
greasy attire, for your clean and better habiliments.”
Having brought with us a present for Sufoog, I asked whether


VISIT TO THE SHAMMAR.
337
it should be produced, but he begged me to defer offering it to
him until he was alone, fearing no doubt that some of his chiefs
might claim a share. Late in the evening he came unattended
to our tent, when the present was opened out before him in due
form, and Mrs. Badger then paid Amshé, his favourite wife, a
complimentary visit for a similar purpose. Her description of
this lady, and the domestic life of the other females of the
harem, confirmed me in the opinion that the Arabs are the
dirtiest people under the sun.
Our supper was sent us from the Sheikh's tent, and consisted
of a boiled lamb, wheaten cakes, two immense dishes of pilau,
and four bowls of sour milk mixed with shreds of garlic. I
observed that the Arabs gave us two cups of coffee, and even a
third; whereas, among the Turks and other orientals, the offer-
ing of a second cup to a guest would be regarded as a hint that
his company was no longer desired.
We retired to rest soon after supper, Mrs. Badger and I in
one tent, and the remainder of our party in another close by.
We had not lain long when the wind blew a perfect hurricane,
the rain descended in torrents, and our frail dwelling-place was
carried away from our heads. We were now in the most
miserable plight imaginable, our clothes and bedding were
thoroughly drenched, and we were exposed to the violence of the
storm without any shelter, as most of the tents in the neigh-
bourhood had shared a similar fate. Amshe's tent was no
longer to be seen, whilst her husband was comfortably lodged
in one more securely pitched with one of his concubines, of
whom he had four. The Arabs soon came and assisted to raise
our fallen habitation, and we afterwards slept soundly, little
dreaming that we were in the midst of thieves. In the morn-
ing, however, we found to our dismay that my travelling boots,
which Sufoog himself had coveted the day before, and several
articles of Mrs. Badger's dress, had been purloined during the
night; and not having brought any change with us, Mrs. Bad-
ger was obliged to put on a silk garment which we had intended
to give to the guide Husein, and I was reduced to the necessity
of riding barefoot. Sufoog, on bearing of the robbery, sent
his son Ferhân to examine all the tents in the vicinity ; but to
no avail, the articles were not to be found. This treacherous
Z


338
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
conduct on the part of the Arabs determined me to leave with-
out delay, and I communicated my intentions to Sufoog. He,
however, would not hear of our departure, and told us decidedly
that we should not go. I afterwards learned that being at
enmity with soine of the neighbouring tribes, he wished to
detain us for his own security, and had accordingly despatched
messengers far and wide to spread the intelligence that a Frank
of great consequence had been sent to him on a mission from
the government.
What could we do? we were now in his
hands, and were obliged to submit with the best grace possible.
Early in the morning we observed that the whole camp was
in motion, and on inquiring the cause were told that they in-
tended to seek a better site on the eastern bank of the Jullâb.
This was a mere excuse, for I afterwards found, that fearing an
attack from a hostile tribe, they deemed it more secure to have
the river between them and their enemies. The striking of the
tents, the lading of the camels, the bustle of collecting together
all the cattle dispersed in the vicinity, made up a lively scene.
All being now ready the troop began to move, the men mounted
on their horses, some of the women walking, whilst others
higher in rank rode on camels, their children's heads peering
out of the saddle-bags on either side. These little urchins
seemed quite at their ease, clapped their hands, and screamed
with delight, as the caravan moved forward. One, a girl of
about nine years old, begged her father to allow her to ride ;
the barbarian felled her to the ground with a blow of his fist,
whilst Sufoog looked on and commended this act of brutality.
On expostulating with him he appeared surprised at the interest
which I took in the child, and supposing that I had mistaken
the sex said naïvely, “Why! she is a girl, not a boy ;” as
though this circumstance was more than sufficient to sanction
such inhumanity.
We crossed the Jullâb, here nothing more than a muddy
stream three feet wide, and in less than an hour all the tents
were pitched, and everything had resumed its former order.
Our breakfast, consisting of butter, honey, and cream, was now
sent to us, after partaking of which I again repaired to the
council tent, and took my seat by the side of the Sheikh.
Sufoog appeared more reserved than ever, a deep gloom had


AFFRAY WITH THE SAYEH TRIBE.
339
settled on his countenance, and he scarcely uttered a word.
This silence was soon broken by the approach of a party of
spearmen, bringing with them a large booty in tents, camels,
and sheep. Sufoog looked sad and disconcerted at this sight,
and hardly spoke while the new comers took their seats among
the rest of the assembled Bedooeen. On inquiring from whence
the plundering party had come, one of the Arabs gave me the
following account of the whole affair. It appears that the Sayeh
tribe had been at variance for some time with the Shammar,
and that in one of the engagements that had taken place between
them a cousin of Sufoog had lost his hand. Peace was finally
agreed on, and Sufoog had given his word and oath that the
Sayeh might pasture their flocks in perfect security, promising
that blood should not be demanded for the injury which his
cousin had sustained. In accordance with this understanding
a division of the Sayeh had pitched their tents a few miles dis-
tant from the encampment of the Shammar, little thinking that
the treaty which had been sealed with so high a sanction as
Sufoog's oath was so soon to be violated. Without the know-
ledge of their chief, a party of the Shammar set off during the
preceding night, fell upon the unwary Sayeh, killed several of
their number, and carried away with them the booty which has
already been described. One of the assailants, a Sheikh of
Sufoog's tribe, was wounded severely in the neck with a spear,
and we hastened to apply such remedies as we deemed most
suitable. The unfortunate man sat by the fire, quite uncon-
scious of what was going on, but without uttering a word of
complaint. Sufoog was evidently puzzled what course to pur-
sue : his own people were at variance among themselves, and he
evidently did not think it prudent openly to condemn the con-
duct of his cousin's followers. Yet he must take some notice
of the complaints which two envoys from the Sayeh had come
to lay before him, for these he knew would reproach him with
the violation of his oath. He accordingly despatched his son
Ferhân to learn their intentions, and told the assembled
Bedooeen that if the conquered tribe manifested any design of
joining the Aniza, he would immediately attack them; but if
they were willing to come to terms the booty should be restored
and every possible reparation made. The Shammar sheikhs
z 2


340
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
now divested themselves of their chain armour, which was made
in the shape of a shirt with a high collar, coffee was handed to
them, and the wounded man was invested with a cloak of
honour as a reward for his bravery. News was then brought
that the Sayeh were not likely to listen to the terms proposed,
and this intelligence threw a fresh gloom over the assembled
Arabs. Sufoog was evidently thinking what was to be done,
and from some signs which passed between them I concluded
that the heads of the Shammar had determined upon a fresh
battle with their neighbours. Not relishing the idea of mixing
in an affray of this nature I repaired to our tent determined to
make an effort to leave the encampment.
As soon as we got our mules together I sent to inform Sufoog
that we were about to start: he still protested against our
departure, but finding me decided he at length gave his assent.
He then presented Mrs. Badger and myself with a horse, and
gave one also to our Greek servant. The Armenian pedlar, who
professed to be a judge in such matters, discovered several
defects in the animal offered to me, and pressed me to refuse it.
I endeavoured to show the fellow the impropriety of such a
course, but not satisfied with this he went to Sufoog himself
and told him that I was discontented with his present. The
Sheikh then came out, and after examining the creature, which
it appears he had just purchased from one of his tribe for
several camels and sheep, pronounced it sound and good in every
respect. We now strung the three horses together, mine being
the hindmost, and started from the encampment. We had not
proceeded more than a couple of miles, when the former owner,
disgusted that a horse of his should have been decried, came
quietly in the rear of our caravan, loosed the horse from its
fellow, jumped on his back, and before we were hardly aware of
his presence plunged into the desert and was soon out of sight.
We were too glad to have escaped from the encampment to
think of returning, so leaving the horse to the Arabs we con-
tinued our journey towards Harrân.
The following account of the different streams in this district
may not be uninteresting to geographers. The Jullâb rises at
a place called Deeb Hisâr to the east of the Garamoosh range,
runs in a southerly direction, and is met a little south of


HARRAN.
341
Harrân by the Kara Koyoon and Koti rivulets. The former,
as has already been noticed, flows from the north-west of Urfah,
from a place called Keshishlek, and is joined about two hours
below the town by the water from the mosque of Ibraheem
Khaleel. Some distance south of this junction several springs
form a small rivulet called the Koti, which also flows into the
Kara Koyoon. The Jullâb winds its solitary way through the
desert for about ten miles south of Harrân, when it is increased
by another stream formed by several springs rising near the
shrine of Ibraheem Khaleel, and called Jullâb-oot-Toorkmân.
Some hours farther south the united Jullâbs are joined by the
Beleekh and flow into the Euphrates at Racca. Harrân is about
thirty miles from Racca.
We left Sufoog's encampment at 2 P.m., and travelled over a
barren road for two hours, when we came in sight of fields of
wheat and barley which had been entirely destroyed by the wind
and hail of the preceding evening. The soil here is alluvial,
owing to the overflowing of the Jullab, and is tolerably well
cultivated by the Arabs of the district. We reached Harrân at
5 P.M. and the brother of Shlash, the chief of the Jès Arabs,
volunteered to conduct us through the place. Harrân stands on
two low hills, and from the traces of old foundations appears to
have been encircled with a wall which joined on to the castle. The
castle is of an irregular shape, and built chiefly of bricks very
much resembling those which have been dug up at Nimrood
and Nineveh. On the projecting angles of this ruined edifice
the Arabs have erected their conical huts with the bricks which
are scattered about most plentifully in every part of the enclosed
space. Not far from the castle is a small eminence literally
covered with several hundred of these quaint-looking habitations,
some of which consist of three cones, whilst others have no more
than one.
All were now deserted, the Arabs having taken to
their tents to escape from the vermin which infest them during
this season.
Pursuing our way over mounds of rubbish and
lines of old foundations, we came to about the centre of the
area, where we found the skeleton remains of the principal
building in the place, but for what purpose originally intended
it is somewhat difficult to decide. My impression is that it was
designed for a Christian temple, and was afterwards converted


THE JES ARABS.
343
The conduct of Shlash's brother, my guide, and of two other
Arabs who had joined him while I was examining the ruins,
prevented me from extending my researches into the interior of
the castle, where I understood there are several ancient vaults,
one containing two small and beautiful pillars each crowned with
a lotus blossom. The savage-looking fellows, who were armed
with clubs hid beneath their cloaks, first tried to decoy me into
one of the subterraneous passages, promising to show me some-
thing very wonderful ; but finding me on my guard they charged
me in the most insolent manner with a desire to excavate for
treasure. Being alone, and unprovided with any weapon of
defence, I strolled about hither and thither hoping to meet some
of our party. On reaching the summit of a mound from whence
I could be seen by them, the two Arabs took their departure,
and my guide accompanied me to the tent where I found Shlash
himself, the sheikh of the Jès tribe, who had come to pay us a
visit. He is a fine young man with a frank and open counte-
nance, which contrasted strikingly with the villanous look of his
brother,-a notoriously bad character, who was imprisoned at
Urfah for nine months for having been an accomplice in the
murder of two Turks, and would have been hung had not his
brother ransomed him by the payment of a large sum of money.
Sblash informed me that the Jés were all Igráwy, that is village-
dwelling Arabs, who cultivate the soil, but in seasons of scarcity
roam about in the desert like the Bedooeen, and sometimes cross
the Euphrates. They are not numerous now, having suffered
much from the Aniza and Shammar, and from the exactions and
tyranny of the Turkish government. They are considered a
most treacherous set by the people of Urfah, and if all that is
told of their secret murders may be relied on, they are not much
behind the Thugs of India in dexterous atrocities. The only
Englishman whom Shlash remembered to have seen at Harrân
previous to our visit was Captain Lynch of the Indian navy,
whose name he was quite familiar with.
May 25th.—Long before day-break three or four runaway
Arabs came to Harrân bringing the intelligence that the Sayeh
had attacked the Shammar during the night, and that a fierce
conflict had ensued in which many lives were lost on both sides.
The Sheikh, whose wound we had dressed, had also died, and


344
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
the whole encampment was in confusion. We left Harran at
4 A.M., glad to have escaped the melée, and at the distance of
half-a-mile from the village saw the well where Jacob is said to
have had his first interview with his cousin Rachel (Gen. xxix.
1–8.) The flocks of the Arab are still watered there, and there,
close by the well's mouth, are several large stones, one of which
Jacob's hands
may
have touched when he wooed the “ beautiful
and well-favoured Rachel.” There are two or three other wells
in the vicinity, but this is the only one near Harrân containing
sweet water, the rest being brackish ; so I think there is good
reason to believe the authenticity of the tradition attached to the
“ Beer Yaacoob.” We followed the direct route to Urfah, can-
tered the greater part of the way, and in less than five hours
entered the town, where we were again welcomed by our kind
host Mokdisi Yeshua.
I shall now offer a few remarks upon the character of the
Bedooeen Arabs, and in so doing shall endeavour to estimate
aright their virtues and their vices. My first acquaintance with
them began in 1835, when I travelled through Syria and Pales-
tine to the borders of the Euphrates; and during my two visits
to Mosul I had frequent opportunities of mixing with them,
and of conversing with many of the chiefs, who are all well
known to Mr. Rassam. The halo of romance, which eastern
tales and the flowery narratives of some modern travellers, had
thrown around this interesting people, gradually disappeared,
together with my own fanciful prepossessions in their favour, as
I became more intimately acquainted with their domestic and
social babits, and began to perceive that the gay hues in which
they had been depicted, were rather the pencillings of the ima-
gination, than the sober colours of reality and truth. It is not
to be questioned but that the Arabs are endowed with a few
good and sterling qualities, the want of which among the
dwellers of the towns and villages, and not any pre-eminence
in those qualities, constitutes the real difference between the
two classes. They are remarkable for temperance in eating and
drinking, for great powers of endurance, and for an independent
bearing, as far removed from the haughtiness of the Turk, as it
is from the cringing servility of the long-oppressed rayah. But
these peculiarities spring almost of necessity from their mode



1. Great Castle St.
C.Grar, lithog.
JACOB'S WELL. AT HARRAN





CHARACTER OF THE BEDOOEEN.
345
of life, from the desert which they inhabit, and from the form
of government which exists among them. I do not consider
them brave in fight, except when the advantage of position and
numbers is on their side, or when they are driven to desperation.
Their courage is in fact nearly allied to cowardice, for they will
fearlessly attack a caravan tended by muleteers, or protected by
a few inexperienced guards, but they will seldom dare to ap-
proach an escort of regular soldiery, however small it may hap-
pen to be. In this respect, indeed, they may be regarded as
common robbers, who will filch and steal from such as can offer
them little or no resistance. Their hospitality, which has been
so highly extolled, is certainly not greater or more genuine than
that of most orientals; and I doubt whether a Bedooeen ever
gives any thing away without expecting a fourfold return.
Travellers in general write in very pretty strains of their recep-
tion by the Arabs of the desert; but they seldom tell us how
much they paid for the compliment. They are bountiful to their
entertainers because they are delighted to find themselves secure
among a band of marauders, for the novelty of the thing, or
because they wish to conciliate them; and the Arabs, as a matter
of course, treat them with respect and consideration. But not
feeling the same interest in their situation when they happen
to be in a common town or village, they are less liberally and
graciously disposed, and then they wonder that the natives do
not appear so well satisfied as the Arabs did. The Arabs, more-
over, they generally affect to treat as equals, perhaps as supe-
riors for the nonce, and their servants and interpreters, if they
have any such with them, adopt a similar line of conduct, well
knowing that their accustomed insolence would not be brooked
by the proud sons of Ishmael. But how do European travellers
usually conduct themselves in the towns and villages of Turkey ?
Why, for the most part, they assume the haughty swagger of the
Turk, and look down upon the natives as slaves, in which they are
exceeded by their domestics who, because they know that they
can do so with impunity, act in the most overbearing manner
towards their fellow subjects. I am not now imagining a case;
I have seen many such instances, and from my intimate know-
ledge of the easterns generally, I feel assured, that if travellers
would treat the town and village-dwelling people as they find


CHARACTER OF THE BEDOOEEN.
347
system of government is adopted throughout the Turkish pro-
vinces. If this were once effected, I, for my own part, am far
from believing that the Bedooeen could not be reclaimed, if
proper measures were pursued to that end. The erection of a
line of forts through the desert, and the offer of protection to
such as should settle in the vicinity of the same, would, I am
persuaded, induce many to abandon their nomade habits ; a
number of villages would spring up in the wilderness, commerce
would flourish, the roads now closed to the merchant and tra-
veller would be opened, and the way would thus be prepared for
greater improvements, and eventually, it is to be hoped, for the
preaching of the Gospel among the wild descendants of Abra-
ham's injured and exiled son.
Mr. Layard has given a graphic account of his visit to the
Shammar tribe, and of his reception by Sufoog, whom he met
at El Hadhr about a year after the events related in the fore-
going narrative. He also gives an interesting biography of that
renowned chieftain, and of his murder by Nejib Pasha of Bagh-
dad, in 1848, which will amply repay a careful perusal. The
whole chapter is strikingly illustrative of the habits and cus-
toms of the Bedooeen, and of the form of government which
prevails among those who inhabit the great desert east of the
Euphrates.


348
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER XXII.
Departure from Urfah and arrival at Birejik.-The Euphrates Expedition in
1836.-Description of Birejik.—The Castle and its ruins.-An adventure.
-Aleppo.-Christian population.—Character of the Aleppines. - Want of
English clergy in the Levant.-Departure from Aleppo and arrival in
London.-Breaking up of the mission to the Nestorians.—The author's
return to Mosul in 1849.-Turkish politics.
May 28.-We left Urfah this evening, and passed the night at
Khudhr Elias, where our hospitable host had prepared an enter-
tainment for us, to which Mutran Agop and several of the
Armenian and Syrian clergy were invited. The Bishop made
many inquiries respecting our Church, and expressed his sincere
desire for the religious improvement of his people. On the
following morning we bade farewell to our kind friends at 4 A.M.
and pursued our journey over an undulating and barren country
till noon, when we reached Tcarmelik, where we located ourselves
in a ruined mosque which stands by the side of a large khan in
tolerably good repair. Just below the mosque is a capacious
reservoir measuring eighty feet in depth. We passed several
these rock cisterns during our day's journey, and they are com-
mon in this district along the caravan routes. There is a large
Coordish village of conical mud huts in the vicinity, but the
villagers bad all gone into the Serooj to pasture their flocks.
May 30th.—We started from Tcarmelik at 4 A.M. and at
noon reached Birejik on the Euphrates, where we were accom-
modated on the terrace of an Armenian house close under the
castle, in order to be in readiness to cross the river early in the
morning. The general features of the road to-day were like
those of yesterday; the country is barren but more rocky, and
;


..
BIREJIK.
349
as we approached the town covered with chalk hills sprinkled
over with a stunted brushwood.
The sight of Birejik reminded me of my visit to the Euphrates
Expedition in 1836, just before the two steamers started on their
voyage of discovery, one, the “Tigris," never to be heard of
more. Long shall I remember the energy displayed both by
officers and men, and withal the unanimity and cheerfulness
which prevailed among them.
“Port William," the name given
to the station on the western bank of the river where the boats
were put together, was all life and activity from morning till
night, each pursuing his avocation with a right good will under
the able and zealous superintendence of Colonel Chesney. Sun-
day came round and with it a suspension of all work; the bell
was rung for divine service on board the “Euphrates,” the
ensign was lowered, and all assembled on the quarter-deck
publicly to recognize the Almighty Ruler of the universe and
their individual dependance on Him. The moral effect of this
outward respect paid to religion upon the surrounding natives
must have been great because of its singularity, and I doubt not
tended in a high degree to preserve among the members of the
Expedition that sobriety, order, and good feeling, for which they
were remarkable.
On our second journey to Mosul in 1849 we were obliged to
spend a quarantine of twelve days at Birejik, when I had
abundant leisure to examine all the objects of interest in the
neighbourhood, a short account of which I shall now proceed to
lay before my readers.
Birejik is built upon a rather abrupt slope, the base of which
touches the eastern bank of the Euphrates. The country around
consists chiefly of chalk hills, and as the town is constructed of
the same material it would be hardly visible at any distance
were it not for a narrow belt of gardens which crowns its sum-
mit. The houses are flat-roofed, and all the windows open into
a court-yard. Besides a covered bazaar containing about sixty
shops, there are five mosques and three baths in the place; but
none of these can lay claim to any antiquity. The inhabitants
are pleased to say that before the last earthquake of 1826
Birejik could boast of several ancient palaces; but of these no
vestige remains, and all the modern buildings are of the plainest


350
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
architecture. The town is not very clean, but is considered
healthy; the climate in summer during the day isvery hot, but
the nights are cool and pleasant. When I was here in March,
1836, the nights were bitterly cold, but the sun was hardly up
when the heat was scorching, reminding one forcibly of Jacob's
expostulation with Laban somewhere in the vicinity of Harrân,
when he said: “In the day the drought consumed me, and the
frost by night, and my sleep departed from mine eyes."
Birejik contains a population of 1500 families composed of
Turks, Turcomans, Arabs, Christians, and a few resident Jews.
Turkish is the only language spoken except by the Arabs, who
seldom speak any other than their own native tongue. The
Christians, who are all Armenians, have a church and a priest.
The bulk of the people are petty traders and craftsmen; the
Arabs and Turcomans, who live chiefly in the numerous caves
which skirt the hills around, are engaged in tending the flocks
of sheep which are kept here for the Aleppo and other Syrian
markets. The custody of the town is entrusted to a Mutsellim,
and a few irregular troops. When I called upon this official in
1849 he was playing chess with two merchants of the town in
his shirt sleeves, and his Frank trowsers were attached to his
extremities by a solitary button. His assistant seemed anxious
to copy the style of his superior, for when he returned my visit
he was without coat or stockings. I have often had occasion
to observe, that the substitution of the Frank for the Oriental
costume by the Turks has rendered them very careless in their
mode of dress.
There is little cultivation in the vicinity of the town, if we
except the wheat and other grain which are raised in great
abundance in the vast plains bordering the Euphrates, and
which form the staple articles of commerce in this district.
Fruits are scarce, but melons, cucumbers, onions, and other
vegetables are grown in large quantities on the banks of the river.
But the most interesting object at Birejik is the old castle,
which though shattered and fast crumbling into ruin, presents
a most imposing spectacle. It is built upon an isolated rock at
the northern extremity of the town, of an oblong form, and up-
wards of two hundred feet from the ground below. The
entrance is by a narrow gateway leading through an excavated






F.C.Cooper, lith
Printed by CGraf, 1, Great Castle St.
BAS-RELIEF IN THE CASTLE OF BIRE JIK





JOURNEY TO ALEPPO.
353
this because considerations of this nature are more likely than
any other to induce the foreign representatives at the Porte to
inquire into the state of these so-called quarantine establishments
in the interior. If the measure is a mere fiscal one, and the
principle is just, let the money be levied by all means; but if the
toll is all that is sought after, let the arbitrary detention be re-
moved. I have since heard that the quarantine at Aintâb and
Birejik has been shortened from twelve to five days.
May 31st.-We crossed the river at 4 A.m., and diverged a
little from our road to visit “Port William” on the opposite
bank. The rooms still contained several relics of the expedition,
such as cart-wheels, blocks of wood, coal, &c., which I wonder
the natives do not carry away, as there is no person charged to
take care of the property. In five hours we passed the Kesreen
bridges, and shortly after stopped near a copious spring to rest
during the heat of the day which was now beginning to be ex-
cessive. Three rough-looking fellaheen were seated by the well's
mouth, one of whom took the liberty of occupying the carpet
which our Greek servant had thrown upon the grass
for Mrs.
Badger's accommodation. I ordered the carpet to be removed,
and to our surprise the same fellow quietly squatted himself
upon it a second time. He paid so little attention to our expos-
tulations, that our Mosul servant Rabhomi approached him and
gave him a severe castigation. This effectually cured his pre-
dilection for the carpet, but as he skulked away with his com-
panions he threatened that we should not pass the Sajoor river
in safety. We again started on our journey at 4 P.M. and at 7
reached the Sajoor, which was then so swollen, and the night so
dark, that our muleteers refused to cross : so pitching our tent
in the valley we retired to rest quite forgetful of the friends we
had met in the morning. We had not retired long when Giorgio
woke me, and pointed to nine figures on the hills a short dis-
tance from us, who were evidently watching our movements.
We accordingly prepared for the attack, made a breast-work of
our baggage, charged our muskets, and waited patiently for the
onset. An hour passed and no movement was made on the
part of our adversaries. Hardly wishing to spend a wakeful
night after a long day's journey, I proposed that we should
advance. Giorgio and Rahhomi were each armed with a pistol,
AA


354
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
the runaway soldier and the confidential slave with a sword, the
three muleteers with as many matchlocks, and myself with a gun.
At a given signal all rushed up the hill, bawling and vociferating
to our opponents not to run away. We reached the summit
without any opposition, then proceeded along the bank to the
spot which our antagonists occupied, and on nearing it found
to our great disgust that we had been frightened at eight bushes !
Giorgio maintains to this day, I imagine, that the thieves had
fled on seeing the spirit which we had manifested, or were scared
perhaps at the noise which the assailants had made. We re-
turned to our camp more dejected than if we had been discom-
fited, but soon forgot in a refreshing sleep the martial encounter
with the supposed freebooters.
June 1st.—We left the Sajoor at 4 A.M. and on the following
morning, rode into Aleppo, where we were welcomed by Naoom
Azâr, a respectable Syrian merchant, and almost the only
Jacobite resident in the town, the remainder having joined the
Church of Rome. We remained at Aleppo for a fortnight,
during which time we had abundant opportunity of mixing with
the native clergy, and of making known to them the doctrine
and discipline of the English Church; but as it does not enter
into the design of this work to treat of Syria, the reader must
not be surprised if my remarks thereon are few and cursory.
This is the less to be regretted, seeing that the whole of this
country is now so well known to Europe through the publica-
tions of the numerous travellers who visit it, that
any
detailed
account introduced here would be as superfluous as it would be
out of place.
The following is a tolerably correct estimate of the different
Christian communities in Aleppo.
The Greek, or Holy Eastern Church, does not number at pre-
sent more than 100 families, with one place of worship. They
are called “Room el Kneesi,” and by way of reproach “ Fisfisi,"
i.e., Ephesians.
The Papal Greeks number 1,000 families, with two churches;
they had no Bishop when we first visited Aleppo, but on our
return in 1849 we found there Mutran Athanasius Tootoonjee,
the ex-Bishop of Tripoli, well known to many of our clergy in
England.


CHRISTIAN POPULATION OF ALEPPO.
355
The Armenians number 180 families, with a Bishop and two
churches; and the Papal Armenian community 600 families,
with a church and five priests. During our stay there was a
controversy going on between these two sects, and I was fre-
quently referred to by the Armenians to assist them in coping
with their antagonists. The point in dispute was, “What are
the true notes of the Church ?”
The Papal Syrians number 350 families, under the Patriarch
Botros Gerwa, who some years ago visited England, and obtained
grants of money and a printing press from some piously disposed
individuals, whom he persuaded that he was desirous of intro-
ducing many
reforms
among
his people.
There is also a small community of Maronites, and a large
Jewish population at Aleppo. Several of the foreign consuls
at this city are Jews. An American Independent mission had
been established here some years previous to our first visit, but
was afterwards dissolved. In 1849 there were two missionaries
from the same body at Aleppo and two at Aintâb, where they
have succeeded in forming a schism among the Armenians, and are
about to build a separate place of worship for the new proselytes.
Most sincerely is it to be regretted that we have no chaplains
in Syria to attend to the spiritual wants of the British residents,
and to make known to the native Christian communities what
are the doctrines, rites, and discipline of our national religion.
This unjustifiable neglect is fraught with mischief, not only to
the best interests of our own people but also to the character
and honour of the Anglican Church, and contrasts most dis-
advantageously with the provision made by the Romanists for
these objects. There is not a town in Syria or Palestine where
there are not some resident Latin priests or missionaries, who
act as chaplains to the foreign consulates, besides otherwise for-
warding the views of the See of Rome among the Christians of
the country. And what is the consequence of this neglect of
our people, residents, and travellers in these parts ? They have
no churches to go to, no opportunity of making any public pro-
fession of their religion, and are therefore regarded as little
better than atheists by the orientals generally, or they are driven
to frequent the meetings of Independent missionaries, and
thereby have contributed to confirm the native Christians in the
A A 2


356
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
idea that the English are all sectarians, or that they consider as
light and trifling the differences which separate members of the
Church from the communion of the multiform dissenters from
her pale. The late Rev. H. Wimbolt, agent of the London
Society for converting the Jews, endeavoured for several years to
remedy this defect at Beyroot, where he opened a room for
divine service in his own house, and regularly administered the
ordinances of the Church. But all this was voluntary; it was
no part of his duty, and he continued to act in this double capa-
city till tired nature was exhausted, and he has since gone to his
rest. His place as spiritual guide to the British community at
Beyroot is left unsupplied, nor is there any hope of its being
filled up, unless some especial effort is made in behalf of the in-
terests of the Church generally in Syria. Aleppo, Beyroot, and
Damascus, ought each to be provided with an English priest,
whose office it should be to minister to our own people, and to
hold friendly intercourse with the native clergy. It would be
in the legitimate province of the Anglican bishopric at Jerusalem
to further such a plan, and it can hardly be doubted that if pro-
perly represented, what with local subscriptions and assistance
from the societies in England, funds would be forthcoming for
carrying it out. Little is to be expected in an undertaking of
this nature from the government at home, and indeed it is not
desirable that these chaplains should be hampered with any
obligations to act in accordance with the political views of a
foreign secretary. Decent places of worship should be built for
the due celebration of our ritual, and the incumbents should be
empowered to discharge the functions of curates and missionaries
under instructions from the Church, and subject to the episcopal
supervision of the Anglican Bishop at Jerusalem. My strong
conviction is, that a measure such as this would not only do much
towards spreading abroad among the native Christian communi-
ties a just appreciation of our apostolical faith and discipline,
but also lead them eventually to profit by our good example and
to reform their errors after the scriptural model of our ritual.
The most interesting relic of antiquity at Aleppo is the
Jamaa el-Kbeer, formerly a Christian church, and said to con-
tain the grave of Zechariah, the father of S. John of Damascus.
Tradition says that in the belfry, now a minaret, is a diamond


CHARACTER OF THE ALEPPINES.
357
cross enclosed within a ball, which miraculously returns to its
place as often as it is removed. The office of Muezzin, or crier
to prayers, to this mosque is hereditary, and has been handed
down in one family since the time of the Mohammedan con-
quest. No one but the Muezzin himself knows what he chants
at the midnight cry; it is certainly not the usual sentence from
the Koran, and many affirm that the first word he utters is
Kaddoos,” holy. May it not be the ancient hymn Tersanctus,
which in Arabic begins with the same word ?
The Aleppines, and more especially the Christians of the
town, are in my estimation the most highly polished people in
the East. There is a cleanliness and comfort in their houses,
an elegance and gracefulness in their dress, and a courtesy and
affability in their manners, far superior to what is to be met
with among orientals generally. They have adopted just so
much of European manners and customs as has tended to refine
without destroying their native peculiarities. There is more
social intercourse among them than exists generally among the
people of these countries; the women mix freely with the men
in the home circle, and are not debarred, as they are elsewhere
in Turkey, from taking a part in the ordinary civilities of society.
I have hardly seen better regulated households than some of the
respectable families of this town, and that of our kind host
Naoom Azar and of Mr. Michael Sola, the dragoman of the
British consulate, may be adduced as specimens of every thing
that is comely in domestic life and elegant in the proprieties of
good breeding. There is not that anxious strife after gain, even
among the commercial portion of the community, which charac-
terizes the mass of European merchants; a great part of their
time is spent at home, and when their ordinary business is over,
which it generally is at four in the afternoon, fathers may be
seen taking their families to the gardens to enjoy with them a
little innocent recreation after the toil and care of the day.
Why should we make our duty an intolerable task and our life
a burden ?" some of them have said to me when I have con-
trasted their freedom from anxiety with the all-absorbing devo-
tion to worldly interests of so many who follow the same pursuits
in other countries; “we have enough for our wants, and our
sons must labour as we have done, and God will provide.” This


358
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS,
reliance on the divine care and bounty is a virtue which is prac-
tised in a much higher degree by Easterns than it is by the
people of the West generally, and hence the claims of relation-
ship are more fully recognised by the former than by the latter.
An indigent relative, however distantly connected, feels himself
at home in the house of his kinsman, who on his part considers
himself bound to do all in his power to assist him. From this
it results that there are many households in the East, composed
of several united families, who live together in peace and
harmony, the poorer sharing the affluence of the richer, and
all regarding one another as members of the same domestic
circle.
So great was the kindness and hospitality shown us at Aleppo
by many eastern friends,-in which acknowledgment we should
be ungrateful not to record the attention of Mr. Consul Werry,
who though ill at the time did all he could to render our stay
profitable and agreeable, that we prepared to leave it with re-
gret. But we had not yet reached the end of our journey, and
duty called us to be going. We accordingly started from the
town on the 17th of June, visited Dana and the ruined estab-
lishments of the Stylites, or Pillar Saints, in that neighbourhood,
crossed the Orontes and the great Turcoman plain, and entered
Antioch in three days from Aleppo. From thence our route lay
over the wooded heights of mount Casius to Latachia, where we
embarked in a native boat for Beyroot, and again left for Smyrna
in the Austrian steamer “ Arciduca,” on the 4th of July. At
Smyrna Mr. Fletcher and Kas Botros took their departure for
Malta, and Mrs. Badger and I accompanied by Kas Michael
proceeded to Constantinople, where we were welcomed by the
Rev. Messrs. Miles and Taylor; two missionaries of the Ameri-
can Episcopal Church, who had been sent out to labour among
the Armenians. The Rev. H. Southgate was absent at the time
on a visit to his native country, where he was consecrated Bishop,
and subsequently rejoined his colleagues. This mission, I regret
to say, was broken up a few years after, but for what reason I
am not informed. We remained at the Turkish capital till the
18th of September, engaged in forwarding the interests of the
Nestorians and their Patriarch, and in holding frequent inter-
course with the heads of the Christian communities there, and
<


TERMINATION OF THE MISSION.
359
finally reached London in October, after an absence of nearly
two years.
The Committee of the Society for the Propagation of the Gos-
pel had entirely relinquished the idea of continuing a mission to
the Nestorians, and had transferred my services to the Society
for Promoting Christian Knowledge, by whom I was to have
been engaged, in company with the two priests Kas Botros and
Kas Michael, in preparing for the press a Syriac edition of the
Sacred Scriptures, the Book of Common Prayer, and other use-
ful works, for the benefit of the people among whom we had
been labouring. The valuable MSS. which we had brought with
us, amounting to one hundred and fifty in number, had been
collected to this end; but the Society, finding that their funds
were not adequate to the undertaking, finally declined to enter
upon it, and thus ended the mission to the Nestorians. Mr.
Fletcher was afterwards admitted to holy orders, and is now
minister of S. Saviour's district, in the parish of Hampstead.
Kas Botros and Kas Michael remained for some time at Malta
under the supervision of the Lord Bishop of Gibraltar, who
throughout had manifested a deep interest in the welfare of the
Nestorians, and were afterwards placed at the disposal of Bishop
Southgate at Constantinople. I am not aware how the former
came to leave the Bishop, but being thrown out of employ, with
no means of subsistence, he attached himself to the American
Independent Missionaries, and is at present in their service at
Aleppo his native place. Kas Michael was sent to Mosul with
instructions to open schools and otherwise to exert himself in
behalf of the Nestorians, with a salary of £60 a year. Out of
this sum he succeeded in opening two schools in Buhtân, and
frequently visited the Nestorian villages in that district, freely
preaching in their churches, and exercising the other functions
of his ministerial character with the consent and approbation of
the Patriarch. Moreover, when Mar Shimoon fled from Mosul
he left him in charge of his people there, and directed them to
look up to him as their spiritual guide. Last year his salary
was stopped, the two schools have fallen into the hands of the
American Independents who have consented to support them,
and Kas Michael, one of the most able Syriac scholars of the
day, and a good man, is now left wholly unprovided for. With


362
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
the government to abridge or revoke them. The tendency of
the Tanzeemât is to pave the way for the people to become more
prosperous and consequently more independent, and in the same
ratio that they attain to this state will they become more im-
patient of control, and more disposed to resist any species of
aggression on the part of their rulers. And here it is important
to bear in mind, that the Turks have no hold whatever on the
affections of the masses in the empire ; on the contrary, they
are cordially hated, not only by the Christians, but also by the
Coords, Yezeedees, Druses, and Arabs, that is by ninety-nine
out of a hundred of their subjects, who could overthrow the
Ottoman dynasty at a blow. The prejudices of religion and
caste, which separate these distinct races, may perchance always
prevent their combining to any such end; but it is by no means
improbable that the attempt may be made when once the better
circumstances of the disaffected shall supply them with the
means of effectually withstanding their feeble and degenerate
masters. Hence, it seems to me, that in easing the yoke of
servitude wherewith they have hitherto ruled their subjects,
without making any adequate provision for the probable conse-
quences of the immunities now granted to them, the Turks are
arming their adversaries with weapons which they will not fail
to use against them on the first favourable opportunity.
For one thing is certain, that the administrators of the new
laws have no right conception of their spirit, and hence, whereas
in some cases they are likely to be misinterpreted or misapplied
into immunities for crime; in others, they will only serve as an
additional sanction to the misgovernment of provincial Pashas.
Thus, Asaad Pasha of Diarbekir deeply regretted that he could
not punish offenders as they deserved, because of the Tan-
zeemât, and the Pasha of Mosul adduces the same excuse for
a leniency destructive of the well-being of society. During my
visit to Mosul in 1850, this last mentioned official dismissed
several notorious thieves, in whose possession a large amount
of stolen property was discovered, which had been claimed and
restored to its rightful owners, on the ground that the proof
required by the new ordinances to convict them was not forth-
coming. The same Pasha has been frequently known to require
the members of the municipal council,—who, by the way, are


TURKISH POLITICS.
363
supposed to deliberate and decide freely, as if men educated
under despotic rule can be really capable of exercising the
functions of popular representatives with any thing akin to in-
dependence,—to come to opposite decisions on the same subject,
and to confirm both by affixing their seals thereto as the gen-
uine conviction of their united judgment. Instances of this
nature, and many such might be adduced, for they spring of
necessity from the opposite genius of the governors and go-
verned, from their separate interests, and from the despotism of
ages on both sides,-go to destroy all hope that the new ordi-
nances will effect any radical reformation in the Turkish em-
pire. To use a scriptural simile, the promulgation of the Tan-
zeemât is nothing more than the putting of a new patch upon
an old garment: the concessions which they accord may cover
the more glaring defects of a bad system for a time, but in the
end will make the rent worse ; and no traveller in the east, who
has looked beyond the surface of Ottoman rule, whether under
the old or new régime, can fail to be convinced, that it is based
upon no fixed principles of justice, or of real anxiety for the
welfare of the subject, and is consequently rotten at its very
core, and fast falling into decay. No better proof, perhaps,
could be adduced in support of this conclusion, than the un-
deniable fact that the Tanzeemât, or any similar chapter of pri-
vileges, lately accorded to the Sultan's subjects, is not the
offspring of the voluntary suffrage of the ruling powers, spring-
ing from any comprehensive appreciation of the rights of the
people, or of the real value and tendencies of the immunities
conceded; but has been granted mainly out of a disposition
to ape the political institutions of Europe, in the same way that
the change of costume was introduced by the late Sultan
Mahmood, or to satisfy the importunate expostulations of foreign
representatives at the Sublime Porte.*
In fact, the Osmanlis do not possess the materials for ad-
ministering any other than a despotic form of government, and
therefore every attempt made on their part to effect a radical
change in their political system will be futile. Their Pashas
are generally ignorant and rapacious men, their Cadhis, or
* A German friend of mine aptly likens Turkey under foreign influence to a
galvanized frog.


364
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Judges, are venal to a proverb, their Oolema are unalterably
attached to the old policy, and their soldiers are devoid of one
8park of true patriotism. Look, then, at the state of the eastern
provinces of the empire; on reaching Idlib, three days from
the sea coast, we found the governor expelled the palace by his
own attendants, the neighbourhood of the town was infested
with robbers, and the same was the case between Aleppo and
the Euphrates. Just before we entered Birejik, fifty villages
in the Serooj had been laid waste by the Bedooeen, and the road
to Urfah was impassable. The district between Mardeen and
Jezeerah was overrun by troops of marauding Arabs, who ra-
vaged the villages on the banks of the Tigris, and approached
even to the walls of Mosul. No efforts were made on the part
of the local authorities to stay these freebooters, who daily
plundered caravans, and committed several murders with im-
punity. The same unsettled state of things exists up to the
present time, no property is safe beyond the city gates, and the
villagers in the plain are driven to pay the Arabs black mail to
purchase indemnity from plunder and bloodshed. In the more
distant provinces bordering on Coordistan, such as Bahdinan
and the Tyari, which are now supposed to be entirely under
Ottoman rule, the Christians continue to be oppressed as usual
without any means of obtaining redress. The poor Nestorians
are the chief sufferers here, so that it is to be doubted whether
they have profited much by their change of masters. The pre-
sent political condition of the mountain Nestorians will be
noticed more particularly in the sequel.


366
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
LOWER AND UPPER TYARI PROVINCES.
Church and
house property
Oxen. Muskets. in Tcerkhies.*
Sheep.
e
9000 1000 400
15000
.
.
5000 100 150
1800 50 60
1500 35 64
4500 120 150
3500 90 70
8000 100 200
3000 80 160
8000 180 400
1000
3000 150 160
20000 1500 500
3000 500 160
2500 400 140
Places.
Four villages of
Walto
Ishté d'Nahra
Beth Mariggo
Mabbuaa.
Dâdosh.
Ko
Chambab
Kalayâtha .
Athra d'Roomta'
Siadhòr
Serspeedho
Asheetha
Zaweetha
Minyânish.
Five villages of
Lagippad
Matha d'Kasra
Leezane.
Zerni .
Beth Rawolé.
Salabeken and
Be-Alâthaf
8000
9500
4000
14000
5500
30600
16100
22000
3500
8000
31500
13500
15500
30
53
Remarks.
a Besides the property
of Sheeno the head of
this village, valued at
5000 Tcerkhies.
b Besides 16 mules be-
longing to this village,
as also the property of
Melek Ismaeel, valued
at 100,000 Tc.; and that
of the chief Auraham at
7,000 ; and that of Sa.
mano at 4,000.
c Besides the property
of Khiyyo, valued at
50,000 Tc.; also the pro-
perty of Audishu, valued
at 5,000 Tc.
d Also the property of
Melek Deelo, and of the
chief Zarwanda, valued
severally at 4,000 and
2,000 Tc.
e Also the property of
Sulmo and Shimmon
valued at 7000 Tc.
f Besides the property
of Meleks Barkho, Chic.
co, Hasaddo, and of the
priest Jindo, valued at
8,500 T cerkhies.
} 18000
200 550
27000
.
}
io
16000
220 560
30000
120
100 200
10000
} 330
260 600
31500
.
Besides the property of Mar Shimoon, valued at 50,000
Tcerkhies.
Not one church has been left standing in either of these two
districts, and scarcely a house in the above mentioned villages.
All the chiefs of Tyari were killed in the massacre, besides
3,000 laymen, thirty priests, and sixty deacons, Mar Shimoon's
brother Kasha Sadok, his nephew Jesse, his mother, and many
of his retainers.
After the attack upon Tyari, Noorallah Beg exacted from
the mountain Nestorians the following sums :
From the province of Jelu .
30,000 Tcerkhies
Bâz
15,000 do.
Tehoma
10,000 do.
.
* A Tcerkhi is about ten pence sterling.


368
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
mission of Mar Shimoon to open schools in the mountains, which
he refused. The Americans abandoned Mosul shortly after.
With regard to the Commissioners appointed to examine into
the sufferings of the Nestorians, Mar Shimoon complained bit-
terly of their inattention to the interests of his people. Nothing
further had been effected in their behalf up to the month of
July, 1844, when Kemal Effendi proceeded to Baghdad, where
he was joined shortly after by Mr. R. Stevens, who remained
there for six months, acting as British Consul during the tem-
porary absence of Major Rawlinson. His letter on this subject
contains some startling disclosures, which I shall suppress for
the present, and merely give the following quotation : "There
are still forty captives in the possession of Bedr Khan Beg,
which the Commissioners have knowingly left there. .
Neither has Bedr Khan Beg, up to the present time removed his
Mutsellim from Asheetha, and the people of Tyari are scattered
about here and there, for the Coords will not allow them to live.
in their homes in peace.
A
young child also was brought hither
among the captives from Diarbekir, the only child of his
mother, and she is a widow; this child has been taken by Ke-
mal Effendi, who has made him a Mussulman, instead of return-
ing him to his afflicted parents, who vainly wept for many nights
and days by the shade of and Kemal Effendi, that she
might regain her son. This child is not more than three
years
old, and can know neither the Saviour nor Mohammed." In
March, 1845, the Commission was recalled, not one whit of the
plundered property had been restored, the Coords still kept pos-
session of the Tyari, the Nestorians continued to be wanderers,
and the Patriarch, though anxious to leave, and most unjustly
blamed for his desire to join his people in Persia, was detained
in virtual imprisonment at Mosul. For my own part, I am
fully convinced that the Turks, sensible of their own weakness,
had all along abstained from seriously remonstrating against the
proceedings of Bedr Khan Beg, and that being anxious to ex-
tend their rule throughout central Coordistan, they regarded
with secret complacency, the late dissensions among the Coords
and Nestorians,—dissensions which their own policy had fo-
mented,- foreseeing that these would lead eventually to the
weakening of the mountain tribes, and pave the way to the es-


370
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
the Nestorians beyond the release of a great part of the captives,
and he saw no prospect that any good could be effected by his
continuing any longer separated from his people. Writing to
me of his affairs, be said : "It is our intention to leave and seek
an asylum wherever peace is to be found; for it is far better for
us to be there and take charge of our Church in a cave of the
earth, or even in a cell, until the time of our death." His
forcible detention at Mosul appears to have affected his mind as
well as his body, and he gave himself up to the deepest melan-
choly. In the month of October, however, he secretly effected
his escape, with the intention of proceeding immediately to
Tehoma ; but on hearing that the Coordish forces had already
invaded that district, he retired to Amedia, where he was re-
captured and brought back to Mosul under a military escort.
The Pasha, who is still spoken of by the natives as a benevolent
man, and who seemed to sympathize with the venerable Chris-
tian Bishop in his troubles, received him kindly, and readily
overlooked this act of disobedience.
The intelligence that the Coords had actually invaded Tehoma
was too true. In the month of October the united forces of
Bedr Khan Beg and Noorallah Beg entered that district, and
committed ravages too horrible to be related. On my visit to
Mar Shimoon in 1850, he gave me the following details of this
fresh massacre.
It appears that when they were apprised of the
meditated attack, the people of Tehoma applied to the Pasha of
Mosul for protection; but all that he attempted was to send an
expostulatory message to Bedr Khan Beg: that proud chief
treated it with the greatest indifference, telling him at the
same time that he had no right to meddle in his affairs. The
Nestorians then accepted the offer of the Agha of Tcal to protect
their women and children pending the expected affray, which
being accepted, they were all sent to him under an escort; but
the traitor having apprised Ziner Beg of their coming, the latter
waylaid the party, and three hundred women and as many chil-
dren were brutally put to the sword in one indiscriminate
slaughter; only two girls who were left for dead on the field
escaped to relate the sad tale of this horrible tragedy.
The Coords then attacked the men, who had taken up a most
disadvantageous position in a valley, where they were soon sur-


MASSACRE OF THE NESTORIANS,
371
rounded by their enemies, and after fighting bravely for two
hours gave up the contest. Numbers were killed in attempting
to escape, and as many as one hundred prisoners, mostly women
and children, were afterwards taken from the houses, which were
then fired by the Coords, as were the trees and other cultivation
in the neighbourhood. These unfortunate victims were then
brought before Noorallah Beg and the lieutenant governor of
Jezeerah, as they sat near one of the churches, and heard their
doom pronounced by those blood-thirsty barbarians : “ Make
an end of them," said they; "the English Consul at Mosul
cannot release them from the grave.” A few of the girls,
remarkable for their beauty, were spared, the rest were imme-
diately seized and put to death. During this invasion about
five hundred Nestorians were murdered, all the villages of
Tehoma were destroyed, the churches were razed, the rituals
were burned, and the few remaining villagers crossed the frontier
and sought safety and support among their brethren in Persia.
After this new outrage the Porte was strongly sued by the
foreign representatives, and especially by the Hon. H. Wellesley,
the then British Chargé d'Affaires, to put an end to the power
of the Coordish Emeers, and Nazim Effendi was sent out as
special commissioner to propose that Bedr Khan Beg should go
to the capital. There is ground for believing that the expostu-
lations of the Allied Powers were on this occasion backed with
something resembling a threat, otherwise I doubt whether the
Turks would even then have proceeded to take the steps they
did. Had a similar tone been assumed when the first massacre
occurred, the annals of humanity would not have been disgraced
with such outrages as were suffered to be perpetrated with im-
punity upon the Nestorian Christians for four successive
years ;
the courts of Europe have bearded the Turks for acts of infinitely
less importance, ay, and that too when, diplomatically speaking,
the matter in question involved as great an interference with
the internal administration of this infidel semi-barbarous govern-
ment as a zealous protection of the lives and property of the
mountain Christians would have been. But even up to this
point the Turks seem to have been desirous of avoiding any
coercive measures, and would gladly have found an excuse for
not employing them. Nazim Effendi espoused the cause of
B B 2


372
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Bedr Khan Beg, and publicly defended the aggressions of the
Coords as a just punishment of the Nestorians for having mur-
dered a whole village of Mohammedans,-a base fabrication
similar to that which was got up to vindicate the massacre of
1843. But if the Porte hoped to effect by treachery (such as
they had practised towards the Coordish Pasha of Rawandooz,
whom they directed to be poisoned after they had invested
him with authority over his native province,) what they feared
to attempt by force, the refusal of Bedr Khan Beg to go to the
capital unless the Turkish government acceded to certain con-
ditions of his own propounding balked their pusillanimous
policy. In the meantime this indomitable chieftain continued
his persecution of the Christians with unabated vigour, and
about this junction ordered Mutran Gheorghees, one of the
Jacobite Bishops of Jebel Toor, and two priests who had accom-
panied him to Jezeerah to complain of the exactions of their
Coordish neighbours, to be severely beaten and cast into prison.
The aged Bishop, who is still remembered with affection by his
mountain flock, died in the dungeon from the effects of the
brutal treatment which he had received, and his body was thrown
out to the Christians with this inhuman speech : “Give it the
burial of a dog."
The Turks being now deprived of their last subterfuge were
finally driven to meditate an attack upon the confederate
Coordish Emeers, who on their part prepared to offer an obsti-
nate resistance. Detachments of troops were ordered from
Kharpoot and Urfah, the Pasha of Diarbekir garrisoned Radh-
wân, one of his frontier towns bordering on Buhtân, the Pasha
of Erzeroom took similar precautions on the north, and the
Pasha of Mosul collected a strong force to co-operate, if neces-
sary, with the military tactics of the commander-in-chief. Other
proposals were now made to Bedr Khan Beg to go to the capital,
and at one time it was thought that he would have consented;
but the Coords stoutly opposed the measure, and declared that
they would die rather than lose their chief. The warlike prepa-
rations of the Turks, however, had a powerful effect upon some
of the Emeers, and one named Ardesheer Beg made his escape
to Mosul, leaving his brothers in command of two strong
fortresses, which formed a part of his hereditary possessions in


SUBJECTION OF THE COORDS.
373
Buhtân. The numerous retainers of these chiefs sided with
them in their defection, and thus considerably weakened Bedr
Khan Beg's confederates, who nevertheless were still determined
to test the strength of their antagonists. The first skirmish
between the two opposing parties took place near Jezeerah, and
a few of the combatants were killed on both sides. The Coords
then attacked the enemy's camp by night, and committed great
havoc among the Turks, but the latter rallying in time charged
the assailants, entirely routed them, and forthwith proceeded to
invest Deir Gooli, Bedr Khan Beg's stronghold, which surren.
dered at discretion. The Emeer himself was engaged in the
attack upon the Turkish camp, and fled from the field accom-
panied by a troop of his irregular horse. The next engagement
took place a little below Sert, where Ziner Beg and Khan
Mahmood of Van fell upon the Erzeroom division, but were re-
pulsed with great loss, and many were driven into the river and
either shot or drowned in attempting to escape. The Coords
are said to have fought bravely, but the advantage of numbers,
arms, and ammunition, was on the side of their antagonists.
When they had no other resource they rushed upon the Turks
with their short daggers, and seldom or never asked for quarter.
These defeats were soon followed by the submission of several
Coordish tribes, and Noorallah Beg, on receiving a promise that
his life should be spared, surrendered himself to the Turkish
general. Bedr Khan Beg shortly followed his example, and the
war was at an end. It is stated that while a prisoner in the
enemy's camp the Emeer dressed himself in the Nizam costume,
and wore on his breast the decoration which he had formerly
received from the Sultan. Osman Pasha on perceiving this
ordered him immediately to put on his Coordish clothes, and
not to disgrace the sovereign's uniform. Some time after this
occurrence all the rebel chiefs were led through the streets of
Jezeerah, chained and mounted on horses, previous to their
being taken to Constantinople ; and it is some little consolation to
know, that little fear need be entertained of their being let loose
from their ignominious exile,-Bedr Khan Beg in Candia, and
the other notorious abettors of his tyranny in other parts of
western Turkey,—again to persecute and destroy the Christians
of central Coordistan.


374
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Just after the defeat of the Coords Mar Shimoon effected his
escape a second time from the Nestorian village of Shermen,
whither he had gone for a change of air. The death of his
favourite sister at Mosul, and the intelligence which had reached
him of the decease of another of his brothers, together with the
long train of misfortunes and disappointments which had fallen
to his lot during his exile from home, preyed upon his mind,
and almost drove him to madness. Added to all this he had
nothing to hope for from the Turks, nor could he tell when they
would choose to set him free, so he took advantage of the oppor-
tunity which the permission to visit the villages near Mosul
afforded him, and fled into Persia to his Church and people.
The Coordish power being effectually broken, the Porte annexed
the Tyari and Hakkari country to the pashalic of Diarbekir, and
committed it to the jurisdiction of Asaad Pasha, its present
governor. Bash Kala, Julamerk, and a few other places were
garrisoned by the Sultan's troops, and Turkish Mutsellims were
appointed to administer justice in other parts of the mountains.
As soon as tranquillity was restored Mar Shimoon returned to
his home at Kochânes, after an absence of five years ; no com-
pensation had been made to the Nestorians for their losses, the
Patriarch was not officially recognised by the Porte, and he con-
tinues to exercise his spiritual jurisdiction with no other sanction
than the love and ready obedience of his impoverished adherents.


375
CHAPTER XXIV.
Letters from Mar Shimoon.-Departure for the Tyari.-Native ideas respecting
the excavations at Nineveh.-Nestorian service at Amedia.-Doori and
Mar Yeshua-yau the Bishop of Berwari.—Journey to Leezan.-Meeting
with old friends.- Grateful conduct of a Nestorian girl.-Present condition
of the mountain Christians.—Start for Be Alâtha.-Meeting with the Pa-
triarch.- Return to Leezan and journey to Goonduk.-Night in a Nestorian
convent.-Repose.
The principal changes which had taken place among the diffe-
rent Christian communities up to the date of our second arrival
at Mosul have already been related in the foregoing narrative.
After relinquishing this station for five years the American In-
dependents have lately sent a missionary to the Syrian Jacobites,
who has succeeded in proselyting a few individuals from that
body. After vainly using every endeavour to induce them not
to frequent the religious meetings of the missionary, Mutran
Behnam excommunicated them, and thus the matter remains for
the present. It is but just to add that the two American gen-
tlemen who were successively engaged in this work, frequently
expressed their anxiety not to create a schism among the Syrians;
but a single glance at the doctrines, Church discipline, and ritual
order of the latter, compared with the principles of the Indepen-
dents, will show that this is a chimera. The missionaries have
opened a rival chapel and a school, where, if honest men, they
will undoubtedly inculcate their own doctrines; and this they
desire to do with the approbation of the Bishop of the diocese !
Of course none of the recognized ecclesiastical authorities can
assent to any such proceedings unless they are convinced of the
orthodoxy of the missionaries, or unless they are paid to sanction
their operations. Now it is well known that the Bishops and


376
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
clergy generally are strongly opposed to every form of Protes-
tant dissent, and the missionaries on their part are not likely to
bribe them to acquiescence. Thus, then, if the American Inde-
pendents continue their efforts in these parts, they must form
schisms in the ancient communities of the East.
After we had been at Mosul some time, I wrote to apprise Mar
Shimoon of our arrival, and received from him the two following
epistles :
op
“Mar Shimoon, Catholicos and Patriarch of the East unto
thee our beloved and elect presbyter George, sendeth greeting,
with numberless and endless salutations. Amen.
“Be it known unto you, that the epistle which you sent
reached us in safety, and we read it throughout, and understood
perfectly all that it contained ; thereby we were made acquainted
with your arrival at the blessed city of Mosul, and we rejoiced
at this with exceeding great joy; for the benevolence and love
which you showed towards us, O presbyter George, are not
wiped out from the tablets of our hearts. For these things we
can never recompense you, but we pray that God
may
reward
you thirty, sixty, and a hundred fold. Being at a great distance
when we heard of your coming, we longed earnestly to come and
see you ; but weakness prevents us from enjoying this pleasure.
Known unto us are the tokens of your affection and sincere
goodwill which you manifested towards us when we were with
you. And this we beg of you, that you will accept this expres-
sion of our gratitude ; may your coming again into these parts
be doubly blessed, O our elect brother, and be a source of delight
to all those who rejoice in it. May God perfect your health, fill
you with joy, make you happy all the days of your life, increase
your years to hundreds. Your wisdom will make up for all
imperfections [in this epistle.]
“ And also to our lady sister the noble-minded wife of pres-
byter George, Mar Shimoon, Catholicos and Patriarch of the
East, sendeth greeting with endless and unlimited salutation.
“ Be it known unto you that we were greatly rejoiced when


LETTERS FROM MAR SHIMOON.
377
we heard of your arrival at Mosul; for though we ourselves are
weak and sickly, yet your coming has given us real pleasure,
and blessed are those who shall see and look upon you. We,
indeed, should be over-rejoiced to behold you once more, and to
express all our delight; but we are far away. The God of peace
be with you, and make you to rejoice evermore, that you may
lead a quiet and peaceable life even as you do now. Amen.
“ Written on the fourteenth of December, in the year 2161,
[A.D. 1849.]”
L. S.
::
ܘ ܀
܀
“He who is through his ordination high and exalted, and
through his investiture with his holy office known unto God and
to His Church, our beloved and revered presbyter George, the
mirror of the priesthood ; may the right hand of the Creator of
the world watch over him now and for ever and ever. Amen.
“ Mar Shimoon the Catholicos inquires after your welfare,
and is greatly desirous to see you, even as Joseph longed to see
his brother Benjamin. We were deeply grieved when you
left
us, and now that you have returned from a far-distant country
our joy is as unbounded as Jacob's was when he heard that his
son Joseph lived. Indeed we long to see you, but are prevented :
1st, On account of our old age; 2nd, On account of sickness ;
3rd, Because of the care and vexation which come upon us from
those near and from those at a distance; 4th, From the danger
and impracticability of the roads; 5th, On account of our infir-
mity. Therefore we send Meerza our attendant to inquire after
the health of your body, the reverence of your office, the since-
rity of your friendship, the sweetness of your words, and the
grace of your walk. And this is enough for your wisdom.”
L. S.
A strong desire to see Mar Shimoon once more, and also to
obtain from him certain Syriac MSS. required in the compila-


NESTORIAN SERVICE AT AMEDIA.
379
taken on our journey to the Tyari in 1843, except that on this
occasion we visited several Nestorian villages in the Supna
between Daoodia and Amedia, which will be found noted on the
map. We reached the latter place in four days' ride from
Mosul, and soon forgot before a cheerful fire, and in friendly
chattings with our old friend Kasha Mendu, the discomfort of
having travelled for three hours through a drenching rain.
We had not been seated long before the few Nestorians of
the town came to visit us: men, women, and children, seemed
to rejoice at seeing us again, and anxiously inquired whether we
did not now intend to reside in the country, and to leave them no
more. I found them still in the same depressed condition as they
had been formerly, both temporally and spiritually, but as eager
as ever that an English priest should settle among them. The
day following being Sunday I went to their little chapel, which
has been described in a former chapter, and was present during
the afternoon service. Twelve men and two women composed
the congregation. On one side of the rude lectern stood Kasha
Mendu holding in his hand one half of the open ritual, while a
little boy opposite to him supported the other half. In front
were two deacons, one with a lighted taper in his hand, which
he ever and anon trimmed to enable the rest to see what they
were reading. These formed the choir: the priest precented,
the deacons and child responded, and the congregation joined
in as well as they were able. The prayers and anthems ended,
Kasha Mendu first kissed the book of the holy Gospels, the rest
followed his example, and then the kiss of peace was passed
from one to another. After this all stood with uncovered heads,
and bent bodies, to receive the benediction of their pastor, which
was pronounced with great fervour. A perfect silence followed,
during which the worshippers seemed to be engaged in private
prayer; but now and then I heard such ejaculations as these :
“ LORD, hear us !” “LORD, accept our petitions !” “LORD,
bless us !" Before the people dispersed, each came forward to
kiss the hand of the priest, and they testified their gratitude for
his ministrations by these and similar expressions : “The LORD
give thee the kingdom of heaven !” « The LORD reward thee
a hundred fold !” « The Lord bless thee now and for ever!”
It was a deeply affecting sight during the prayers to see the


380
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
priest with uplifted hands, and with his face turned towards the
east, standing before his flock, and supplicating God to pardon
and to bless them. Scarcely one present, perhaps, knew what
he was praying for; but they seemed to realize that it was for
their good, and occasionally supported his earnest intercession
in their behalf with an audible “Amen,” or with the invocation
taken from the liturgy : “ Give Thy blessing, O LORD.”
Throughout the service the rain dripped from the roof of the
miserable room in which these poor people were assembled, and
the floor beneath them was literally covered with mud. What
a contrast does this spectacle present to the comfortable appur-
tenances of our modern churches, pews, cushions, fires, &c.
Within the last two or three years, that is to say, since the
annual pecuniary grants made to the Eastern Bishops from the
Society of Lyons and the Propaganda have been suspended, the
Latins and Chaldeans have relaxed their missionary efforts, and
have drawn over but few proselytes from among the Nestorians
of the Supna; on the other hand many of the later seceders have
returned to their community, and now recognize Mar Shimoon
as their Patriarch. But the Nestorians have much to struggle
against in this district: they are generally very poor, many of
their churches are in ruins, and the local authorities will not
allow them to rebuild them without a firman from the Sultan,
and they have no means of procuring this sanction. Added to
this the Coords continue to oppress them in various ways,
and seem determined that they shall not prosper.
April 9th.—Started from Amedia at 10 A.M. accompanied by
Kasha Mendu's brother as our guide. We had some trouble in
getting through the Geli Mezurka on account of the Soolava
stream, which was now so swollen, and rushed with such im-
petuosity down the narrow and rugged gorge, that our mules
were more than once in danger of being carried away. The
summit of the Tcah Meteenah was still covered with snow, and
we were obliged to walk to the small Nestorian village of Hayyis,
where we were joined by a priest who had come thither from
Doori to conduct the church services of the preceding Sunday.
Our course was now more to the east, over a rough and stony
road, towards Beit Tannoori, a large Jewish village situated on the
banks of the Bedu rivulet, which we forded with great difficulty,


MAR YESHUA-YAU.
381
and at 5 P.M. reached Doori, where we were kindly received
into the house of Mar Yeshua-yau, the Nestorian Bishop of
Berwari,
The Episcopal residence consists of one long semi-subterranean
apartment and a few outhouses, built in the mouth of a ravine
a short distance from the village. Several dried skins and large
earthen bins filled with rice, wheat, and butter, a few agricultu-
ral implements, cooking utensils, wooden bowls, and rolls of
bedding, formed the domestic furniture. The Bishop's sister and
two or three other relatives and their children were inmates of
the same dwelling, and occupied the upper end of the room,
which served as store, nursery, and kitchen, for the whole
family. The Bishop himself was at vespers in the church of
Mar Kayyoma when we arrived, but he came shortly afterwards
and gave us a hearty welcome. He was dressed in a pair of
brown woollen shalwar, or wide trowsers, a jacket of the same
material, and a felt cap bound round with a small black turban.
He was followed by several of his people, who made themselves
quite at home in his house, squatted near the fire, smoked their
pipes, and took part in the conversation with the greatest free-
dom. Nevertheless they paid him every token of respect,
lighted his pipe, listened attentively whenever he spoke, and
seemed to vie with each other who should do his bidding. The
Bishop gave me a sad account of his diocese, and complained
bitterly of the oppression of the Coords, who have driven away
many of his people from their villages, and taken possession of
their lands and property. I inquired why he did not represent
these proceedings to the Mutsellim of Amedia.
“ Of what use
would that be ?” said he; "the governors are all Moslems, and
never attend to our grievances, and our persecutors who sur-
round us only vex us the more for having dared to seek redress.”
I spoke to him about the education of his people, to which the
poor man replied, “Come, come; we shall be glad to welcome
you, our churches shall be open to you, you may establish
schools amongst us, and I will see that my people obey you.
Perhaps your coming may free us from the tyranny of the infi-
dels, but as for ourselves we can do nothing; we have barely
bread enough to eat, we cannot procure books, we hardly dare
worship God in our churches, and what would the Coords
say
if


382
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
we were to begin to instruct our children? They have already
destroyed by their tyranny more than one-half of the Nestorian
population of this district, and they will not be satisfied until
they have entirely exterminated us.” The old man's
eyes
filled
with tears as he narrated the sufferings of his flock, and every
attempt made on our part to console him was in vain. “I shall
soon sleep with my fathers," said he,“ beneath the shadow of
Mar Kayyoma ;
I shall
go
down to the
grave in sorrow, but if
there are good days yet in store for my flock, I
pray
God to
send them upon these [pointing to the Nestorians present], and
upon their children.” Oh, the withering curse of Islâm!
Besides the village church, there is another at Doori dedicated
to Mar Kayyoma, and situated high up in the gorge behind the
Bishop's house. This latter consists chiefly of a natural cave so
disposed with the addition of masonry as to form three aisles,
one of which is used as a vestry. This church is regarded with
great veneration by the Nestorians, as being the first Christian
temple built in the Berwari district. Notwithstanding the dis-
tance from his house and the ruggedness of the road, the aged
Bishop walks thither three times a day, early in the morning, at
noon, and in the evening, to attend public prayers. Dr. Grant
describes the person of Mar Yeshua-yau and his visit to Mar
Kayyoma in these words: “The Bishop, who is a most patriar-
chal personage with a long white beard, was very cordial, and
took me into his venerable church, a very ancient structure,
made by enlarging a natural cave by means of heavy stone walls
in front of the precipitous rock. It stood far up on the side of
the mountain, and within it was as dark as midnight. The
attentive old Bishop took my hand and guided it to a plain stone
cross which lay upon the altar, supposing I would manifest my
veneration or devotional feelings, after their own custom, by
pressing it to my lips. I must confess that there is something
affecting in this simple outward expression as practised by the
Nestorians, who mingle with it none of the image worship, or
the other corrupt observances of the Roman Catholic Church.
May it not be that the abuse of such symbols by the votaries of
the Roman See has carried us Protestants to the other extreme,
when we utterly condemn the simple memento of the cross *
* The Nestorians, or the Lost Tribes, p. 52.


384
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
ignorance of semi-barbarism, and the light of vital piety almost
extinguished upon their altars, and my heart bled for their con-
dition. But Hope pointed her radiant wand to brighter scenes,
when all these glens, and rocks, and vales, shall echo and re-
echo to the glad praises of our God, and, like a morning star,
these Nestorians shall arise to usher in a glorious and resplen-
dent day. But ere that bright period shall arrive, there is a
mighty work to be done,-a conflict with the powers of dark-
ness before the shout of victory. Let us arm this brave hand to
the contest.
“Onward to the work ! and onward I sped my course down
the steep declivity of the mountain, now cautiously climbing
over the rocks which obstructed our course, now resting my
weary limbs under the inviting shade of a wild pear tree, and
anon, mounted on my hardy mule, winding along our narrow
zig-zag pathway, over the mountain spurs, and down, far down
to the banks of the rolling, noisy, dashing Zab. Here lay one of
the large populous villages of the independent Nestorians, which
extended amid fertile gardens for more than a mile in length."*
This was the village of Leezan, which we reached at 4 P. M.,
the road thereto, so graphically described by Dr. Grant, having
been rendered still more toilsome and dangerous by the rain,
which descended in torrents during the day. We were hospitably
welcomed by Kash’ Audishu, one of the priests who had lived
with us for some months at Mosul after the massacre of 1843,
and by many of the villagers who had known us under similar
circumstances, and now eagerly pressed forward to testify their
gratitude. Each had his little tale to relate, as to how he had
fared since the general return of the refugees to their homes,
and these for the most part were tales of sorrow. The Nesto-
rians are only just beginning to recover from the effects of the
Coordish invasion, and the drawback of poverty is increased by
the conduct of the tax-gatherers and other Turkish officials, who
traverse the country in every direction. The kharaj, or humi-
liation tax, payable by all Christians in the empire, is now
levied from the mountaineers with the greatest severity, and the
higher rates are often imposed upon those who have absolutely
* The Nestorians, or the Lost Tribes, pp. 53–56.


TURKISH TAX-GATHERERS.
385
no means of defraying them.* The tax-gatherers, moreover,
frequently give the poor people teskerés, or receipts, for the pre-
ceding year, (by which artifice they pocket the money them-
selves,) and should they happen to go into a different district,
or another official be appointed to their own, they are generally
called upon to produce these vouchers, and forced to pay a
second time. The villagers assured me that the proceedings of
these officials were vexatious in the extreme. They always come
accompanied by several followers, take possession of the best
houses during their stay, make the most preposterous demands
upon them for luxuries which they never heard of, eat up their
stock of provisions, and on leaving, give them a piastre or two,
so as to be able to say that they paid for their entertainment,
according to the requirements of the Tanzeemát! It is possible,
indeed, that conduct such as this may not be sanctioned by the
governor of Bash Kala; but no Nestorian would dare to com-
plain of it, lest he should bring down upon himself the ven-
geance of these Turks, who are for the most part uneducated
unprincipled men, promoted to office by the favouritism of the
Pashas from amongst their orderlies, pipe-bearers, or coffee-
makers. Only very lately, a circumstance occurred which, had
not God mercifully thwarted the wicked designs of the conspi-
rators, might have been attended with serious consequences to
the Nestorians. It appears that two of these tax-gatherers had
been sent by the government to collect the kharaj from the
villages of lower Tyari. The subaltern officer entered into a
compact with two of his followers to do away with their supe-
rior, and to lay the blame upon Mar Shimoon and the Nesto-
rians of the district. Just as the scheme was matured and
about to be executed, one of the accomplices disclosed the plot,
and thus saved the Christians from what would readily have
been construed into a just ground for some fresh act of tyranny
and oppression.
Hearing that Mar Shimoon was then at Be-Rawolé, about
six hours distant, I despatched a messenger to inform him of
our arrival, and requesting him to send me the Ordination ser-
vices of the Nestorians. We then chatted with the villagers
* The Kharáj is fixed at three different rates, viz., fifteen, thirty, and sixty
piastres, equal to about three, six, and twelve shillings sterling.
CC.


JOURNEY TO GOONDUK.
389
was; others bear rule, and will be glad when I am no more.
Your Bishops sent you to us with offers of assistance, and when
you were helping us they took you away, and never replied to
the many letters which I addressed to them. This is God's
work, and we must submit.” All this was too true, and as I
was not now commissioned to render him any help, I could only
sympathize with him in his trouble, and endeavour to soothe the
anguish of his despair.
Towards the evening we retired to a subterranean room where
we all slept on the floor with the Patriarch, and early in the
morning took our departure. Mar Shimoon accompanied us a
short distance, and sent us away with his blessing. We returned
by the same route that we had come, and in four hours found
ourselves again under the hospitable roof of Kash' Audishu.
The day following Messrs. Clive and Herbert started from
Leezan intending to travel on foot to Julamerk, the road thither
being impassable to mules or horses on account of the snows.
Fifteen lusty Nestorians carried their baggage, and we saw
them depart in good health and spirits upon their adventurous
journey.
April 17th.—It was our intention to have penetrated into
Tehoma from Leezan, but finding this impossible, we took leave
of our worthy host, and retraced our steps to Zerni, and thence
to Akri, a Nestorian village prettily situated on the Zab, from
whence we proceeded on the following day to Amedia. Wish-
ing to vary our former route we crossed the Supna and travelled
in an easterly direction through two high mountain ranges as
far as Kafià, a large Coordish village, where we put up for the
night. From this we had a rugged and toilsome journey to
Shermen, inhabited exclusively by Nestorians, thence to Shosh,
where is a population of two hundred Jewish families, and finally
to Goonduk. Here we found a Nestorian church, or convent,
as it is sometimes called, dedicated to Mar Abd-Yeshua, and the
usual residence of Mar Auraham, who from being a Chaldean
had returned to Nestorianism during Mar Shimoon's stay at
Mosul, as has been recorded in a former chapter. The Bishop
was absent upon a visit to the Mezuriyeh district, but hearing
that a priest and nun dwelt in the convent I sought admittance,
and the door was opened to me by a little hump-backed woman


ARRIVAL AT BA-SHEAKA.
391 .
her dress to keep me from the cold, and I hoped, ay, vainly
hoped, that I should get a few hours of refreshing slumber.
One after another the men threw themselves on the floor beside
me wrapped in their cloaks, and to my surprise the two women
also spread their felts close by and were soon drowned in forget-
fulness. I had not lain long when I discovered to my horror
that my borrowed bedding swarmed with vermin, the same
plague seemed to disturb the rest of the company, so that what
with their snoring, scratching, and loud dreaming, I did not
close my eyes the live-long night. About midnight the priest
rose and called the rest to prayers, whereupon the nun protested
loudly that it was too early, and bade him go to sleep again.
Thinking to get rid of my companions, I seconded his motion,
and the sleepers rose one after another; but to my disappoint-
ment instead of proceeding to the church, the ritual was opened,
the priest and deacons stood round it, the congregation ranged
themselves behind the choir, and the service commenced with
such a harsh dinning noise that I at once gave up in despair all
hope of rest. Before the prayers were ended, my servant and I
were on horseback pursuing our onward journey through the
plains of Navkoor. In two hours we reached Tâk, under Jebel
Makloob, and here heard that our friends had been spending a
few days in an adjoining village ; so after resting awhile we rode
ten miles farther, and joined them in safety at Ba-Sheaka. We
remained at Ba-Sheaka for nearly two months, witnessing the
religious festivities of the Yezeedees, and making inquiries into
their creed, the result of which has already been given in a for-
mer chapter, and from thence proceeded to the Jacobite convent
of Mar Mattai, or Sheikh Matta, where we spent the summer of
1850, and where the greater part of this volume was written.


392
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
CHAPTER X X V.
Statistics of Nestorian dioceses.--Conclusion.
The following statistical account of the Nestorian churches,
clergy, and population, I have been enabled to draw
up
with
the assistance of Mar Shimoon and his late Archdeacon Kash'
Auraha. Finding by personal observation in some instances,
that the number of families was exaggerated by the Patriarch,
I have reduced it one third throughout.
I shall begin with the districts nearest to Mosul.
Diocese of Mar Auraham of Goonduk.
Families.
30
.
Near Akra and in
the Zebâr.
Churches. Priests.
1
2
0
0
1
1
1
1 0
1
1
ܝܝܙ
Shermen
Shosh
Goonduk
Artun
Ba-Mishmish
Erdel
Bekolé
Another village, name unknown
Esyen
Ergen
Talneetha
Mezi
Barmeen
Adekh
Armashé
In the
Mezuri-
yeh.
1
1
0
1
1
3
12
15
15
14
20
16
40
10
6
30
8
15
15
1
.
0
In the mountain district
south of Jebel Gara.
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
ܝܙ ܝܢ
0
0
0
co
9
249


394
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS,
CENTRAL COORDISTAN.
Diocese of Mar Shimoon the Patriarch.
1
1
1
In the district west
of Asheetha, and
within the Mosul
pashalic.
17
1
1
1
1
1
1
]
Garamoon
Halamoon
Tcalluk
Arosh
Hôr
Tciré Rezen
Asheetha
Zaweetha
Minyânish
Merghé
Kurkhé
Leezan
Oomra Tahtâya
Zerni
Karukhta
Chamba d'Beth Soseena
Mâtha d'Kasra
Be-Zeezo
Lagippa
Be-Alâtha
Be-Rawolé
Shoord
Rawola d’Salabeken .
Serspeedho
Siyadhor
Chamba d'Be-Elia
Chamba d'Nêné
Chamba d’Coordhâyé
Mezraa.
Mrateetha
Be-Nahra
Be-Zrako
Roomta.
Jemiâtha
Rêshé d'Nahra
Aina d'Aleelé
Doora Allâya
Tyari Tahteitha, or Lower Tyari.
1
Churches. Priests. Families.
2 80
1
2 50
40
0
0
0
0
15
0 0 14
4 400
1
90
4
2 60
0
80
0 0 35
2 80
0
0
16
0 0
6
1
25
2
2 40
0
6
1 20
3 40
2
0
0 12
5 120
2
2 80
1 20
0
1
6
0 0
7
0
5
0
0
4
0 1
6
0
10
0
0
10
0
1 20
0
0
10
0
0 20
0
0
3
0
0
6
1
1
1
30
1
1
Sub-district of the church of
Mar Sâwa.
Tyari Alleita, or Upper Tyari.
22
36
1483
<


STATISTICS OF NESTORIAN DIOCESES.
395
1
1
1
1
1
Churches. Priests. Families.
22 36 1483
40
0
0
3
1 0 60
0
0 12
0 35
20
30
0
10
1
20
0
0
5
0
0
5
1
30
0
0 20
0
0
0 0
6
1
66
0
14
100
1
90
1
1
1
1
Tyari Alleita, or Upper Tyari continued.
1
20
.
District of
Walto.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
45
Brought over
Kalayatha
Mezraa d’Kalayâtha
Chamba d'Melek.
Be-Dalyatha
Dâdosh
Mabbuaa
Ko
Chamba d’Koorkhé
Be-Mariggo .
Roma Smoka
Chamba d'Hasso
Darâwa
Malota
Chamba Hadtha
Zorâwa
Seerta
Shwawootha
Mâtha d'Mart Miriam
Khadiâna
Rêshé d'Nahra
Golozor
Soowwa
Koorsen
Chiri Châra
Mâdes :
Mar Kuriakòs
Akôsé.
Choolchan
Be-Shammâsha
Sarâmos
Rabban dad'Yeshua
Makeeta
Alogippa
Kochânes
Be-Nâno
Nerwa
Terkônes
Keeger
Soreenes.
Tarmel
Be-Khajij
Pekhkhen
Hâros
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Province of Dez.
1
1
1
1
1
25
6
20
40
18
5
25
6
32
18
4
6
5
35
6
10
20
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
3
0
0
0
1
4
1
12
Berwer d'Kochânes.
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
10
16
6
5
12
59
56
2496


STATISTICS OF NESTORIAN DIOCESES.
397
10
1
ܝܙ
Province
of Jelni,
continued.
Province of Bâz.
20
ܝܕ
District of
Rékan.
Brought over
Samsikki
Mâtha d'Oriyâyé
Muspéran
Argeb
Kojeeja
Mâtha Tahteitha
Shwawootha
Orwantooz
Heesh
Merkânish
Gebba
Erbesh
Ba-Dare
Ba-Ikta
Be-Koorâyé
Be-Azeeza .
Rabbat
Talâna
Aréwun
Ko
Irk
Be-Shooka.
Sháwreza
Biyya
Be-Létha
Churches. Priests. Families.
14
1168
1
0 40
1
0 28
0 22
1
90
1
0
1
100
1 110
1
1 80
0
1
10
0
8
0
0
6
1 20
1 1
25
1
0
15
1 52
1
40
1
1 70
1
0
0
0
33
21
1
1 28
15
0
0
6
0
12
1 28
1
1
22
Tcall District.
1
1
1
1
1
37
24
1979
Diocese of Mar Sleewa of Gawar.
0
0
0
20
18
1
1
20
1
1
1
1
1
.
0
0
0
Be-Rberri
Zirkânes.
Ooreesha
Darâwé.
Kiyyet
Manoonan
Kadeeyyan
Memekkan
Seen Awa
Khulkhus
Gerbel* .
Gagôran
Ba-Jirga
Wezeer Awa
Province of Gawar.
20
24
6
30
13
1
1
1
.
16
1
1
0
0
ܝܢ
1
1
16
20
15
22
19
0
0
0
1
1
11
6
254


STATISTICS OF NESTORIAN DIOCESES.
399
Brought over
Zarânes
Kanoonta
Bellekken
Khandekki
Billi
Deira Zengel
Gohikki
Marwanan.
Oolâma
Tcil Geri
Parkhilan
District of Léwun,
continued.
1
Churches. Priests.
4
4
0
0
0
0
0 0
1
0
1.
1 0
0 0
1
0
0
0
0
Families.
73
10
8
8
20
15
10
6
24
20
16
12
1
.
Noodes.
1
1
.
9
7
222
There is another large district in central Coordistan, inhabited
by Nestorians, called Be-Shems ood-Deen, under the episcopal
jurisdiction of Mar Hnan-Yeshua, who resides at Rustaka.
The Metropolitan of this province for the time being consecrates
the Patriarch. He has three suffragans, whose dioceses include
the districts of Ter Gawar, Mar Gawar, Somâva, Bradostnai, and
Mahmedayeh.
In Ooroomiah there are four Bishops and many neighbouring
Nestorian villages, but Mar Shimoon knew the names of a few
only. He estimates the population of these dioceses at 4500
families.
Recapitulation.
1
.
Metrop. Bishops | Priests. Churches. Families.
Diocese of Mar Auraham
0 9 13 249
Mar Yeshua-yau .
1 0 18 20 348
Buhtan
0 2 16 23 220
Mar Shimoon, Patriarch 0 0 62 75
2,778
Mar Serghees
1 0
37 1,979
Mar Sleewa.
0 18 34 1,082
Hnan-Yeshua
3 5
Ooroomiah, &c.
34 38 4,500
Districts of Léwun and Noodes
0 7
9 222
24
1
.
.
Total.
7
7
188
249
11,378


400
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
This would give a population of about 70,000 souls, which I
believe to be a low estimate of the present Nestorian community
in Turkey and Persia.
I shall here bring this part of my work to a close; the sequel
will be taken up with an investigation into the literature, doc-
trines, ecclesiastical rites and discipline, of the ancient and
modern Nestorians.


NOTE TO PAGE 87.
Tomb of the Prophet Jonah.
The above description coincides with the usual style of architecture
adopted in the ancient churches of this district, and there can be no
doubt that this edifice was originally a place of Christian worship. The
convent of the prophet Jonah is frequently mentioned in the ecclesiastical
traditions of the Nestorians, and the following quotation from Bar Saliba
identifies the site with the position of the modern mosque and tomb.
Writing of the Patriarch Hnan-Yeshua, who was raised to that dignity
during the caliphate of Abd ’ool-Melek ibn Merwân, cir. A.D. 686, he says:
“ Hnan-Yeshua resided in the convent of the prophet Jonah, which is
situated on the western side of the wall of Nineveh facing the eastern
gates of Mosul, and the river Tigris separates the two cities. When he
died, he was buried here, in a coffin made of ebony. Six hundred and
fifty years afterwards, the tomb containing the coffin was opened, and the
body was discovered whole, and looked as if sleeping. Most of the inha-
bitants of Mosul went out to see this sight, and we also went and saw it
with our eyes. And, even now, whoever desires to behold it, and to re-
ceive a blessing therefrom, is at liberty to do so; and if any disbelieve,
let them go, and see and believe.”
Bar Saliba, or Ibn Sleewa, lived in the fourteenth century, and as he
introduces himself as an eye-witness of the above fact, it is clear that the
convent was not converted into a mosque till a later period. Perhaps
a peep beneath the sumptuous covering of the so-called tomb of Jonah
might detect the ebony coffin of the Nestorian saint.
Similar pious
frauds have been perpetrated by Christians, if we are to believe what is
alleged of S. Peter's chair at Rome.
The Mohammedans of the present day do not deny that many of their
places of worship in this region were formerly Christian churches; on the
contrary, they rather pride themselves upon the circumstance as a token
of the triumphs of Islam. More than a century ago, a coffin containing
a human skeleton was dug up within the precincts of the mosque at Mosul,
called “Beit oot-Tekreeti.” The coffin contained also several Syriac
books, in one of which the following records were found : “ This book of
D D


NOTES BY THE EDITOR.
* It would be charitable to add that, in a sect anathematized by his
Church, the temporal head of that Church cannot be expected to feel
much interest. The Armenian communion, separated rather by a misun-
derstanding than by heresy, and no doubt shortly to be rejoined to the
Orthodox Eastern Church, is on a different footing.
2 Nevertheless, the Catholicos of Armenia is to all intents and purposes
Patriarch, and is usually so called in official documents.
3 This See is Metropolitical, and ranks eighth among those that are
dependent on Constantinople. The official title of the Prelate is, Metro-
politan of Dercus and Neochorum ; Most Excellent, and Exarch of all the
Thracian Bosporus.
This unjust and cruel persecution deserves a longer narration.
5 The Archbishop of Trebizond ranks twenty-second among those
subject to Constantinople. He calls himself, Most Excellent, and Exarch
of all Lazica.
6 In the Report of the Russian Minister of the Interior for 1843,
Amâsia is a Metropolitical See of the Armenian Church, with a Suffragan
at Sepucha.
7 No such See now appears in the official notitia of the Church of
Constantinople.
8 A Suffragan of the Metropolitan of Agen.
9 If this account be correct, the doctrine of the Syro-Jacobites re-
specting Adam and Eve is singularly different from that of the Eastern
Church, by which they are celebrated in the Menæa.
10 I had already assigned some reasons for not agreeing with this hypo-
thesis of the author's, when, in a later communication, he informed me
that he no longer held it.
11 It need hardly be observed that this letter, though curious enough,
is a palpable forgery.
DD 2


404
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
13 A far truer account of these negotiations is given by Le Quien,
Oriens Christianus, ii. 159.
13 On the contrary, the firmness of Alexander VII., in insisting on a
full recognition of the Faith of Ephesus, is deserving of something very
different from the cold sneer of Mosheim.
14 This is not exactly correct. Babuæus, a man of bad character, and
one of the principal introducers of the Nestorian heresy, who sat from
466 to 486, innovated on the more ancient customs, and permitted mar-
riage to Bishops, and even to the Patriarch: and the innovation remained
in force some little time.
15 Nevertheless, I fear that there is too much truth in Boré's account :
though of course it would be denied by Nestorians.
16 New Sunday, in the Nestorian, as in the orthodox Eastern Church,
is the First after Easter.
17 If this stratagem had been employed by a Jesuit, would it not have
met with a severer censure ?
18 Here, clearly, Rome was removing what the author himself allows to
be a gross corruption, the hereditary Patriarchate : and it is scarcely fair
to impute so low a motive to her missionaries.


406
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
.
.
.
Aleppo, Jacobites in
secession to Rome at
arrival at
welcomed by Naoom Azâr at
members of the Greek Church at
Papal Greeks at
Armenians at
Papal Armenians at
Papal Syrians at
Maronites and Jews at
the Jamaa el-Kbeer at
tradition concerning
the office of Muezzin to the Mosque at .
departure from
Ali Beg
Alih, churches and families at
Alkôsh, arrival at
condition of village of
appearance of the people of
Nahum buried at
seat of the Nestorian Patriarchs
Chaldean families and churches at
churches, priests, and families at
Alogippa, churches, priests, and families at
Alsan, churches, priests and families at
Amâsia, valley of
description of
bridge built of the remains of an ancient Amasea at
sepulchral grots at .
origin of their construction
sketch of grotto at .
Strabo born at
disappearance of the monuments of art at
principal cause of their destruction
government and population of
Armenians at .
episcopal jurisdiction of Armenians at
language of the Christians in the district of
product of
departure from
spring of water near
belief of the Greeks concerning the spring
Amedia, salary allowed by Rome to the Bishop of
families at
number of churches, clergy, and population in the diocese of
situation and description of
causes of the decrease of Nestorians in the district of
visit to, and description of, the Nestorian oratory at
the Christians not permitted to build a church at
PAGE
63
63
354
354
354
354
355
355
355
355
356
356
357
358
264
393
104
104
104
104
104
104
174
395
396
18
18
18
18
18
19
19
19
19
19, 20
20
20
20
21
21
21
21
171
174
174
199
200
200
200
.
.
.
.
.
.


INDEX.
407
.
PAGB
Amedia, visit to the Armenian chapel at
201
number of Armenians, Nestorians, and Chaldeans at
201
annual visit of Mutran Yoosef to
201
robes worn by the Bishop on these occasions
201
visit from Nestorians and Jews at
202
cordiality between the two people
202
their oppression by the Mohammedans
202
consequences of Mohammedan despotism at
202
Christians and Jews forbidden to leave
203
visit to Jewish synagogue at
203
its desecration by the infidels
203
instances of the tyranny and oppression of the government at 205
mode of calculating tithe in the district of
266
preparations for departure from
207
arrangements for opening a school at
250
arrival at
252, 379
visit to the Church of Mar Audishu at
252
departure from
254, 380
performance of church service at
379
priests and families at
393
American Board of Foreign Missions
6
their doctrines and constitution op-
posed to the teaching and discipline
of the Anglican church
6
their claim to labour among the
Eastern Christians ludicrous and
presumptuous
Independents, the
61
character of
10
progress of among the Armenians
10
their proselytes recognized by the Porte as a
separate sect.
10
their adherents said to be increasing
10
school under the auspices of, at Jezeerah
58
at Asheetha, Mohammed Pasha's charges against
the
196
at Aleppo .
355
proceedings of, at Ooroomiah
367
sentiments of Mar Shimoon thereon
367
their abandonment of Mosul
368
their mission to the Syrian Jacobites
375
Amooda, village of
66
Anglican ritual, Arabic edition of, in the hands of the Syrians
72
Anseriyyah, families at
174
Antioch, entered .
358
Anti-Taurus, entry into the
34
ascent of
35
Apocrypha the, not published with the Syriac Bible
71
Arâden, churches, priests, and families at
174
7
.
.
.
.


INDEX.
409
Azekh, filthy state of church at .
dissensions among the villagers of
PAGE
57
57
.
.
Babai, the martyr, successor of Dad. Yeshua
143
Babeel .
68
Ba-Dâré, churches, priests, and families at
397
Badger, Mrs., extract from the diary of
119
Badi, village of
203
Badi Resh, stay at
198
Baghdad, secession to Rome at
63
Mutran Elîa resides as presbyter at
174
number of churches, clergy, and population in the diocese of 174
the Pasha of
275
Ba-Hazâni
101, 119
Bahdinân, labours among the Nestorians of
283
Bahri Ahmet Pasha, governor of Urfah
325
Ba-Ikta, churches and families at
397
Ba-Jirga, churches and families at
397
Bahendawayah
198
Bakófa, churches, priests, and families at
174
Ba-Mishmish, churches and families at
392
Bar Hebræus, tomb of
99
Barmeen, families at
392
Bartolli
101
Bâsan, churches, priests, and families at
398
Ba-Sebreena, arrival at
56
monastery at
56
inhabitants of
57
Bâsh, churches, priest, and families at.
393
Ba-Sheaka
101, 119
stay at
111, 391
Basra, Turkish docks at
80
Batnaia, churches, priests, and families at
174
arrival at
197
Be-Alátha, start for and arrival at
387
meeting with the Patriarch at
388
his dejected appearance
388
his portrait taken at
388
departure from.
389
churches, priests, and families at
394
Be-Arijai, churches, priests, and families at
396
Be-Azeeza, churches, priests, and families at
397
Bebâdi, village of .
199
Bebâluk, churches, priests, and families at .
393
Be-Bokra, families at
396
Bebôzi, churches and families at
174
Be-Dalyatha, families at
395
Bedooeen Arabs, character of the
345
.
.
.
.
.
.


INDEX.
411
.
.
.
.
PAGE
Berwari, villages and churches in
211
episcopal jurisdiction of
211
decrease of Nestorians in
211
to what attributable
211
remarks on the state of the Christians in
211
Be-Shammâsha, churches and families at
395
Be-Shems ood-Deen
399
Be-Shooka, churches, priests, and families at
397
Bestava, Chaldean village of
254
Be-Zeezo, families at
394
Be-Zekté, churches, priests, and families at
398
Be-Zrâko, families at
394
Bibêdi, churches, priests, and families at
393
Bidwil, churches and families at
174
Bilejân, families at
393
Billi, priests and families at
399
Birejik, arrival at
349
description of the town and neighbourhood
349
bazaars and mosques at
349
climate, population, and language of
350
Christian church and priest at
350
occupation of the inhabitants of
350
government of
350
produce of the district of
350
old castle at
350
sketch of interesting bas-relief and sculptures at
351
their probable date
352
performance of quarantine at .
352
absurdity of the detention
352
Bishmiyâyé, churches, priests, and families at
393
Biyya, churches and families at
397
Bochart
91
Bombay presidency, appointment of the author to the chaplaincy of the 360
Boo Bâwa, churches and families at
396
Boorduk, churches and families
398
Boré, M.
24, 25, 186
his work on Armenia
5
his account of the Nestorian dissensions
148
his false reproach of the Anglican Church
148
adduces no authority in support of his accounts
148
“ Correspondance d'orient" of
148
feeling between the Nestorian Patriarch and Noorallah Beg,
described by
190
Botros Gerwa, Papal Syrian Patriarch
355
Bradostnai
399
Buhtan, the Emeer of
189
added to the Mosul pashalic
183
statistics of the diocese of
399
.


INDEX
413
PAGB
192
193
5
171
.
332
.
332
394
394
394
395
395
395
395
394
398
144
144
144
395
136
Chaldeans, anxious for reform
friendly intercourse with the
of Mesopotamia, affairs of the
of Mosul, salaries allowed by Rome to the
of Scripture, their first existence as a distinct people, their
sorcery and witchcraft taken into Egypt, whether their
dynasty was separate from the Babylonian
Chaldeo-Babylonian dynasty, date of the first use of the recent discoveries
in elucidating the subject
Chamba d'Be-Elîa priests and families at
Chamba d'Beth Soseena, churches, priests, and families at
Chamba d'Coordhâyé, families at
Chamba Hadtha, families at
Chamba d'Hasso, families at
Chamba d'Koorkhé, priests and families at
Chamba d'Melek, churches and families at
Chamba d'Nêné, families at
Cher Diwer, churches, priests and families at
Chinese government, jealousy of, at the propagation of Christianity.
expulsion of Christians by the
the gods of Palestine and India confounded by the
Chiri Châra, churches, priests, and families at
Christian Church in Chaldea and Mesopotamia, founders of the
Knowledge, Society for promoting, purchase of manuscripts for
the
Christianity, triumph of, over jealousy and malice
success of, in the 6th century
Christians persecuted by the Persian king
Choolchan, churches and families at
Church, the, deprived of her legitimate authority
appealed to for directions
consequences of withholding assistance
the, her position with regard to the Eastern missions
of Rome, Nestorian plan of reconciliation with the
Missionary Society
Circumcision, not a distinctive Mohammedan rite
not indispensable among the Yezeedees
Cocher Coords, habits and peculiarities of the
their religion
part of them supposed idolaters
their similarity to the Yezeedees
their use of circumcision
vocabulary of words in use by
night spent with the
adventure among the
robbery of a Christian by the
Comana Pontica, exile and death of S. Chrysostom at
remains of
.
.
.
.
201
143
144
137
395
280
284
284
287
146
61
129
129
313
313
313
314
314
314
314
316
317
21
26
.
.


INDEX.
415
PAGE
.
50
50
.
59
56
Darâwé, churches, priests, and families at
397
Death and funeral of the author's mother at Mosul
296
manifestation of public sympathy
on the event.
296
her burial place
297
Déhé, churches, and families at
393
Dehök, churches, priests, and families at
174
Deir Zaaferân, visit to
49
ignorance of our Church at
50
description of
50
burial place of Syrian Patriarchs and Bishops at
50
remains of Mar Eughène at
altar piece at
library at
51
writings of S. Chrysostom, Gregory Bar Hebræus, and
S. Ephrem, at
51
compendium of the ante-Nicene Fathers at
51
Greek and Roman remains at
51
the seat of the Syrian Patriarch
Deira Zengel, churches and families at
399
Deiri, village of
253
churches and families at
393
Deir-ool-Amar, arrival at
a large Jacobite convent at
56
church dedicated to Mar Gawriel at
56
ignorance of the Monks at
56
Delikli Tash, or the Riven Rock
30
derivation of name
31
Derbend, or guard house, description of a
22
Dereesh, Coordish village of
53
Derikki, churches and families at
396
Deriské, families at
393
Aepral, Bishop of, appointed Greek Patriarch
5
Derres, churches and families at
396
Derwishes, Mohammedan, induction into office of
113
Dez, amount of Coordish plunder in the province of
367
number of persons killed in
367
Dirgni, churches, priests and families at
393
Dissent, principles of, opposed to the genius and sympathies of the Ori-
ental mind
10
Ditell, Mr., a Russian traveller
86
Dizza, churches and families at
398
Diarbekir, arrival at
37, 311
secessions to Rome at
3, 41
the ancient Amida
38
known to the Turks as Kara Amid, or Black Amida
38
situation and history of
38
relic of ancient art at
38


416
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
PAGE
Diarbekir, description of supposed ruin of a Christian Church
38
Greek, Latin, and Cufic inscriptions at
39
description of the modern town of
39
principal export of
40
languages spoken at
40
population of
40
Armenian inhabitants at
41
churches and schools at
41
interview with the clergy at
41
papal Armenians at
41
Greek Church at
41
tombs of S. Cosmas and S. Damian at
41
church seized by the Romanists at
41
bishop sent by the Romanists to
4)
church reclaimed by the Greek Patriarch at
41
return to the Greek Church at .
42
Chaldeans at
42
description of Chaldean and Armenian churches at
42
intercourse with Mutran Botros at
42
tombs of Chaldean Patriarchs at
42
not the seat of a Jacobite Bishop
44
under the control of the Patriarch
44
Papal Syrians under Mutran Antoon of Mardeen at
44
Jacobite families at
44
visit from an Italian Capuchin at
44
his complaint of the Armenians
at Urfah
44
female costume at
44
general character of the people of
45
departure from
46, 312
or Kharpoot, Jacobite Bishop at
60
rival communities of Romanist Syrians at
63
number of villages in district of
63
patriarchate set up by the Pope at
146
denomination assumed by patriarchs at
147
see of, declared abolished
150
Chaldean patriarch set up at
150
Patriarch at not recognised by Nestorian Bishops, nor the Porte 150
salary allowed by Rome to the Bishop of
171
churches, priests, and families at
174
statistics of the diocese of .
174
entertained by Khawaja Bedosh at
311
Dizzi, families at .
174
Dolabiyah, arrival at
301
Doora Allâya, families at
394
Doori, churches, priests, and families at
393
departure from, and journey to Leezan
383
reception by Mar Yeshua. Yau at
381
.


INDEX.
417
Doori, the episcopal residence at
the Bishop's description of Nestorian sufferings
church of Mar Kayyoma at
description of the Church and Bishop by Dr. Grant at
Doorkan and Cashgar discipled by Mar Mari
PAGB
381
331
382
382
136
.
.
360
9
137
142
143
136
.
.
143
143
.
.
.
.
East India Company, their kindly disposition towards the Church
Eastern communities, commission to seek intercourse with the heads of
Patriarch, mode of electing the
Patriarchs, ceased to receive their investiture from Antioch
successors of the, how elected
See at Ctesiphon, foundation of
Easterns, their refusal to receive the anathemas of Cyril and espousal of
the cause of Nestorius
the consequences
" Ecbatana" or “Ekbadan,” stated by Mr. Layard to be the ancient
name of Amedia
El-Yakooti, the famous geographer
Elîa II. Patriarch of Mosul sends private embassies to the Pope
Elîa III. Patriarch, his conditions for joining the Church of Rome
his proposals not accepted
Elîas, the late Patriarch of the Jacobites in Turkey
of Alkôsh, seal of one of the late
of Mosul, the
Emumkè, stay at the village of
En-Nakoot, natural cave called
Epistle by the four Western Patriarchs
note referring to the
Erbesh, churches, priests, and families at
Erdel, churches, priests, and families at
Ergen, churches and families at
Erji, families at
Erki, churches, priests, and families at
Erzeroom, the Pasha of
Espin, churches and families at
Esyen, churches, priests, and families at
Euphrates crossed
expedition in 1836, visit to the
Evil principle, the
202
77
146
146
146
60
181
145
198
98
137
137
397
392
392
398
398
275
396
392
32
349
119
.
i
.
Fakirs, province of the
sometimes called Kara-bash, ớr Black-heads
Fasting, seeming neglect of, by the Yezeedees
another feature of Magism
condemned by Zoroaster
Fire and light, Yezeedee symbols of the good Deity
Fletcher, Mr.
E E
132
132
129
129
129
117
359
.
.
.


418
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
PAGE
2
France, work of proselytism fostered by the agents of
protected by her ambassadors at Constantinople
2
claim of, to protect the “Catholics " in the Turkish Empire .
4
no foundation in any treaty between the Porte and
4
influence exercised by, in behalf of the Latin missions
24
French Government solicited to appoint a Consul at Mosul
169
reasons for the appointment 169
211
397
394
162
162
162
162
162
397
208
254
34
46
.
397
318
318
318
318
319
398
Gabet Nerk, the, crossed
Gagôran, churches and families at
Garamoon, churches, priests, and families at
Gawrièl, a native of Mardeen
scholastic undertakings of
talents and zeal of .
ordained priest and abbot
establishment of at Rabban Hormuzd
Gebba, families at
Geli Mezurka, the
Geli-oot-Tirsh, the pass of
Geoljik Barmaz Ovasi lake, appearance of
Geok Soo
Gerbel, churches, priests, and families at
Gerger Dagh mountain, the
its Christian inhabitants .
their spiritual destitution
degraded condition of the priests at
Syriac MS. of the New Testament at
Gezna, churches and families at
Gheorghees, priest, of Asheetha
Ghirkhen
Gibbon
his testimony in favour of a Christian Bishop
on the Persian theology .
his testimony valuable
extract from writings of .
on the funeral of Gregory Bar Hebræus
Gibraltar, the Lord Bishop of
Girki Pedròs, churches and families at
Gissa, churches, priests, and families at
Gohikki, families at
Golozor, churches, priests, and families at
Gomel, waters of the
Goondooktha, churches, priests, and families at
Goonduk, arrival at
Nestorian convent at
ancient sculptures near
night spent in the convent at
churches, priests, and families at
283
29
125
97
.
•
126
144
144
298
267
175
396
399
395
98
396
389
389
390
390
392
.


INDEX.
419
.
.
.
PAGE
Goorânes, churches and families at
396
Gooroo Soo, a tributary of the Iris
22
Gospel Propagation Society
192
extracts from reports to the 193, 247, 268, 280, 285
liberality of the
277
notice of withdrawal of our mission by the 286
their reason for the step .
286
letter to the
288
letter from the, directing our return home 292
feelings of Mar Shimoon on the intelligence 292
extract from letter to the .
292
Grant, Dr.
185
missionary establishment commenced by
185
the proceeding looked on with suspicion by the Nestorians 186
Mohammed Pasha’s conspiracy to murder
188
his departure from Asheetha for Mosul
188
his kindness at Mosul
192
on the names of the Nestorians
223
fallacy of, regarding the origin of the Nestorians
227
his friendship with Noorallah Beg
248
on the Nestorians and their country
383
Greek Church in Turkey, unlimited sway of Russia over
4
Greek Patriarch, death of, at Constantinople
5
Greek and Armenian clergy, conversations with the
12
their ignorance of us
12
treatise proposed to be written to
points treated of
12
Greeks and Armenians, why able to stand against the encroachments of
Rome
4
Gregorius Isa, Papal Syrian Bishop of Mosul
71
Gregory Bar Hebræus and his brother, remains of
97
lines said to be penned by
97
.
.
12
€
Hadj Asaad Beg
Haj Oghloo, village of
Hakkari, powers of the Emeer of
tribute paid by the Nestorians to the
Emeers, their investiture by the Porte
Halamoon, churches, priests, and families at
Hamman Ali, bituminous spring at
natural well near
haunt of wild pigeons near
their destruction and popular superstition concerning ·
Hamziyya, churches and families at
Haros, churches and families at
Harran, arrival at
description and sketch of its ruins
supposed ruins of a church at
264
68
258
258
261
394
84
84
84
84, 85
393
395
341
342
342
.
.
E E 2


420
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
•
.
.
.
.
PAGE
Harran, the grave of Abraham's father at
343
suspicious conduct of the guides at
343
visit from the Sheikh of the Jès Arabs at
343
employment and character of the Jès Arabs.
343
intelligence of a Sayeh attack on the Shammar and death of the
Sheikh
343
departure from
344
Hasan Tcelebi
31
Hatti Shereef, the, a vain chapter of privileges
34
no better than a mockery
34
Hayyis, Nestorian village of .
211, 380
churches and families at
393
Haznaoor, Jacobites at
68
arrival at
304
Heesh, priests and families at
397
Hegneh, the fort of
302
Hekim Khan, arrival at
31
Mohammedan oppression of the Christians at
31
visit to and description of the church at
31
in the diocese of the Cesarean Armenian Bishop .
32
Mohammedan mosque at
32
Helwa, churches, priests, and families at
393
Hereditary succession to the patriarchate an innovation
283
Hindoos and Parsees of India
119
Hnan-Yeshua, statistics of the diocese of
399
Holy Scriptures, distribution of the
281
Hôr, families at
394
“Hours, The," quotation from
Hôzé, churches and families at
398
Husein, the present Emeer of the Yezeedees
132
his influence and powers
132
Husein Beg, visit from
122
jealousy between Sheikh Nâsir and .
122
.
.
298
C
Ina Bazaar, Mohammedan village of
Independents, present success of the, ephemeral .
conversation with the converts of the
theirs a religion of negation
their contempt for outward forms and sacred rites
necessary consequence of such teaching
Infant Church, fortunes of the, under the Sassanian rulers
Inishk, churches, priests, and families at
Irk, churches, priests, and families at
Islâm, doctrines of, among the Yezeedees
Islamism, a Jacobite boy, forced to embrace
his permission to join his Church
Ismael Agha, the Kiahya of Amedia
Ismael Pasba, ex-governor of Amedia .
21
10
11
11
11
11
143
174
397
129
254
254
253
265
.
.


INDEX
421
.
Ismael Pasha, cause of his enmity to the Nestorian Patriarch
interceded with on behalf of the Nestorians
Iynges, the, or sacred birds
Iyyel, churches, priests, and families at
Iyyet, churches, priests, and families at
PAGZ
265
275
127
398
393
61
43
43
43
44
44
44
3
5
.
Jacobite Bishops in Turkey, education and employment of the
Syrians, visit to and description of Church of the
chapel, dedicated to S. James
novel painting in the chapel
intellectual inferiority of the
administration of their ecclesiastical affairs
bishops and priests of the
Jacobites, why unjustly treated
no representative of the, at Constantinople
and Nestorians, instances of the ruinous condition of the
Churches of
their continued separation from the Church of CHRIST
their denial of the Two Natures
signal displeasure of the Almighty towards the
their condition as a religious community
degraded state of the .
dissensions among the
conduct of their spiritual guides .
adoption of Romish errors by the
its results
on what principle reformation should be carried out among the
in India, most deplorable state of the .
in Turkey, present hierarchy of the
title claimed by their Patriarch
Jacob's Well, visited and described
Jaghjagha, the ancient Mygdonius, crossed
Jdedé, families at
Jebel-ain-Oos-Safrâ
Jebel Makloob
Jebel Makloob, view from
Jebel Toor
notes of a journey through
Jacobite Bishops in
number of villages in
left to the care of three Bishops
Jemiâtha, families at
Jerusalem, Dr. Anderson on the establishment of an Anglican Bishop at
unfriendliness to the English Bishop at
Jacobite Bishop at
Anglican Bishop at
the late Anglican Bishop at
Jews, party of, met near Bahendawayah
24
59
59
60
60
63
63
63
64
64
65
72
69
60
344
68
393
98
97
98
133
52
60
63
100
394
9
60
61
277
198


422
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
PAGE
203
204
58, 68
58
Jews, language spoken by the, in the district of Amedia
their poverty and ignorance
Jezeerah, arrival at
harsh conduct of the Patriarch of
school under American auspices at
the ancient Be-Zabde
situation and description of
government, population, and language of
Nestorian Metropolitan resided at
Mutran Basileos, appointed to the See of
fear of Christians at
departure from
churches, priests, and families at .
statistics of the diocese of
or Bahdinân, Chaldean Bishop of
captive Nestorians at
refusal to liberate them .
Job's Well at Urfah
Mohammedan and Christian traditions concerning
its waters supposed to have a miraculous property
Jonah, at Nineveh
Mohammedan veneration for the tomb of
no Christian admitted to the mosque over the tomb
description of interior of the tomb
Joodi, mountains of
Joseph II., III., and V., Chaldean Patriarchs, tombs of
Joseph I. and IV., tombs of
58
68
68
69
69
69
69
69
175
175
196
275
278
326
.
326
326
79
85
85
85
.
69
42
43
.
Kabban Maaden, condition and population of
smelting furnaces at
Kadeeyyan, priests and families at
Kadoma, ascent of the.
Kainagh, village of, passed
Kalaat Koomri, the residence of the Emeer of Berwari
Kalaat-ool-Mara, tradition of
Kalânes, churches, priests, and families at .
Kalayatha, churches, priests, and families at
Kam-Yeshua, disciple of Yaakoob
crucifixion of .
Kangal, stay at
Kani Baska, stay at the Coordish village of
Kanoonta, families at
Kara Ahmet, village of
Kara Joorni, village of
in hospitable conduct of its inhabitants
Kara Koopri, Coordish village of
Karakôsh
Karajah Dagh, mountain of
32
33
397
252
317
211
51
398
395
137
137
31
254
399
52
319
319
321
101
315
.


INDEX.
425
.
1
.
PAGE
Ladik, supposed ruins of a Greek church at
17
Mohammedans wear the green turban at .
17
Ramadhám, fast of
17
departure from
17
Lagippa, churches, priests, and families at .
394
Lambeth, valediction of our late revered Primate at
Larissa, site of
90
identified with Resen of the Old Testament
91
Latikatha d'Khalâva, gigantic cliff called
208
Latin Missionaries, doctrines of, spread around Mosul
150
intrigues of the
161
our Prayer Book misrepresented by the
193
Layard, Mr.
78, 92, 116, 117, 127, 177, 202, 390
erroneous remarks of, on the term “ Nestorian"
178
error of, concerning the title of the Eastern Patriarchs. 181
his visit to the Shammar Arabs
347
his biography of Sufoog
347
Leezan, sketch of church of S. George at
227
reception by Kash ’Audishu at
384
return to
389
churches, priests, and families at
394
Léwun and Noodes, statistics of the districts of
399
London, return to
359
the Lord Bishop of
61, 267
LORD, our blessed, professed reverence of the Yezeedees for
128
their ignorance of His person and mission
128
.
.
.
.
Maalthâya, churches and families at
Mabbuaa, churches, priests, and families at
Mâdes, churches, priests, and families at
Magism, in the religion of the Yezeedees
Mahmedayeh
Makeeta, churches and families at
Maken d'Awa, churches and families at
Malakhtba, families at
Malôta, families at
Manoonan, families at
Mar Abd Yeshua, symbol of the Nestorian faith drawn up by
Mar Acac and Mar Babai, successors of Babai
Mar Addai
Mar Audishu, supposed date of the foundation of the church of
greatly venerated by the Mohammedans
wonderful cures said to be effected at
Mar Auraha, ruins of a monastery dedicated to
Mar Auraham, statistics of the diocese of .
Mar Be-Yeshua, churches, priests, and families at
Mar Behnâm, father of
Syrian convent of
174
395
395
126
399
395
398
393
395
397
178
143
136
253
253
253
98
399
398
95
94


INDEX.
42
PAOE
.
.
1
.
.
.
Mar Mattai, disclosure of the artifice to Mutran Matta and his joy thereat 100
stay at in 1850
100
why called “Sheikh Matta"
112
summer spent at
391
Mar Serghees, statistics of the diocese of
399
Mar Shimoon
200, 269
law enacted by
147
in full force among the Nestorians
147
the rightful representative of the Patriarch
148
predecessors of, not recognised by the Porte
149
tolerated and protected by the Coordish Emeers
149
his residence at Mosul instrumental in checking secession to
Rome
173
invited to throw off the Turkish yoke.
188
his conduct on the occasion
188
visit to at Asheetha
191
present to
197
arrival of, at Serspeedho
241
his arrival and reception at Asheetha
242
description of his person
242
his position one of care and difficulty
242
his address to the people of Asheetha
243
arrival of deputies from Noorallah Beg to
245
purport of the message
245
violence of Shammasha Ishâk on the occasion
245
reply of the patriarch
246
his message to Noorallah Beg
246
private conferences with
247
letters from the Primate, the Bishop of London, and Bishop
of Jerusalem to
247
the character, teaching, and discipline of our Church ex-
plained to
247
proposals to establish schools well received by
248
proceedings of the American Dissenters discussed by
248
his sentiments regarding their doctrines
248
their difference from our Church explained to
248
his considerations for keeping friends with the missionaries' 248
letter of, to the Primate
251
present to the author from.
252
his part in the attempt to depose Noorallah Beg
262
residence of, burned by Noorallah Beg
264
his flight to Jelu
264
his appeal to the Pasha of Mosul
264
deep laid schemes of the Pasha
264
letters to the author from
270
designs of Bedr Khan Beg and Noorallah Beg against . 270
their execution
270
mother of, massacred by the Coords
270
.
.
.
.
.


INDEX.
429
.
PAGE
66
171
175
172
310
310
310
147
147
163
163
163
25
25
25
Mardeen, departure from
salary allowed by Rome to the Bishop of
churches, priests, and families at
statistics of diocese of
arrival at
entertained by Agha Moorad at
meeting of an Eastern medico at
Marriage, formerly permitted to Nestorian Bishops
now regarded as unlawful to those dignitaries
Marroghi Kessi, Kiahya of Telkèf
complaints against
punishment of the complainants
Martyn, Henry, grave of
testimony of M. Boré to
transcript of stone and epitaph raised to
Marwânan, churches, priests, and families at
Mâtha d'Kasra, Nestorian village of
churches, priests, and families at
Mâtha d'Mar Zeyya, churches, priests, and families at
Mâtha d'Mart Miriam, churches, priests, and families at
Mâtha d'Oomra, churches, priests, and families at
Mâtha d'Oriyâyé, churches and families at
Mâtha Tahteitha, churches, priests, and families at
Mâya, stay at the village of
families at
and Derishk, Nestorian villages of
Medbi, families at
Mehdi, Emeer, tradition concerning
Melek Taoos, the
procession of the
worship of, more common than of Sheikh Adi
the ferouher of Zoroastrianism
“ Meleks" of the Nestorians, the
Memekkan, churches, priests, and families at
Menghèsh, churches, priests, and families at
Menjil Awa, families at
Merghé, priests and families at
Merkânish, families at
Mes-Pylæ, thought to be the site of ancient Nineveh
Mr. Ainsworth's argument in favour thereof
coincidence corroborative thereof
and Larissa, relative positions of
Mesopotamia, work of proselytism extended to
Mézi
churches and families at
Mezraa
churches, priests, and families at
d'Kalayâtha, families at
399
387
394
396
395
398
397
397
252
393
211
396
209
122
122
126
127
259
397
174
398
394
397
90
90
90
90
2
254
174, 392
33
394, 396
395
.
.
.


430
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
.
187
PAGE
Middo, village of
57
interview with inhabitants of
57
Midyat, reached
54
inhabitants of
54
priests and churches, and monastery at
54
pride of its inhabitants in being Jacobites
55
dress of the Christians at
55
castle at
55
gold coins ascribed to the Empress Helena found at
56
departure from
56
Miles and Taylor, the Rev. Messrs. American Episcopal Missionaries 358
Minyânish, churches, priests, and families at
394
Mohammed, concession of, to Yeshua-yau
149
Mohammed Pasha
133 197
sudden death of
85
the reasons of his conduct towards the Nestorians · 182
extensions of his authority
183
instance of his hypocrisy.
185
his continued intrigues against the Nestorians
bis hopes of subjecting the Tyari country
188, 277
disappointment of his anticipations
188
complaints of the Pasha of Erzeroom against
188
severely reproved by the Porte
189
instance of his injustice
206
his refusal to interfere on behalf of the Nestorians 275
of Mosul
182
visit to
72
surnamed Injé Beirakdar
72
gracious reception of
72
his anxiety to be thought a scholar
72
his ignorance
73
state of Mosul before his appointment
73
attempt to assassinate
his government and his mode of organizing an
army
74
his cruelty, exactions, and avarice
75
his conduct to the descendants of Mohammed 75
his immense wealth
75
his bribes to the Sultan's ministers
75
his ambition and political intrigues
76
of Rawandooz, poisoned at Amâsia
261
Mohammedan bigotry, instance of
51
Monophysite Armenians, secession of, at Angora
3
Moollah-kieui, Mohammedan town of
34
Mosheim, quotation from, confirmatory of Gibbon's extract
145
explanatory remarks thereon
147
Mosul, Jacobite Bishop at
60
Papal and Jacobite Syrians at .
63
74
---


INDEX.
431
.
PAGB
Mosul, number of villages in district of
63
arrival at
70, 255
visits from native clergy at
70
our operations and researches suspended by illness
76
probable ancient names of
77
tradition concerning the present name
67
principal resting-place between Diarbekir and Baghdad
77
styled Athoor
78
situation and description and causes of decay of
79
manufactures and articles of commerce of
79
agricultural produce of
80
disadvantage of its distance from Europe
80
short-sightedness and supineness of the government of
80
transport trade to Baghdad from
80
climate of
81
mosques and chapels at
81
minaret of the Jâma-ool-Kbeer at
81
mosques at, said to have been Christian Churches
81
ancient manuscripts discovered at
81
Chaldean and Jacobite churches at
82
population of
82
Mohammedans, Chaldeans, Jacobites, Papal Syrians, and Jews at 82
language spoken at
82
Jacobite and Chaldean schools at
83
costume at
83
sulphur spring at
84
their supposed properties
84
schism created by Mutran Yoosef at
163
wish to restore the old patriarchal succession at
170
desire for ritual reform at
170
proposals to Mar Shimoon at
170
intrigues abetted by French influence at
170
conduct of the court of Rome at
170
salary allowed by Rome to the Patriarch of
171
withdrawal of the Anglican mission from
171
its consequences
171
statistics of the diocese of
174
churches, priests, and families at
174
account of the political districts around
182
illness of the author and friends at
192
missionary labours at
267, 281
chapel in the author's residence at
267
effect of its establishment on the native Christians
267
success of missionary efforts at.
268
the reformed Chaldeans wish to form a separate congregation at
268
necessity of establishing a school for the proselytes at
269
intercourse with the Jacobite Syrians at
269
their readiness to reform their errors
269
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.


432
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
.
.
44
.
PAGE
269
Mosul, assistance from the church at home necessary to that end
the Pasha of
275
participation in Nestorian spoils by the governors of
276
arrival of Nestorian captives at
277
heart-rending scenes at
278
departure from
299
separation from friends near
299
Mountain Nestorians, the
148
Mrateetha, priests and families at
394
Muspéran, churches and families at
397
Mutran Abdool-Messiah
44
generally known as Athanasius
his acquaintance with Bishop Heber
44
his secession to Rome and return to his own com-
munity and death
44
Mutran Athanasius of Tootoonjee
354
Mutran Auraham, consecrated by Mutran Hanna
168
his change of creed and return to Nestorianism
168
now recognized as Bishop in the Zebar and Mezuriyeh
provinces
168
Mutran Basileos, Chaldean Bishop
69
ordained by Mar Yoosef V. in defiance of Mutran Hanna 163
his refusal to go to Amedia, and stay at Telkèf
163
departure for Diarbekir of
164
his reception there and appointment to the Patriarchate 164
Mutran Behnâm
2, 49, 82
letters from
43
zeal for reform, of
61
blame imputed to
62
opposed to the efforts of American missionaries
62
episcopal jurisdiction of
100
Mutran Botros, the Chaldean Bishop
42
origin and education of
42
his support of the papacy
42
the reason of his inability to speak French
42
consecrated Metropolitan
165
sent to Mosul, to inquire into the conduct of the priests at
Rabban Hormuzd
163
Mutran Elîa
198, 200, 281
salary allowed by Rome to
171
not allowed to exercise his episcopal functions
171
timidity and supineness of
282
his desire to throw off the Romish yoke
282
Mutran Gheorghees, imprisonment and death of
372
Mutran Girgis of Kharpoot .
43
Mutran Hanna, the patriarch, autobiography and secession to Rome of 150
conclusions to be drawn therefrom
160
deluded by the Pope
161
.
.
.
.


434
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
PAGE
Mutran Yeshua-yau; obstacles in the way of
161
frequent change of creed of
161
Mutran Yoosef
104, 186, 198
ordained by Mar Yoosef V. in defiance of Mutran Hanna 163
his intrigues against Mutran Hanna
164
his flight to Diarbekir and welcome by Mutran Basileos 165
ordered to proceed to Amedia
168
allowed to reside at Alkosh
168
raised to the Patriarchate
172
conversions to Rome by
173
his conference with Mar Shimoon
186
object of his mission .
186
his exertions to convert Nestorians to Rome
214
Mutran Zeyya, appointed Chaldean Patriarch .
168
his proceedings on accession to office
168
Mutsellim of Amedia, the
198
.
.
.
.
396
70
79
104
104
104
104
396
98
371
85
85
396
395
143
.
Nahra, churches, priests, and families at
Nahrwân, village of
Nahum, literal fulfilment of prophecy of
visit to the so-called grave of
doubtfulness of its site
annual pilgrimage of the Jews thither
its interior
Nauberi, families at
Navkoor, plain of
Nazim Effendi, bis espousal of the cause of Bedr Khan Beg
Nebi Yoonas, village of
many valuable relics under
Nerik, churches and families at
Nerwa, churches and families at
“ Nestorian,” origin of the epithet
remarks on the name
the term, regarded as reproachful
Church, seclusion and celibacy not enjoined in the
meat forbidden to the patriarchs of the'.
churches, clergy and population, statistical account of the
dissensions, consequences of
forefathers, their inferiority to the present Chaldean com-
munity
their superiority to the Nestorians of the 13th century
fugitives at Mosul
catechism translated for the
their attendance at church on Sunday
girl, gratitude of a
massacre, results of inquiry into the
Mar Shimoon on the subject
withdrawal of the commission, and policy of the Turks
a specimen of Ottoman intrigue and expediency
177
181
220
220
392
160
.
176
176
285
286
286
386
368
368
368
369


INDEX.
435
.
.
.
.
PAGE
Nestorian language, the same as of the Jacobite Syrians
181
mission, abandonment of the
359
missionaries, the early
134
patriarch, date of secession to Rome of the last
150
autobiographical account
150
Patriarchs, difficulty of deciding on their right successor
149
civil and spiritual authority of the
259
revenue of the
260
of the plains, political superiority of the
149
recognized by the Porte
149
and Chaldean Patriarchates, confusion as to the extent of the 173
secession to Rome
146
and Coordish tribes, internal dissensions of the
189
Nestorians, right of the English to labour among the, called in question 7
liturgies of the
136
charge of heresy against the
143
their conduct on the occasion
143
missions and successes of, as drawn by Gibbon
143
zeal of the
144
their progresses by sea and land
144
divided into factions
145, 147
their division in the 17th century
145
patriarchs of Ooroomiah
146
called “ Chaldeans” by Ainsworth and Layard
177
of the present day call themselves Soorâyé (Syrians) and their
language Soorith (Syriac)
178
the author stated to be the cause of the slaughter of
189
injustice of the libel
189
moral character of the
219
manner of conducting the Church Service among the
221
of the mountains superior in intelligence and morality to those
of other parts
221
the origin of their religious, moral, and intellectual prostration 221
the cause of its continuance
222
names by which they designate themselves
223
their preference for the term “ Nestorian"
224
their mode of dividing their churches
228
support of the clergy among the
228
their fees and other sources of income
228
veneration for the clergy by the laity
228
titles of the priesthood and Bishops among the
228
superstitious practices of the
229
observation of Sunday and Friday among the
229
mode of commemorating their dead
229
oblation at the commemoration
229
the festival similar to that of the Yezeedees
234
thank-offering among the .
235
similar to that of the Mohammedans and the Jacobites of
Mosul.
235
F F 2


INDEX.
437
PAGE
Nineveh, destruction of by the Medes
78
prophecy concerning, and its fulfilment
78
taken by stratagem
78
destroyed by water
78
native ideas respecting the excavations at
378
Nisibeen, besieged by Shapoor
66
fell into the hands of the Persians
67
S. James, one of the Nicene Fathers, present at, during the siege
of
67
famous nursery of Nestorianism
67
the rival of Edessa
67
inhabitants of
67
Christians and Jews at
67
relics of antiquity at
67
description of so-called Church of S. James
67
traditional grave of the saint at
67
mutilated inscription at
67
Mohammedan veneration for Church of S. James at
68
traditions concerning the Church
68
departure from
68, 306
reached
305
restorations at
305
Noorallah Beg
185, 191
recognized as Emeer of Hakkari by the Porte
261
account of the event by Dr. Grant
261
his consequent treatment of the Christians
262
his intrigues with the Meleks
262
division of his authority
262
foils the attempt to depose him
263
.
Oloor Jamesi, the mosque called
once a Christian Church
transformation of the nave
Oolâma, churches and families at
Oolash, description of village of
Oomra Tahtâya, churches at
Ooreesha, churches, priests, and families at
Ooroomiah, declining state of the Patriarchs of .
the Bishops of
statistics of the diocese of
Oret, families at
Ori, families at
Orwantooz, churches, priests, and families at
Osman Pasha at Arghana
invitation to dine with
ablutions and devotions of
conversation of
Ottoman Government, temper and spirit of
Ozan, families at
326
326
326
399
30
394
397
146
148
399
396
396
397
36
36
36
37
49
398
.
.


440
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Romish missionaries, their mode of drawing the Nestorians to their Creed
Roomeilât, stay at
departure from
encampment of Cocher Coords near
Roomta, priests and families at
PAGE
279
302
304
304
394
.
.
Said Beg, nephew of Bedr Khan Beg .
his conspiracy to betray and murder his uncle
S. Anthony, monastic order of
S. Chrysostom, his place of exile and death
S. Cosmas, tomb of
S. Damian, tomb of
S. Ephrem
S. James, traditional grave of
Sajoor river, adventure at the
Sakerran, churches, priests, and families at
Salamast, villages in the valley of
Saleeba, Patriarch of Antioch, crucifixion of
Sallen, churches and families at
Samsikki, churches and families at
Samsoon, situation and description of
anciently known as Amisus
favourite residence of Pompey
Samsoon, departure from
Saoor, town of
Sarâmos, churches and families at
Sardanapalus, king of Athoor
king of Nineveh and Babylon
Saté, Armenian village of
Seen Awa, churches and families at
Seerta, churches, priests, and families at
Semiel, village of
Senjak, visit to the
description and sketch of the
type of Melek Taoos
the evil principle
Serdesht, churches and families at
Seri Keri mountain, the
Serpel, churches and families at
Serspeedbo, churches, priests, and families at
Sert, salary allowed by Rome to the Bishop of
number of churches, clergy, and population in the diocese of
Chaldean Bishop of
Sewrek, town of
products of the country around
population, mosques, churches, and priests at
Greek Christians at
its distance from different towns
departure from
Shaklâwa, churches, priests, and families at
185
185
103
21
41
41
78
67
353
396
175
137
396
397
14
14
15
16
53
395
78
79
52
397
395
70
123
124
125
125
398
208
396
394
: 171
175
196
318
. 318
318
. 318
318
319
175
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.


442
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
.
.
.
.
.
.
136
.
.
PAGE
Sheikh Nâzir, instance of this belief in a Mussulman .
130
abilities of
131
Sheikhs, season for commemorating the principal
118
Shereef Pasha, meeting with
303
his encounter with Bedr Khan Beg
303
his opinion of his conduct
303
Shermen, churches, priests, and families at
392
Shimoons, the, of Van Ooroomiah
145
Shiyyoz, families at
174
Shkeftendiah, Coordish village of
254
Shmooneenes, churches and families at
396
Shoord, families at
394
Shwawootha (Walto district), priests and families at .
395
(Berwer d'Shwawootha), churches, priests, and families at 396
(province of Baz), churches, priests, and families at
397
Silmooan, churches and families at
398
Simeon, successor of James, the brother of our LORD
head of the Church at Jerusalem
136
Simeon Barmamas, proposed patriarch
145
Sina, churches, priests, and families in the villages in the district of . 175
Sindôr, village of
203
Sinjar, journey through the desert of
299
necessity of Albanian guards
300
Sinjar Hills, the
301
Sinope, arrival at
14
Siwas, entry into
ancient name of changed by Pompey
once the capital of Lesser Armenia
29
population and trade of
30
Siweené, churches and families at
396
Siyadhòr, churches, priests, and families at
394
Sleewa ibn Yohanna, a Nestorian author
136
Smyrna, arrival at
358
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, the
250
Somâva
399
Soofoolalloo
31
Soowwa, churches and families at
395
Soreenes, churches and families at
395
Shosh, churches, priests, and families at
392
Southgate, Rev. Horatio
2, 14, 358
Spindar, the Coordish village of .
254
Stevens, Mr. R., Vice-Consul of Samsoon
278
Strabo, birthplace of
19
Sulâka, proposed and consecrated patriarch
145
surnamed John by the Pope
145
assisted by the Pope in extending the Papal empire among the
Nestorians
145
Suleiman Beg, nephew of Noorallah Beg
262
Nestorian attempt to make him Emeer in place of his uncle 262
Sulleimîa, arrival at the village of
87
29
29
.
•
.
.
.
.


INDEX.
443
.
PAGE
Sulleimâ, Nimrood distinctly visible from .
87
Suplakh, the stream called .
304
Supna, extensive plain of the
198
the, crossed
254
return of Nestorians to their own Church in the
380
Syria, work of proselytism extended to
2
want of English churches and chaplains in
355
its mischievous consequences
355
Syrian authors, index of, by Mar Abd Yeshua
78
Bishops, burial place of
98
or Jacobite Christians, view of the state of religion among the 59
cause of diminution in number and decay of general intelligence of the 59
clergy and laity, ignorance of the
62
MSS. at Amedia
201
prelates, general incapacity of the
72
proselytes to Rome, superior in many respects to the Jacobites 63
records, importance of, in reference to Nimrood
schools, paucity of
62
villages, numbers of in different districts .
63
Syrians, their preference for assistance from us
62
their conviction of their Church abuses.
62
schism formed among the
62
tokens of promise among the
64
proof of ecclesiastical maladministration of the
100
Syrians in India, proceedings of the patriarch towards the .
72
93
Tahir-kieui, village of .
Takiân, village of .
situation of
churches, priests, and families at
Talâna, churches and families at.
Talneetha, churches, priests, and families at
Tanzeemât Khairiyyeh, or beneficial ordinances, the .
its effects in Syria and Mesopotamia
Tarmel, churches and families at .
Tâshish, churches, priests, and families at
Tashlik, arrival and stay at
Tcab Meteenah range, the
valley of
Tcalluk, churches, priests, and families at
Tcamân, churches and families at
Tcarmelik, reached
Tcarookhia, churches, priests, and families at
Tcarookhia Soo, crossed
Tceloki, village of
Tcil Geri, churches and families at
Tehoma district, threatened by Bedr Khan Beg
horrible massacre in the
Tehoma Gawâya, churches, priests, and families at
32
69
70
175
396, 397
392
134, 361
361
395
393
319
199, 208, 301
199
394
174
348
174
312
254
399
369
370
396


411
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
.
.
.
.
23
PAGE
Tcifté Kardash, or the Couple of Brothers .
30
derivation of name
30
salt spring at
30
Tcil Agha, reached
304
Tcil Parât, mounds of .
302
Colonel Taylor's brother supposed to have been murdered at 302
Tciré Rezen, families at
394
Telkéf, village of .
70, 197
meeting with friends at
70
churches, priests, and families at
174, 197
Tell Iskof, churches, priests, and families at
174
arrival at
198
Tell Kabbeen, churches, priests, and families at
175
Tell-ool-Hawa, the, famous as the scene of an engagement
302
Temeloyo, two Jacobite Bishops called
60
Ter Gawar
399
Terkônes, churches and families at
395
Tigris, the
98
crossed
46, 70, 197
Tigris, plains of the
70
Tineh, churches, priests, and families at
174
Tocât, proselytism at
3
description of
once a centre of Asiatic commerce
23
government of .
23
stay with the Papal Armenian Bishop of .
23
mode of catching leeches at
23
population of
25
churches and monasteries in vicinity of
25
visit to Greek Church at
25
grave of Henry Martyn at
25
called Evtogia by the Armenians
26
probable derivation of name
26
confounded by Ainsworth with Comana Pontica
26
Latin inscriptions at
27
Jewish families and synagogue at
27
departure from .
28
Toor Mountain
66
Tooré Kardo, supposed to be the spot on which the ark rested .
69
Toorkhal, description of
22
the site of the ancient Sebastopolis
22
Tootha Shamâya, families at
393
Trajan, the emperor
305
his probable route to Babylon.
306
Trioche, M., consecrated Bishop .
164
assumes patriarchal authority
172
refusal to obey the orders of
172
Turkish cavalry, cowardice of the irregular
320
government, averse to strong measures against the Coords
270
.
.
o


INDEX.
445
364
PAGE
Turkish ministers, venality of
2
officials, character of the
364
politics, review of
361
provinces, unsettled state of the
continued Christian oppression in the
364
rulers, complaints of oppression of
46
Turks, instance of tyranny of the
47
their commerce in the Arabian Sea, protected by East India Com-
pany
80
the, hated by the neighbouring dependencies
362
meditated attack on the Coords by the
372
Coordish preparations for resistance
372
engagements between them and subjection of the Coords
373
degradation and exile of the Emeers
373
Tyari country, journey to the
197
sketch of Nestorian house in the
216
climate and health of the inhabitants of the
217
physiognomy and names of the people
217
language spoken in the
218
ancient Syriac not generally understood in the
218
rituals of the
218
ignorance and decay of learning among the Nestorians of the 219
education of candidates for holy orders
219
construction of the churches in the
227
attachment of the inhabitants to the
227
Christians, outrage against the .
184
projected invasion of the
184
amount of Coordish plunder from the
365, 366
number of, massacred by the Coords
366
amounts exacted by Noorallah Beg from the
366
and Hakkari country annexed to the pashalic of Diarbekir
374
.
.
396
333
333
333
60
63
O
321
Ummód, families at
Ur, or Edessa, became part of the Roman Empire
its fall into the hands of the Saracens
its rescue by the Crusaders, and their expulsion by the Seljukians of
Syria
Urfah, Jacobite Bishop at
Latin proselytes at
arrival at
sketch of the citadel of
entertained by Mokdisi Yeshua at
its situation
Greek and Roman relics at
fac-simile of ancient inscription at
supposed remains of a church at
mosque built by Ibrahim Pasha at
pool of Sheikh Ibraheem at
held sacred by the Mohammedans
.
321
321
322
322
323
323
323
323
324
.


446
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
PAGE
.
Urfah, Armenian church at
Mutran Agop, bishop at
Armenian families and priests at
Syrian Jacobite churches, priests, and families at
Armenian chapel of S. Serghees at
why called Khudhr Elias
tombs of SS. Ephrem, Syrus, and Theodorus at
Jacobite and Syrian contentions concerning
spring supposed to have been used by S. Thaddeus at
Mussulman families at
sketch of Hadji's house at
impertinence of the Hadjis at
seclusion of Christian females, and its effects
sketch of head-dress of Christian females at
coiffure of the poorer females of
languages spoken at .
Mokdisi Yeshua appointed British Consular agent at
his character and disposition towards the church
Latin Missionaries established at
product of the district of
the site of Ur of the Chaldees
remains of church of S. James of Ur, at
Arab name of
the district in the limits of ancient Chaldea
reported residence of Job in the vicinity of
Yezeedees in the neighbourhood of
a proof of its being part of the Chaldea of Scripture
return to
departure from
and Gawar, number of villages in district of
324
324
325
325
327
327
327
327
328
328
328
329
329
329
330
330
330
330
330
330
331
331
331
331
331
331
331
344
348
63
.
Water, a symbol of Yezd
Welah, churches, priests, and families at
Wellesley, Hon. H. his interference in behalf of the Nestorians
Werry, Mr. Consul, his attention and hospitality at Aleppo
Wezeer Awa, churches and families at
Wimbolt, the late Rev. H. .
117
393
371
358
397
356
Yaakoob, successor of Abraham
of the kindred of Mary, the Blessed Virgin
his directions prior to his death.
disciples of, seized by the King of Persia
Yakoob Nuah Oghloo, a Latin Armenian .
the English Church confounded with the Independents by
his idea of the English Church
Greek copy of our ritual presented to
Yeshil Irmak, or ancient Iris
Yeshua-yau, patriarch of the East
Yezd, Persian title of the Supreme Being .
137
137
137
137
20
21
21
21
18
149
112


448
THE NESTORIANS AND THEIR RITUALS.
Yezeedees, their powers and functions
their Sheikhs regarded as scribes
temporal chief of
general character of the
polygamy and incestuous marriages among the
robberies and murders by the
massacre and plunder of the, by the pasha of Rawandooz
oppressed by Bedr Khan Beg
reduced by Mohammed Pasha
profession of Islamism by the
toleration towards the
an unpromising field for missionary exertion
ignorance and prejudice of the
their indifference to Christianity
little hope of their conversion
Yezeed ibn Moawiyah, commemoration of death of
an artifice to conciliate Mohammedan intolerance
Yoosef, appointed patriarch at Diarbekir
V. his jurisdiction over Diarbekir, and death
Yoosefs, the, of Amida
Yulduz Dagh or Mountain of the Star
PAGE
131
131
132
132
133
133
133
133
133
133
134
134
134
134
134
129
129
150
150
145
29
.
.
Zab, the great
Zakho, provincial town of
population of
visit from the Mutsellim at
families at
murder of the governor of, by Mohammed Pasha.
Zarânes, families at
Zaweetha, churches, priests, and families at
Zeezan, churches, priests, and families at
Zein-ool-Abedeen, a sacred shrine
Zèr, churches, priests, and families at
Zerêni, churches, priests, and families at
Zerni, churches, priests, and families at
Ziner Beg, defeated by the Nestorians .
barbarity towards the Nestorians
Zirkânes, churches and families at
Zoma, the Syriac word, wrongly interpreted by Dr. Grant
its meaning
Zorâwa, families at
Zoroaster
Zoroastrianism
98
70
70
70
175
184
399
394
398
68
396
396
394
266
276
397
201
208
395
129
126
.
JOSEPH MASTERS AND CO., PRINTERS, ALDERSGATE STREET, LONDON.
25,
0 111








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A000009625655
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