The National tribune., 1909-05-20
ANTIOCH.
A City With Centuries of Remarkable
History.

Antioch, which has come into mourn
| full prominence on account of the
| slaughter of its people by the Mahom,
| etan fanatics, has as remarkable a
history as any city on the globe.
When Alexander the Great left the
wonderful Empire which he had con-
quered in Asia ito the strongest" An
| tiochus, one of his Generals, took the
ancient Syria for his portion, and es-
| tablished his Capital in that beautiful
location where the river Orontes, issu-
| ing from the mountains of Lebanon,
turns southwest to flow into the Medi-
| terranean.
| The site was fruitful and beautiful
plain 20 miles from the sea, and the
new city became an emporium for the
| exchange of goods brought by caravans
across the Arabian desert. There arose
city of great beauty, which was called
Antioch the BeautifuP' and THE
Crown of the East" and became fam
Gus for its wealth and luxury. Its es-
tablishment was about 300 B. c., so
that it is now 1900 years old.
Antioch is particularly interesting to
Christians, as it was, in fact. the moth
was the home of the Apostle Paul,
whence he started out on his mission
ary travels thru Asia Minor and Greece.
1t was the scene of the conflicts which
came on at once between Jewish and
Gentle Christianity, and 10 great Ecu
menical Councils were held there 10
determine questions of faith ard prac-
tice and build up the fabric OF the
church.
The Persians destroyed the city. En-
peror Justinian rebuilt 1t, and It con-
| tinued to flourish until the seventh CEN
tury, when the Saracens captured 1t,
and it became Mahometan head
fattl lrfl 4
the Mahometans and held it for nearly
800 years, when 1t was recovered by the
Mahomefans. At one time II was esti-
mated to have a population of 100000
but of late centuries there have not
lived there more than $4,000 or 10000.
The present city is small and badly
built, with the people in and around it
carrying on a small trade in olives. silk
and grain There are few Christians
among the inhabitants, but it is the
seat of the work which has been car
ried on by American missionaries in
what was ancient Syria.
1t seems that the Mahometans, in the
recent massacres. spent their fury upon
the Armenians, killing every male in
Antioch. Two Americans, Henry. Maui
rer and ID. M. Rogers were killed. The
hostility of the Mahometans to the
Armenians is centuries old.
The Armenians are a shrewd thrifty,
not to say tricky, people, who are be-
lieyed to be even more cunning in all
the ways of trade and commerce than
the Jews. A legend in Turkey is that
..the Jew will cheat the Greek. but an
Armenian will cheat a Jew They are
supposed to be a mixture of the Jewish
race with others living in the Caucasus,
and they are the principal merchants
and money-lenders all thru Asia Minor
They claim to be among the first to en-
brace Christianity. having been con-
verted by st. Gregory in the second
century.
The Armenian patriarchs were bril-
liant theologians, and for centuries led
in doctrinal writing and discussion, ard
separated from the rest of the Christian
churches on the question of the dual
nature of Christ. Both the Roman and
Greek Catholic Churches have from
time to time made strong efforts to
bring the Armenian Caurch into their
fold, but without success. They will
not accept the supremacy Of the Pope
nor of the Greak Patriarchs, hut main
tain their ecclesiastical independence.
Their system of church government is
more like that of the Greek Cath oiics.
and the head of the Church, who bears
the title of CATHOLICS. resides in Rus
sian Armenia. Under him are the patri-
archs of Jerusalem and ConstantinopIe
and the Bishops. A distinguishing tenet
In their faith is that there is only one
nature in Christ, and that the Spirt.
from the Father alone. Secu-
lar priests are allowed TO marry once.
but cannot take second wife II the
first dies. The Lords Supper is cele-
brated with wine and leavened bread. !
instead of unleavened, as in the Roman
Church, and all partake of bo h bread |
and wine.
1t has been hoped TO bring the Ar
menians over to Professionalism, and the |
which have been maintained |
at Antioch and elsewhere have been
unusually successful among theia.