The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-11-04


;, having his headquarters first at Sele
~ cha, the Greek capital which grew |
N after Alexander's conquests. Whe
- Mesopotamia fell into the hands of II
20 Mohammedan Arabs, the Easter
q Christians were permitted to carry O
their organization without persecution
- They were the learned people Of tn
- country and like the Copts Of Egyp
: but to much greater extent, filed tn
= professions and many positions O
: trust.
They Taught the Arabs.
= 1t was from the educated Assyrial
! Christians and their famous schools a
!, Odessa, Seleucia, and elsewhere thai
: the Arabs absorbed the learning which
made their capitals In Asia, Africa and
Spain centers of culture, which In
. large part was passed on to the West.
scripts were saved to the world
through the TRANSACTIONS of HISTORIAN
scholars.
With the rise of the Bagdad caliphs
the seat of the patriarch of the East
was moved to that brilliant Moham-
medan capital where it existed under
sort Of patronage of the caliphs.
Th1s seemingly queer arrangement was
directly paralleled later when the
j patriarch Of the Greek Orthodox
church maintained his seat in the new
Mohammedan capital, Constantinople.
The golden age Of Nestorianism came
to an end with the invasion of Meso-
potamia by the hordes from Tartary
and Mongolia when Bagdad fell to
Hulagu Khan, and later when Tanner
lane overran the country the Assyrian
Christians were prosecuted and mas.
sacred. The remainder retired to the
mountain businesses Of Assyria. and in
IooO more than 100000 of them lived |
In the rough highlands of the northern |
part OF the vilayet of Mosul and in
lne southern part of the vilayet of
van extending also across the Persian
oorder to Lake Urumiah. The Kurds.
VINO since long before Xenophon's day
hved all about this Assyrian province
looked upon the Assyrians as enemiou
and often clashed with them on tbo
borders; but they rated the fighting
prowess OF the mountain Christians
nlghly, and for centuries did not dare
INVADE their strongholds. During the
after part of the Nineteenth century
ino the early part of the Twentieth
lowever' kurds and Turks began
reating the Assyrians like the Arme-
mans. Whole villages, especially in
ne FOOTHILLS near Mosul, were pillaged
ND many Of their inhabitants mas
acred. mas
During the World war the Assvriar
n, threw in their lot with the
mes when the armies of the latter
eached their country. When tbe
urAs oVerran the region again the
nhappy Assyrians met the fate of Q
ielr Armenian fellow Christians to I
he north. Thousands were massooros s
40 the rest fled. A handful escaned f
'rlhward to the Caucasus. while tba C
an oooy OF survivors, probably few Il
than ten thousand, reached tho o.
ans or lraq where refugee camnS la
ere established for them by tba Dr. O,
!. over this insignificant remnant la
a once powerful church the youtb- d,
patriarch" now nominally rules
- Interesting to Students.
Inc HISTORIANS" or "Assyriansp orr
great interest to students 80
ION and history because their iso u
,on from the rest of Christendom 81
oeAeVea TO have preserved their re- III
ION IN It's ancient form. They ora re
ie'eu 10 represent more cIoseIH pa
~ any other existing sect tbo 49, pc
!. views OF the Christians of tba no
{ Few centuries after Christ Th e be
Ct that caused them 10 break aua, dri
u the western church in 400 uas ly
y oener In regard 10 the donhIo
uie OF Christ-man and. c.
1T churches are simple hut Gu. c
'clures. Some of those in ths ser
srian mountains have been in nso meg rec
i,1" years. Services are con ia1
leu Id the ancient Syriac lanpuaga ~
ae patriarchs Of the Assvr,o. scr
De unmarried Thev aro cs .ans ~
Tue same family, a brotbar tior
~ VI cousin of the patriarch n,ia
eeuing. This custom has hronas ~ N''s
y ,ne anomalous situation Of ~
ireh being elected TO nos,t,ae IT,
NY thought Of as the nrorona., ,o" @
: s,ayoeard. The patriarch 81, pam
takes the name Sbar al cali
'n- He never tastes meat ar" OF from
'iis the interesting traditio, offit
s'orians are that they are do 10 Mex
i: tbat ts hue len Lost Tribes Of TO c
49, maj 'he Magi went from ~ wedt
tbay part n,auo OF their homeland; and md play
" ~ e converted to Christian ed u
rhaddeus. "af'fsv w..
homx