Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-11-04

manned in Mesopotamia, the patriarch
having his headquarters first at Seeu-
ella, the Greek capital which grew up
after Alexanders conquests. When
Mesopotamia fell into the hands of the
Mohammedan Arabs, the Eastern
Christians were permitted to carry on
their organization without persecution.
They were the learned people of the
country and like the Copts of Egypt,
but to a much greater extent, filled the
professions and many positions of
trust.
They Taught the Arabs.
1t was from the educated Assyrian
Christians and their famous schools at
Odessa, Seleucia, and elsewhere that
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.
Numerous important Greek manu-
scripts were saved to the world
through the translations 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
a sort Of patronage of the caliphs
This seemingly queer arrangement was
directly paralleled later when the
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
1850 more than 100000 of them lived
in the rough highlands of the northern
part of the vilayet of MoSul and in
the southern part of the vilayet of
Van, extending also across the Persian
border to Lake Urumiah. The Kurds,
who since long before XenOphon's day
lived all about this Assyrian province,
looked upon the Assyrians as enemies
and often FLASHED with them on the
borders; but they rated the fighting
prowess of the mountain Christians
highly, and for centuries did not dare
invade their strongholds. During the
latter part Of the Nineteenth century
and the early part of the Twentieth,
however, Kurds and Turks began
treating the Assyrians like the Arme-
mans. Whole villages, especially in
the foothills near Mosul, were pillaged
and many of their inhabitants mas
sacred.
During the World war the Assyrian
Christians threw in their lot with the
allies when the armies Of the latter
reached their country. When the
Turks overran the region again the
unhappy Assyrians met the fate of
their Armenian fellow Christians to
the north. Thousands were massacred
and the rest fled. A handful escaped
northward to the Caucasus, while the
main body of survivors, probably few
er than ten thousand, reached the
plains of Iraq where refugee camps
were established for them by the Brit
ish. Over this insignificant remnant
Of a once powerful church the youth
full patriarch" now nominally rules.
Interesting to Students.
The HISTORIANS" or "ASsyrians" are
Of great interest to students of re-
ligion and history because their iso-
lation from the rest of Christendom
is believed to have preserved their re-
ligion in its ancient form. They are
believed to represent more closely
than any other existing sect the rites
and views of the Christians of the
first few centuries after Christ. The
tenet that caused them to break away
from the Western church in APO was
their belief in regard to the double
nature of Christ-man and God.
Their churches are simple but sturdy
structures. Some of those in the
Assyrian mountains have been in use
for 1.400 years. Services are con.
Quoted in the ancient Syriac language,
The patriarchs of the Assyrians
must be unmarried. They are chosen
from the same family, a brother,
nephew or cousin of the patriarch
succeeding. This custom has brought
about the anomalous situation of mere
children being elected to a position
usually thought Of as the prerogative
of a graybeard. The patriarch al
ways takes the name Shamoun or
Simon. He never tastes meat.
Among the interesting traditions Of
the HISTORIANS are that they are de
scendants of the Ten Lost Tribes Of
Israel; that the Magl went from the
Persian part of their homeland; and
that they were converted to Christian
ity by the Apostles Thomas, Matthew
! and Thaddeus,