Adiabene (East Syriac ecclesiastical province)

Metropolitanate of Adiabene () was an East Syriac metropolitan province of the Church of the East between the 5th and 14th centuries, with more than fifteen known suffragan dioceses at different periods in its history. Although the name Hadyab normally connoted the region around Erbil and Mosul in present-day Iraq, the boundaries of the East Syriac metropolitan province went well beyond the Erbil and Mosul districts. Its known suffragan dioceses included Beth Bgash (the Hakkari region of eastern Turkey) and Adarbaigan (the Ganzak district, to the southeast of Lake Urmi), well to the east of Adiabene proper.

Ecclesiastical history The bishop of Erbil, present-day Iraqi Kurdistan, became metropolitan of Adiabene in 410, responsible also for the six suffragan dioceses of Beth Nuhadra (), Beth Bgash, Beth Dasen, Ramonin, Beth Mahqart and Dabarin.Chabot, 272–3 Bishops of the dioceses of Beth Nuhadra, Beth Bgash and Beth Dasen, which covered the modern ʿAmadiya and Hakkari regions, were present at most of the early synods, and these three dioceses continued without interruption into the 13th century. The other three dioceses are not mentioned again, and have been tentatively identified with three dioceses better known under other names: Ramonin with Shenna d'Beth Ramman in Beth Aramaye, on the Tigris near its junction with the Great Zab; Beth Mahrqart with Beth Qardu in the Nisibis region, across the Tigris from the district of Beth Zabdaï; and Dabarin with Tirhan, a district of Beth Aramaye which lay between the Tigris and the Jabal Hamrin, to the southwest of Beth Garmaï.

By the middle of the 6th century, there were also dioceses in the province of Adiabene for Maʿaltha () or Maʿalthaya (), a town in the Hnitha () or Zibar district to the east of ʿAqra, and for Nineveh. The diocese of Maʿaltha is first mentioned in 497, and the diocese of Nineveh in 554, and bishops of both dioceses attended most of the later synods.Fiey, POCN, 106 and 115–16

Erbil, the chief town of Adiabene, lost much of its former importance with the growth of the city of Mosul, and during the reign of the patriarch Timothy I (780–823) the seat of the metropolitans of Adiabene was moved to Mosul. The dioceses of Adiabene were governed by a 'metropolitan of Mosul and Erbil' for the next four and a half centuries. Around 1200, Mosul and Erbil became separate metropolitan provinces. The last known metropolitan of Mosul and Erbil was Tittos, who was appointed by Eliya III (1175–89). Thereafter separate metropolitan bishops for Mosul and for Erbil are recorded in a fairly complete series from 1210 to 1318.

Five new dioceses in the province of Mosul and Erbil were established during the Umayyad and ʿAbbasid periods: Marga, Salakh (), Haditha, Taimana and Hebton. The dioceses of Marga and Salakh, covering the districts around ʿAmadiya and ʿAqra, are first mentioned in the 8th century but may have been created earlier, perhaps in response to West Syriac competition in the Mosul region in the 7th century. The diocese of Marga persisted into the 14th century, but the diocese of Salakh is last mentioned in the 9th century. By the 8th century there was also an East Syriac diocese for the town of Hdatta (Haditha) on the Tigris, which persisted into the 14th century. The diocese of Taimana, which embraced the district south of the Tigris in the vicinity of Mosul and included the monastery of Mar Mikha'il, is attested between the eighth and 10th centuries, but does not seem to have persisted into the 13th century.Fiey, AC, ii. 336–7; and POCN, 137

A number of East Syriac bishops are attested between the eighth and 13th centuries for the diocese of Hebton, a region of northwest Adiabene to the south of the Great Zab, adjacent to the district of Marga. It is not clear when the diocese was created, but it is first mentioned under the name 'Hnitha and Hebton' in 790. Hnitha was another name for the diocese of Maʿaltha, and the patriarch Timothy I is said to have united the dioceses of Hebton and Hnitha in order to punish the presumption of the bishop Rustam of Hnitha, who had opposed his election. The union was not permanent, and by the 11th century Hebton and Maʿaltha were again separate dioceses.Fiey, POCN, 89–90

Bishops of Adarbaigan, a diocese centred on the town of Ganzak and bounded on the west by the Salmas and Urmi plains and on the east by the Caspian Sea, were present at most of the 5th-century synods, but Adarbaigan was not among the dioceses assigned to a metropolitan province in 410. By the 8th century it was part of the metropolitan province of Adiabene.

At the beginning of the 13th century, there were at least eight suffragan dioceses in the provinces of Mosul and Erbil: Haditha, Maʿaltha, Hebton, Beth Bgash, Dasen, Beth Nuhadra, Marga and Urmi. The diocese of Hebton is last mentioned in 1257, when its bishop Gabriel attended the consecration of the patriarch Makkikha II.Fiey, POCN, 89–90 The diocese of Dasen definitely persisted into the 14th century, as did the diocese of Marga, though it was renamed Tella and Barbelli in the second half of the 13th century. It is possible that the dioceses of Beth Nuhadra, Beth Bgash and Haditha also survived into the 14th century. Haditha, indeed, is mentioned as a diocese at the beginning of the 14th century by ʿAbdishoʿ of Nisibis.Fiey, POCN, 86–7 Urmi too, although none of its bishops are known, may also have persisted as a diocese into the 16th century, when it again appears as the seat of an East Syriac bishop.Fiey, POCN, 141–2 The diocese of Maʿaltha is last mentioned in 1281, but probably persisted into the 14th century under the name Hnitha. The bishop ʿAbdishoʿ 'of Hnitha', attested in 1310 and 1318, was almost certainly a bishop of the diocese formerly known as Maʿaltha.Fiey, POCN, 91–2 and 106

Dioceses in the Erbil region

The diocese of Erbil According to the Chronicle of Erbil, a history of Christianity in Adiabene under the Parthians and Sassanians purportedly written by the 6th-century East Syriac author Mshiha-zkha, a diocese was established for Erbil at the beginning of the 2nd century. The Chronicle describes the careers of twenty bishops of Erbil between the second and 6th centuries and provides precise reign dates for each of them. According to the Chronicle, the early bishops of Erbil were Paqida (104–14), Samson (120–3), Isaac (135–48), Abraham (148–63), Nuh (168–79), Habel (183–90), ʿAbd-mshiha (190–225), Hiran (225–58), Shahlupha (258–73), Ahadabui (273–91), Sriʿa (291–317), Yohannan (317–46), Abraham (346–7), Maran-zkha (347–76), Shubhalishoʿ (376–407), Daniel (407–31), Rima (431–50), ʿAbbushta (450–99), Joseph (499–511) and Hnana (from 511).

The authenticity of the Chronicle of Erbil has been questioned, and scholars remain divided on how much credence to place in its evidence. Some of the bishops mentioned in the Chronicle of Erbil, particularly those from the 4th century onwards, are attested in other sources, but the early bishops are probably legendary.

The metropolitan Daniel of Adiabene was present at the synod of Isaac in 410 and subscribed to its acts. He was also among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Dadishoʿ in 424.Chabot, 274 and 285

Towards the end of the 5th century Adiabene had two metropolitans. The bishop Joseph, 'bishop of Erbil, metropolitan of Adiabene', was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Babai in 497, and the secretary Sidura signed the acts of the same synod on behalf of the bishop ʿAbbushta, 'metropolitan of Adiabene'.Chabot, 315 and 317

The metropolitan Hnana of Adiabene was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Aba I in 544.Chabot, 344–5 and 350-1

The metropolitan Mshabbha of Adiabene was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Joseph in 554.Chabot, 366

The metropolitan Hnana of Adiabene was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Ezekiel in 576.Chabot, 368 The priest and archdeacon Bar Aba was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Ishoʿyahb I in 585, on behalf of the metropolitan Hnana, 'metropolitan of the Athoraye', probably the same man.Chabot, 423

The metropolitan Yonadab of Adiabene was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Gregory in 605.Chabot, 478

The patriarch Ishoʿyahb III of Adiabene (649–59) was metropolitan of Adiabene from 637 to 649.

The metropolitan Yohannan of Adiabene flourished in the first half of the 8th century. The nephew of the celebrated East Syriac writers Hnanishoʿ and Ishoʿyahb of Beth ʿAbe, Yohannan was formerly a monk of the monastery of Beth ʿAbe, later its superior, and later still bishop of Beth Bgash. He was consecrated metropolitan of Adiabene by the patriarch Sliba-zkha (714–28), and died during the reign of the patriarch Mar Aba II (742–52).Wallis Budge, Book of Governors, ii. 236, 253 and 265–6

The metropolitan Ahha of Adiabene flourished around the middle of the 8th century. Originally a monk of the monastery of Beth ʿAbe, he later became its superior. He was appointed metropolitan of Adiabene by the patriarch Aba II (742–52) on the death of the metropolitan Yohannan.Wallis Budge, Book of Governors, 256–8 During his metropolitanate he consecrated the bishops Sargis of Maʿaltha and Hnitha and Maranʿammeh of Salakh.Wallis Budge, Book of Governors, ii. 265–6 and 281–2

The metropolitan Maranʿammeh of Adiabene flourished during the third quarter of the 8th century. An ascetic from the town of Htara in the Tirhan district, he studied in his youth under Rabban Babai in Gbilta and later opened a school in the Erbil village of Kfar ʿUzail, where he taught for many years. In his late middle age, during the reign of the patriarch Aba II (742–52), he was consecrated bishop of Salakh by the metropolitan Ahha of Adiabene. He was appointed metropolitan of Adiabene by the patriarch Yaʿqob II (754–73) on Ahha's death. He died of sickness and extreme old age shortly after the accession of Timothy I in 780 in the village of Beth Rewai, and his body was buried in the village's church. Thomas of Marga devoted the entire third book of his Book of Governors to Maranʿammeh's life and work.Wallis Budge, Book of Governors, ii. 304–75

The metropolitan Ishoʿyahb of Adiabene was consecrated by the patriarch Timothy I shortly after his election in 780, on the death of the metropolitan Maranʿammeh. Ishoʿyahb, the elderly superior of the monastery of Beth ʿAbe, had originally intended to contest the 780 patriarchal election and was widely expected to win it. His rival Timothy, then bishop of Beth Bgash, persuaded him to withdraw his candidacy on the grounds of old age, and promised to appoint him metropolitan of Adiabene if he became patriarch himself.Wallis Budge, Book of Governors, ii. 383

The metropolitan Sabrishoʿ Ibn Qayyoma 'of Hazza and Erbil' was present at the consecration of the patriarch Sabrishoʿ IV in 1222.Sliba, 116 (Arabic)

The metropolitan Denha of Erbil (the future patriarch Denha I, 1265–81), was present at the consecration of the patriarch Makkikha II in 1257.Sliba, 120 (Arabic)

The metropolitan Mushe of Erbil was present at the consecration of the patriarch Yahballaha III in 1281.Sliba, 124 (Arabic)

Adiabene (East Syriac ecclesiastical province)

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