Mar Mattai monastery

Dayro d-Mor Mattai ( syr, ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܡܬܝ;''The Monastery of St. Matthew'', Arabic, دير مار متى) is a Syriac Orthodox Church monastery on Mount Alfaf in northern Iraq. It is located 20 kilometers northeast of the city of Mosul, Iraq. It is recognized as one of the oldest Christian monasteries in existence and was famous for the number of monks and scholars and for its large library and the considerable collection of Syriac Christian manuscripts. Today, it is a center of an Archbishopric and the current Archbishop is Mor Timothius Mousa A. Shamani.

History

Founding

The monastery was founded in 363 A.D. by the Mar Mattai the Hermit who fled persecution in Amid under the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate with 25 other monks and took residence in Mount Alfaf. According to Syriac tradition, he converted MOR Behnam to Christianity and healed his sister, Sarah, and converted her to Christianity also. Their father, Sennacherib, was the Governor of the area of Nimrud who was appointed by the Persian King Shapur. He killed his son and daughter when he learned they became Christians but he later recanted and built a church and a monastery per MOR Mattai request on the Mount Alfaf. The church and monastery were surrounded by a strong wall and he built water tanks for the monastery also. The monks that came with MOR Mattai lived in huts and caves around the monastery and on the mountain itself. MOR Mattai became the monastery superior and under his leadership the community developed a true monastic ethos. When MOR Mattai died, he was interred in the monastery. He was succeeded by MOR Zakai, one of the monks who came with him from Amid.

12th–16th centuries

In the 12th century, after storming a nunnery in Khudida, Kurds attacked the monastery for four months with 1,000 horsemen and foot soldiers. The monks burnt the ladders to prevent their entry. Then, two large boulders were rolled against the walls from above and caused a hole which the Kurds tried to force their way in. The monks successfully fought back with stones and darts. Then, they repaired the walls. Abbot Abu Nser, the monastery superior, lost an eye in this battle. Eventually, the Kurds were bribed with gold and silver from the churches, and retreated since they were afraid of a Mongol attack.

In 1171, neighboring Kurds led several attacks on the monastery and were repelled by a coalition of monks and local Christians. The Kurds promised the monks they would cease their attacks and paid them 30 dinars and the monks sent the local Christians back to their villages in the belief that the monastery would be safe. Later, a force of 1500 Kurds succeeded in pillaging the monastery and killed 15 monks who could not find refuge in the upper citadel. The monks who survived the attack abandoned the monastery and relocated to Mosul. Upon hearing of the attack, the governor of Mosul attacked the Kurds, killing many; in retaliation the Kurds destroyed nine Assyrian villages, killing their inhabitants and attacked the Monastery of Mar Sergius.

In 1369, another Kurdish attack on the monastery damaged many manuscripts. During the 19th century, Kurds looted the monastery numerous times.

20th century–current

The monastery is currently maintained by the Syriac Orthodox Church, and serves the small farming villages below. Every year, Christians of various church denominations gather in the monastery on September 18 to commemorate the day of Mar Matti's death.

Councils

A council or a synod as it was sometimes called is a big church conference attended by all the metropolitans and bishops of the church. It's usually headed by the Patriarch. There were 3 synods (councils) that convened in St. Matthew Monastery throughout its history.

First Synod (628 A.D.)

This synod was held to renew the union between the St. Matthew's Monastery and the Syriac Orthodox Church. It was headed by St. Matthew's Monastery Metropolitan Mar Christophorus and attended by John, (secretary of the Patriarch Mar Athanasius I), Bishop Jirjis of Sinjar, Bishop Daniel of Banuhadra (modern Duhok), Bishop Gregroius of Baremman, and Bishop Yardafne of Shahrzoul. After long discussion, all the attendees along with 3 other monks from the Monastery traveled to Antioch to meet with the Patriarch Mar Athanasius to conclude the union discussion and get his blessings to ordain the 3 monks as bishops to fill some vacant dioceses in the east.IGNATIUS YACOUB III, History of the Monastery of Saint Matthew in Mosul, Translated by Matti Moosa. Gorgias Press LLC, New Jersey 2008

Second Synod (628 A.D.)

The second synod was held in November 628 after returning from a trip to Antioch. It was headed by Mar Christophorus I, and attended by Mar Marutha, the newly ordained metropolitan of Takrit, and the rest of Eastern bishop. They set in order the dioceses of the East numbering twelve bishopric seats. By the authority of Christophorus I, the council issued twenty four canons intended to enhance the position of the metropolitan of St. Matthew's Monastery while overlooking the interest of the metropolitan of Takrit.

Third Synod (1930 A.D.)

The Synod was presided over by Syrian Orthodox Patriarch MOR Ignatius Elias III (1917-1933) and moderated by Mor Severus Aphrem Barsoum (1889-1957), then Archbishop of Syria and Lebanon (later Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem I Barsoum). The Synod discussed post-war challenges such as the huge numbers of refugees, issued new canon laws, and sought to organize church affairs. Particular challenges included managing properties and endowments in different emerging nation-states in the Middle East and the globally scattered diaspora. Special attention was given to the situation of the Syriac Orthodox Church in India. The Synod issued 41 resolutions and enacted general law for the denominational synods for the Syriac Orthodox church that had 32 articles.

Manuscripts

St. Matthew Monastery had rich libraries that had thousands of manuscripts throughout its long history. However, most manuscripts were lost to a huge fire in 480 A.D. and in the many attacks from many different hostile enemies. Today, there's only 224 manuscript left in its library. The oldest manuscript is a copy of the New Testament which dates back to 1222 A.DGhanim Al-Shamani, St. Matthew’s Monastery Manuscripts List. Oriental Cultural Center, Duhok, 2010

Patriarchs

''See'' List of Syriac Orthodox patriarchs of Antioch

The Syriac Orthodox Church had 3 Patriarchs that studied and graduated from St. Matthew's Monastery.
* Ignatius Jirjis II (1687-1708)
* Ignatius Ishaq (1709-1723)
* Ignatius Yacoub III (1958-1980)

Maphrians

This is a list of all the Maphrians that studied and graduated from St. Matthew's monastery. Maphrian of the East is a church title that was bestowed on a position below the Patriarch to manage the affairs of the eastern dioceses of the Syriac Orthodox church. This position was created in the past because of the political divisions and wars between the Byzantine Empire in the west and the Persian Empire in the east. This position doesn't exist today.

* Mar Marutha (628-649)
* Denha I (649-659)
* John I Saba (686-688)
* John II Kionoyo (759-785)
* Gregorius IV Matthew (1317-1345)
* Basil Matthew II (1713-1727)
* Basil Li’azar IV (1730-1759)

Mor Mattai Monastery Metropolitans

This is a partial list of all St. Matthew Monastery's Metropolitans. There are gaps in time where the monastery didn't have a residing metropolitan for various reasons. One reason is that it was abandoned for long periods of times due to attacks from various hostile armies.

* Bar Sohde (480)
* Garmay (544)
* Tubana
* Yeshu' Zkha
* Sahda
* Simon
* Christophorus I ( 628)
* John I (686)
* Anonymous (686)
* John II (752)
* Daniel (817)
* Quryaqos (824)
* Sarjis (Segius) Christophorus II (914)
* Timothy Soghde (1075-1120)
* Bar Kotella (1132)
* Anonymous (1152)
* Saliba (1189-1212)
* Severus Jacob I (1232-1241)
* Gregorius John III (1242-)
* Ignatius (1269)
* Sawera (Severus) Yeshu' (1269-1272)
* Basilius Abrohom (1278)
* Iyawannis (1290)
* Jumu'a, son of Jubayr (1665)
* Severus Ishaq (1684-1687)
* Severus Malke (1694-1699)
* Iyawannis Matta I (1701-1712)
* Gregorius Li'azar (1728-1730)
* Timothy 'Isa (1737-1739)
* Iyawannis John IV (1743-1746)
* Cyril Rizq Allah (1782-1770)
* Cyril Matta II (1770-1782)
* Cyril 'Abd al-'Aziz (1782-1793)
* Eustathius Musa (1793-1828)
* Gregorius Elias I (1828-1838)
* Cyril Matta III (1846-1858)
* Cyril Denha (1858-1871)
* Cyril Elias II (1872-1921)
* Qlemis (Clement) V,John (1923-1926)
* Dionysius John VI (1935-1942)
* Timothy Jacob II (1946-1966)
* Severus Zakka Iwas (1966-1969) (Later Ignatius Zakka I)
* Dioscorus Luka Shaya (1980-2005)
* Timothy Mosa Al-Shamany (2006–Present)

Mor Mattai Monastery Superiors

The monastery Superior is person who would manage the daily activities inside and outside the monastery. This person was usually a priest or a monk (Rabban). Some of them went to be Metropolitan or bishops in the Monastery or other Syriac Orthodox Churches. This is a partial list.

* St. Matthew
* Mar Zakai (Late 4th Century-Early 5th Century)
* Mar Abrohom
* Addai (628)
* Hawran (914)
* Bar Kotella (1130-1132)
* Anonymous (1174)
* Hasan Bar Shamma' (1243-1253)
* Rabban Abu Nasr (1261-1290)
* Rabban Matta II, Bar Hanno (1317).
* Rabban lshaq I (1675-1684)
* Rabban Tuma I (1712-1721)
* Rabban Li'azar (1727-1728)
* Rabban Matta III (1831-1833)
* Rabban Jacob (1917-1918, 1920–1921, and 1928–1929)
* The Chorepiscopus Sulayman (1921-1923, and 1926–1928)
* Rabban lshaq II (1929-1935)
* The Chorepiscopus Elias Sha'ya i (1942-1943 and 1945)
* Rabban Saliba (1943)
* Priest Tuma II (1945-1946)
* Priest Elias Bihnam (1964)
* Rabban Hanna Daoud Al-Kass (1967-1970)
* Rabban Ishaq III Saka (1970-1980)
* Metropolitan Dioscorus Luka Shaya (1980-2005)
* Metropolitan Timothy Mosa Al-Shamany (2015–Present)

Metropolitans & Bishops

This is a list of Syriac Orthodox church Metropolitans and bishops that studied and graduated from St. Matthew's Monastery but served in different dioceses. The list also contains two brothers names that were not Metropolitans or Bishops.
* Ith Alaha, bishop of Marga and Gomel (628)
* Aha, bishop of Firshapur and al-Anbar (628)
* Hananya, metropolitan of Mardin and Kafartut (793-816)
* Shamu'il, metropolitan of Sijistan
* Ishaq, bishop of Armenia
* Tuma, metropolitan of Tiberias
* Philotheous, metropolitan Afra-Khurasan
* Athanasius, bishop of Sadad
* Athanasius Behnam bar Sammana, bishop of Banuhdra (Duhuk in northern Iraq) (1265-1279)
* Iyawannis Denha, bishop of Baghdad (1265)
* John Wahb, bishop of Jazirat ibn 'Umar (1265-1280)
* Sawera Yeshu', bishop of Azerbayjan, St. Matthew's Monastery, and Tabriz (d. 1277)
* Dionysius Joseph, bishop of Tabriz (1277)
* Mikha'il Mukhlis, bishop of Baremman (1278)
* Denha John, bishop of the Mu'allaq Monastery (1278)
* Iyawannis Ayyub Gob), bishop of Banuhadra (modern Duhok) (1284)
* Dioscorus Gabriel of Bartulli, bishop of Jazirat ibn 'Umar (1284-1300)
* Abd Allah of Bartulli, metropolitan of Jazirat ibn 'Umar (1326)
* Dioscorus Jirjis, metropolitan of Jazirat ibn 'Umar (1677)
* Ishaq Saliba, metropolitan of the monastery of Mar Abai (1697)
* Athanasius Tuma, metropolitan of the Patriarchal Office and then of Jerusalem (1731-1748)
* Dionysius Behnam Samarchi, metropolitan of Mosul (1867-1911)
* Julius Behnam of 'Aqra, metropolitan of the Jazira (1871-1927)
* Gregorius Bulus Behnam, metropolitan of Mosul, then Baghdad (1952-1969)

Burials

This is a list of Syriac Orthodox Church fathers and other clergy that are buried in St. Matthew's Monastery
* St. Matthew
* Mar Zakai
* Mar Abrohom
* Bishop,The Martyr Mar Bar Sohde, of blessed memory, (d. 480)
* Maphryono John V, of Sarug
* Maphryono Gregorius Jacob of Melitene
* Maphryono Gregorius Bar Hebraeus
* Maphryono Gregorius Barsoum al-Safi
* Maphryono Gregorius I, Matta of Bartulli (1317-1345)
* Maphryono Basilius IV, Li'azar of Mosul (1730-1759)
* Bishop Severns Jacob of Bartulli (1232-1241)
* Bishop Athanasius Behnam bar Sammana, bishop of Banuhadra, Duhok (1265-1279)
* Bishop Eustathius Musa Lashshi of Mosul (1793-1828)
* Bishop Cyril III, Matta of Mosul (1846-1858)
* Bishop Dionysius VI, John Mansurati (1935-1942)
* Bishop Cyril Denha of Hbob (1858-1871)
* Bishop Cyril II, Elias of Mosul (1872-1921)

References

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Christianity in Nineveh Governorate
363 establishments
Christian monasteries established in the 4th century
Syriac Orthodox monasteries in Iraq
Syriac Orthodox monasteries