Ignatius Isaac Azar
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Ignatius Isaac II was the
Patriarch of Antioch The Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). As the traditional "overseer" (, , from which the word ''bishop'' is derived) of the first gentile Christian community, the position has ...
and head of the
Syriac Orthodox Church The Syriac Orthodox Church (), also informally known as the Jacobite Church, is an Oriental Orthodox Christian denomination, denomination that originates from the Church of Antioch. The church currently has around 4-5 million followers. The ch ...
from 1709 until his abdication in 1723.


Biography

Isaac ʿAzar was born at
Mosul Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...
in 1647, and was the son of
Maqdisi Maqdisi () is an Arabic nisba referring to a Jerusalemite. It is derived from ''Bayt al-Maqdis'', an Arabic name for Jerusalem, by way of the Hebrew ''Beit HaMikdash'', the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, the common Arabic name of Jerusalem is al-Qud ...
'Azar and Maryam. He had brothers named
Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chinese Elm ''Ulmus parvifolia'' Christianity * Matthew the Apostle, one of ...
and Jacob, and two uncles,
George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...
and Rizq Allah, through his mother. Isaac became a monk at the nearby
Mar Mattai Monastery Dayro d-Mor Mattai (; ; ''The Monastery of St. Matthew'' or ''Dayro d-Mor Mattai'') is a Syriac Orthodox Church monastery on Mount Alfaf in northern Iraq. Located 20 kilometers northeast of the city of Mosul, it is recognized as one of the oldest ...
, where he and his uncle George were both ordained as priests in 1669 by his tutor, Basil Yeldo,
Maphrian of the East The Maphrian ( or ''maphryono''), is the second-highest rank in the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Syriac Orthodox Church, right below that of patriarch. The office of a maphrian is a maphrianate. There have been three maphrianates in the hist ...
. In 1673, Isaac and George aided Basil Yeldo in renovating the Mar Mattai Monastery, for which they were fined and imprisoned by the ''
wali The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...
'' of Mosul for a short while. Basil Yeldo appointed Isaac as the abbot of the Mar Mattai Monastery in 1675 and he was later ordained as metropolitan of the Mar Mattai Monastery by Patriarch Ignatius Abdulmasih I in early 1684 at the
Mor Hananyo Monastery Mor Hananyo Monastery or Monastery of Saint Ananias (; ) is an important Syriac Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox monastery located five kilometers south east of Mardin, Turkey, in the Assyrian culture, Syriac cultural region known as Tur Abdin. Mo ...
, upon which he assumed the name Severus. This took place at the same time as George's ordination as Basil Yeldo's successor as Maphrian of the East. In April 1687, Isaac was ordained as Maphrian of the East at the Great Church of
Mardin Mardin (; ; romanized: ''Mārdīn''; ; ) is a city and seat of the Artuklu District of Mardin Province in Turkey. It is known for the Artuqids, Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris ...
by his uncle George, who had been elevated to patriarch of Antioch at the same time, upon which he assumed the name Basil. Throughout George's tenure as patriarch, Isaac was entrusted with the administration of the whole church and thus he ordained several bishops and a number of presbyters, deacons and monks. At Amid, he rebuilt the Church of Mar Yaqub in 1691, and renovated the Church of the Virgin Mary in 1693, to which he added the nave of Saint
Jacob of Serugh Jacob of Serugh (, ; ; 452–521), also called Jacob of Sarug or Mar Jacob (), was one of the foremost poets and theologians of the Syriac Christian tradition, second only to Ephrem the Syrian and equal to Narsai. He lived most of his life as ...
, on instruction from the patriarch. In 1701, he received permission from the Ottoman sultan to rebuild the churches of Mardin after having travelled to
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
and other places, accompanied by the priest Shukrallah. Whilst Isaac was at
Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...
, George died on 5 June 1708. A synod was thus held at the Mor Hananyo Monastery in 1709, presided over by Maphrian Basil Lazarus of
Tur Abdin Tur Abdin (; ; ; or ) is a hilly region situated in southeast Turkey, including the eastern half of the Mardin Province, and Şırnak Province west of the Tigris, on the Syria–Turkey border, border with Syria and famed since Late Antiquity for ...
, and Isaac was unanimously chosen to succeed George as patriarch of Antioch. After having received a certificate of investiture from the Ottoman sultan recognising his ascension to the patriarchal office, Isaac travelled to Amid, where he was consecrated as patriarch at the Church of Maryamānā by Basil Lazarus of Tur Abdin on 8 February 1709, upon which he assumed the name Ignatius. Isaac served as patriarch until ill health led him to abdicate on 20 July 1723, on which day a synod at the Mor Hananyo Monastery choose Dionysius Shukrallah, metropolitan of Aleppo, as his successor as patriarch of Antioch, with Isaac's approval. Isaac returned to Mosul, where he died on 18 July 1724, and was buried at the Church of Mar Tuma. As maphrian and patriarch, Isaac ordained seventeen bishops.


Works

At the time of the reconstruction of the Church of Mar Yaqub at Amid in 1691, Isaac issued a decree on behalf of the
Shamsīyah The ''Shamsīyah'' were a tribe or sect of sun-worshippers in northern Mesopotamia, concentrated in the city of Mardin (in modern south-eastern Turkey) and the surrounding Tur Abdin region. They converted to the Syriac Orthodox Church in the 1 ...
to attest to their adherence to the Church. The decree was a copy of a document written by the monk David of
Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...
in and was later found by Patriarch Ignatius George V in 1825 and copied again in
Garshuni Garshuni or Karshuni (Syriac alphabet: , Arabic alphabet: ) are Arabic writings using the Syriac alphabet. The word "Garshuni", derived from the word "grasha" which literally translates as "pulling", was used by George Kiraz to coin the term " gar ...
. He also composed a short grammar book in Syriac in 15 chapters on
etymology Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...
and
morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...
whilst maphrian, before 1699.


Episcopal succession

As maphrian and patriarch, Isaac ordained the following bishops: #Dioscorus Shukr Allah, metropolitan of the Jazira (1687) #Timothy Shukr Allah, metropolitan of Amid (1690) #Severus Malke, metropolitan of the
Mar Mattai Monastery Dayro d-Mor Mattai (; ; ''The Monastery of St. Matthew'' or ''Dayro d-Mor Mattai'') is a Syriac Orthodox Church monastery on Mount Alfaf in northern Iraq. Located 20 kilometers northeast of the city of Mosul, it is recognized as one of the oldest ...
(1694) #Athanasius Murad, metropolitan of the Jazira (1695) #Timothy ‘Ata Allah,
bishop of Edessa Below is a list of bishops of Edessa. Early bishops The following list is based on the records of the ''Chronicle of Edessa'' (to ''c''.540) and the ''Chronicle of Zuqnin''. Jacobite (Syriac) bishops These bishops belonged to the Syriac Orthodo ...
(1699) # Dionysius Shukr Allah, metropolitan of
Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...
(1709) # Basil Lazarus III,
Maphrian of the East The Maphrian ( or ''maphryono''), is the second-highest rank in the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Syriac Orthodox Church, right below that of patriarch. The office of a maphrian is a maphrianate. There have been three maphrianates in the hist ...
(1709) #Basilius Shim’un II,
Maphrian The Maphrian ( or ''maphryono''), is the second-highest rank in the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Syriac Orthodox Church, right below that of patriarch. The office of a maphrian is a maphrianate. There have been three maphrianates in the hist ...
of
Tur Abdin Tur Abdin (; ; ; or ) is a hilly region situated in southeast Turkey, including the eastern half of the Mardin Province, and Şırnak Province west of the Tigris, on the Syria–Turkey border, border with Syria and famed since Late Antiquity for ...
(1710) #Yuhanna of
Mardin Mardin (; ; romanized: ''Mārdīn''; ; ) is a city and seat of the Artuklu District of Mardin Province in Turkey. It is known for the Artuqids, Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris ...
, metropolitan of the Monastery of Mar Abhai, Gargar, and Ḥisn Manṣūr (1712) #
Basil Matthew II Basil Matthew II was the Syriac Orthodox Maphrian of the East from 1713 until his death in 1727. Biography Matthew was born at Mosul in the 17th century, and was the son of Maqdisi Lazarus. He had a brother named Isaac. Matthew became a monk at ...
,
Maphrian of the East The Maphrian ( or ''maphryono''), is the second-highest rank in the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Syriac Orthodox Church, right below that of patriarch. The office of a maphrian is a maphrianate. There have been three maphrianates in the hist ...
(1713) #Gregorius Ayyub (Job), metropolitan of the Monastery of Mar Abhai (1714) #Timothy ’Isa, metropolitan of
Mor Hananyo Monastery Mor Hananyo Monastery or Monastery of Saint Ananias (; ) is an important Syriac Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox monastery located five kilometers south east of Mardin, Turkey, in the Assyrian culture, Syriac cultural region known as Tur Abdin. Mo ...
and
Mardin Mardin (; ; romanized: ''Mārdīn''; ; ) is a city and seat of the Artuklu District of Mardin Province in Turkey. It is known for the Artuqids, Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris ...
(1718) #Severus Elias, metropolitan of Edessa (1718) #Dioscorus Aho, metropolitan of Jazirat ibn ‘Umar (1718) #Gregorius ‘Abd al-Ahad, metropolitan of Jerusalem (1719) #Iyawannis Karas, metropolitan of the Mar Behnam Monastery (1722) #Basilius Gurgis, ecumenical bishop (1722)


References

Notes Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ignatius Isaac II Religious leaders from Mosul Syriac Orthodox Patriarchs of Antioch 1647 births 1724 deaths 18th-century Oriental Orthodox archbishops 17th-century Oriental Orthodox archbishops Maphrians Prisoners and detainees of the Ottoman Empire Syriac writers Oriental Orthodox bishops in the Ottoman Empire 18th-century writers from the Ottoman Empire 17th-century writers from the Ottoman Empire 17th-century clergy from the Ottoman Empire 18th-century clergy from the Ottoman Empire