What Happened to the Ancient Assyrians?
Until recently, history texts, and encyclopedias have failed to provide information about what happened to the ancient Assyrians after the fall of Nineveh. This was caused by the fact that Greek historians who wrote about them corrupted their name to Syrian by dropping the starting A in their name. Furthermore they gave the name Syria to the land west of the Euphrates, because for as long as they could remember it had been part of the Assyrian Empire. Consequently, all references to Syrians were wrongly assumed to mean citizens of Syria by the later historians. Despite attempts by the 5th century BC Herodotus, and the first century AD Strabo to distinguish between citizens of Syria and Assyrians the confusion continued into the later centuries.
In describing the Assyrian troops who served in the Persian military of king Xeroxes (486–465 BC) Herodotus wrote:
“The Assyrians went to war with helmets upon their head, made of brass, and plated in strange fashion, which is not easy to describe. …. This people, whom Greeks call Syrian, are called Assyrian by the barbarians.” Herodotus Barbarians meant Persians, who were in a better position to know the exact nationality of the troops serving in their army. Assyrians and Babylonians together formed the fifth infantry and were led by Otaspes son of Artchaies. (Andrew Robert Burn, Persia and the Greeks, the Defense of the west 546-478 B.C., Minerva Press 1962 p. 336.)
Strabo also attested to the fact that by Syrian, Greeks and Romans [often] meant Assyrians who lived east of Euphrates. He wrote: “When those who have written histories about the Syrian empire, say that the Medes were overthrown by the Persians and the Syrians by the Medes, by Syrian, they mean no other people than those who built the royal palaces in Babylon, and Ninus; and of these Syrians, Ninus was the man who founded Ninus [Nineveh], in Aturia. [Assyria].” (H.L. Jones Translation of “Geography of Strabo”, New York 1916, Vol. VIII p.195)
While Western historians believed that the city of Nineveh was never inhabited after its destruction, historical evidences prove otherwise. When Arab Geographer Al Mas-udi visited Nineveh in 943 A.D. He described it as a complex of ruins in the middle of which there are several villages and farms.” He also wrote: “It was to these settlements that God sent Jonah.” (Brian M. Fagan, Return to Babylon, Little, Brown & Co., Canada p.18.)
Nineveh became an important center of the Assyrian Christianity. It was presided over by a long list of bishops from 554 AD to the late ninth century. Later its bishopric was transferred to Mosul. Mar Emmeh, the Bishop of Nineveh was elected Patriarch of the Church of the East and served in that position between A.D. 644 to 647. Ishu-Yahav was the bishop of Nineveh between 627to 637 AD. When the byzantine forces under the command of Hercules defeated the Persians near Nineveh he fled to his estate in the mountain, because he feared that he might be taken prisoner by the Byzantine. ((William G. Young, “Patriarch, Shah and Caliph”, Christian Study Center, Rawalpindi, Pakistan 1974, p. 87)
Since the early centuries of Christianity, Assyrians have observed a three days Fast, they call Baoota d’ Ninevaye, or the Wish of the Ninevite, which is based on the Old testament book of Jonah who was sent by God to Nineveh to warn its inhabitant that unless they repented, Nineveh will be destroyed. According to the Book of Jonah, inhabitant of Nineveh fasted for 40 days and pleaded with God to forgive their sins and not destroy their city. This fast is still observed by the Christian Assyrians.
In a recently published book, titled: “Assyrians Beyond the Fall of Nineveh, William M Warda traces the survival of the ancient Assyrians, and the advancement of their descendants into Christianity. Warda also describes the Christian Assyrians’ struggle for survival during the last 2000 years as subjects of foreign conquerors that ruled their homeland.
He also presents irrefutable historical and archaeological evidences to prove that those who have questioned the Assyrian identity of the Christian Assyrians do so because they are uninformed about their history.
Assyrian beyond the Fall of Nineveh is available at Amazon.com.
Until recently, history texts, and encyclopedias have failed to provide information about what happened to the ancient Assyrians after the fall of Nineveh. This was caused by the fact that Greek historians who wrote about them corrupted their name to Syrian by dropping the starting A in their name. Furthermore they gave the name Syria to the land west of the Euphrates, because for as long as they could remember it had been part of the Assyrian Empire. Consequently, all references to Syrians were wrongly assumed to mean citizens of Syria by the later historians. Despite attempts by the 5th century BC Herodotus, and the first century AD Strabo to distinguish between citizens of Syria and Assyrians the confusion continued into the later centuries.
In describing the Assyrian troops who served in the Persian military of king Xeroxes (486–465 BC) Herodotus wrote:
“The Assyrians went to war with helmets upon their head, made of brass, and plated in strange fashion, which is not easy to describe. …. This people, whom Greeks call Syrian, are called Assyrian by the barbarians.” Herodotus Barbarians meant Persians, who were in a better position to know the exact nationality of the troops serving in their army. Assyrians and Babylonians together formed the fifth infantry and were led by Otaspes son of Artchaies. (Andrew Robert Burn, Persia and the Greeks, the Defense of the west 546-478 B.C., Minerva Press 1962 p. 336.)
Strabo also attested to the fact that by Syrian, Greeks and Romans [often] meant Assyrians who lived east of Euphrates. He wrote: “When those who have written histories about the Syrian empire, say that the Medes were overthrown by the Persians and the Syrians by the Medes, by Syrian, they mean no other people than those who built the royal palaces in Babylon, and Ninus; and of these Syrians, Ninus was the man who founded Ninus [Nineveh], in Aturia. [Assyria].” (H.L. Jones Translation of “Geography of Strabo”, New York 1916, Vol. VIII p.195)
While Western historians believed that the city of Nineveh was never inhabited after its destruction, historical evidences prove otherwise. When Arab Geographer Al Mas-udi visited Nineveh in 943 A.D. He described it as a complex of ruins in the middle of which there are several villages and farms.” He also wrote: “It was to these settlements that God sent Jonah.” (Brian M. Fagan, Return to Babylon, Little, Brown & Co., Canada p.18.)
Nineveh became an important center of the Assyrian Christianity. It was presided over by a long list of bishops from 554 AD to the late ninth century. Later its bishopric was transferred to Mosul. Mar Emmeh, the Bishop of Nineveh was elected Patriarch of the Church of the East and served in that position between A.D. 644 to 647. Ishu-Yahav was the bishop of Nineveh between 627to 637 AD. When the byzantine forces under the command of Hercules defeated the Persians near Nineveh he fled to his estate in the mountain, because he feared that he might be taken prisoner by the Byzantine. ((William G. Young, “Patriarch, Shah and Caliph”, Christian Study Center, Rawalpindi, Pakistan 1974, p. 87)
Since the early centuries of Christianity, Assyrians have observed a three days Fast, they call Baoota d’ Ninevaye, or the Wish of the Ninevite, which is based on the Old testament book of Jonah who was sent by God to Nineveh to warn its inhabitant that unless they repented, Nineveh will be destroyed. According to the Book of Jonah, inhabitant of Nineveh fasted for 40 days and pleaded with God to forgive their sins and not destroy their city. This fast is still observed by the Christian Assyrians.
In a recently published book, titled: “Assyrians Beyond the Fall of Nineveh, William M Warda traces the survival of the ancient Assyrians, and the advancement of their descendants into Christianity. Warda also describes the Christian Assyrians’ struggle for survival during the last 2000 years as subjects of foreign conquerors that ruled their homeland.
He also presents irrefutable historical and archaeological evidences to prove that those who have questioned the Assyrian identity of the Christian Assyrians do so because they are uninformed about their history.
Assyrian beyond the Fall of Nineveh is available at Amazon.com.
