Difference between revisions of "Adiabene"
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Adiabene (Syriac: ܚܕܝܐܒ, Ḥaḏy’aḇ or Ḥḏay’aḇ) was the last province of the Assyrian Empire. It was still existing in the first century A.D. It's capital was Arbel (modern "Irbil" in Iraq). In 70 A.D. Its queen Helena (ShlomZion HaMalka = Queen Peace of Zion", who had converted to Judaism with her son Izetas and leading people of the government, was buried in Jerusalem. Her magnificent tomb complex on Salah Iddin street in East Jerusalem was for long considered the Tomb of the Kings of Israel, until the right identification of "City of David" was made elsewhere (the hill on which is the Arab village of Silwan outside the Dung Gate). The Aramaic speaking province of Adiabene with its capital of Arbel became the "sending station" of the Aramaic Church eastward eventually to reach southern India, where the "St. Thomas" Christians, yet using Aramaic as their liturgical language are still prominent today, and China with the message of Jesus Christ. Arbel and Adiabene of the Aramaic language (in the main) Parthian empire vie with Eddesa capital of Osrhoene, the satellite Kingdom within the Roman Empire sphere (but also primarily Aramaic in language) as the place in which the Aramaic Peshitta version of the Bible was begun and grew. The Jewish general and historian of the first century, Josephus, records that Adiabene was the only foreign country to send contingents to fight at the side of the Jews against the occupying Roman legions during the Jewish revolt of 66 AD. Among the first bishops of the Aramaic Church of the East, starting with Mar Pekidah, ordained by the Galilean Jewish Christian, Addai, one of the Seventy (perhaps the same as Thaddeus, one of the Twelve), were the bishops of Adiabene. Adiabene together with nearby Edessa exhibit the early Church of the East's understanding that the Aramaic church was the continuation of the earliest Jewish Christianity after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Romans. This Jewish orientation of the early Church of the East can also be shown in its self understanding as to its founding and early leadership under its bishops. Aside from its understanding that its earliest founders were Jewish apostles and their disciples (Thomas, Addai-Thaddeus, Mari, Aggai-Haggai), three bishops directing the church are also considered to be both Jewish and, what is more, in the blood line of the Messiah Himself (Abris = "Ivri = Hebrew", a relative of Jesus' mother Mary, Avraham, a relative of James, and Yaakob, a relative of Joseph). This physical descent from the family of Jesus, perpetuating the seed and dynasty of David in the Churches leadership, is startling different than the outworkings of the "Gentile Church" within the Roman Empire. | Adiabene (Syriac: ܚܕܝܐܒ, Ḥaḏy’aḇ or Ḥḏay’aḇ) was the last province of the Assyrian Empire. It was still existing in the first century A.D. It's capital was Arbel (modern "Irbil" in Iraq). In 70 A.D. Its queen Helena (ShlomZion HaMalka = Queen Peace of Zion", who had converted to Judaism with her son Izetas and leading people of the government, was buried in Jerusalem. Her magnificent tomb complex on Salah Iddin street in East Jerusalem was for long considered the Tomb of the Kings of Israel, until the right identification of "City of David" was made elsewhere (the hill on which is the Arab village of Silwan outside the Dung Gate). The Aramaic speaking province of Adiabene with its capital of Arbel became the "sending station" of the Aramaic Church eastward eventually to reach southern India, where the "St. Thomas" Christians, yet using Aramaic as their liturgical language are still prominent today, and China with the message of Jesus Christ. Arbel and Adiabene of the Aramaic language (in the main) Parthian empire vie with Eddesa capital of Osrhoene, the satellite Kingdom within the Roman Empire sphere (but also primarily Aramaic in language) as the place in which the Aramaic Peshitta version of the Bible was begun and grew. The Jewish general and historian of the first century, Josephus, records that Adiabene was the only foreign country to send contingents to fight at the side of the Jews against the occupying Roman legions during the Jewish revolt of 66 AD. Among the first bishops of the Aramaic Church of the East, starting with Mar Pekidah, ordained by the Galilean Jewish Christian, Addai, one of the Seventy (perhaps the same as Thaddeus, one of the Twelve), were the bishops of Adiabene. Adiabene together with nearby Edessa exhibit the early Church of the East's understanding that the Aramaic church was the continuation of the earliest Jewish Christianity after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Romans. This Jewish orientation of the early Church of the East can also be shown in its self understanding as to its founding and early leadership under its bishops. Aside from its understanding that its earliest founders were Jewish apostles and their disciples (Thomas, Addai-Thaddeus, Mari, Aggai-Haggai), three bishops directing the church are also considered to be both Jewish and, what is more, in the blood line of the Messiah Himself (Abris = "Ivri = Hebrew", a relative of Jesus' mother Mary, Avraham, a relative of James, and Yaakob, a relative of Joseph). This physical descent from the family of Jesus, perpetuating the seed and dynasty of David in the Churches leadership, is startling different than the outworkings of the "Gentile Church" within the Roman Empire. | ||
| + | The Jewish Orthodox Aramaic scholar Jacob Neusner contends that if the Palestinian Jews had won the war against Rome, the newly converted to Judaism Adiabenian dynasty whould have become a strong candidate for inheriting the Jewish throne in Jerusalem. This enlightens the matrix of the understanding of the Church of the East as perpetuating the dynasty of David in the leadership of the Church. An example of the "easy" self identification of the Aramaic Church with the continuation of physical Israel, is evident in the "Chronicles of Arbela" with its natural allusion to earthly Israel and its events and its phrasing. Speaking of the events of the episcopacy of Isaac, we find in a description of an attack on a believing in Jesus high commander and ruler, "but God, who is good to Israel and to the simple of heart, did not allow the wicked arrows which they fixed upon the the string to harm...", "...and he fell, after delivering himself, like Judas Maccabeus, a sacrifice to the Lord for the salvation of his people.", and, describing his death, ".. they wept for him like David for Jonathan: 'How the mighty have fallen in battle. O Jonathan, upon your high places are the slain. I am distresed about you, O my brother Jonathan. You were greatly beloved by me'" In the understanding of the Adiabenian Christian thought as well as all the early Aramaic Church, there does not seem to be a distinct line between Physical Israel and the Church, between physical Israel and spiritual Israel. Peoplehood carries on. | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
*[[Aramaic Church]] | *[[Aramaic Church]] | ||
Revision as of 14:36, October 30, 2012
Adiabene (Syriac: ܚܕܝܐܒ, Ḥaḏy’aḇ or Ḥḏay’aḇ) was the last province of the Assyrian Empire. It was still existing in the first century A.D. It's capital was Arbel (modern "Irbil" in Iraq). In 70 A.D. Its queen Helena (ShlomZion HaMalka = Queen Peace of Zion", who had converted to Judaism with her son Izetas and leading people of the government, was buried in Jerusalem. Her magnificent tomb complex on Salah Iddin street in East Jerusalem was for long considered the Tomb of the Kings of Israel, until the right identification of "City of David" was made elsewhere (the hill on which is the Arab village of Silwan outside the Dung Gate). The Aramaic speaking province of Adiabene with its capital of Arbel became the "sending station" of the Aramaic Church eastward eventually to reach southern India, where the "St. Thomas" Christians, yet using Aramaic as their liturgical language are still prominent today, and China with the message of Jesus Christ. Arbel and Adiabene of the Aramaic language (in the main) Parthian empire vie with Eddesa capital of Osrhoene, the satellite Kingdom within the Roman Empire sphere (but also primarily Aramaic in language) as the place in which the Aramaic Peshitta version of the Bible was begun and grew. The Jewish general and historian of the first century, Josephus, records that Adiabene was the only foreign country to send contingents to fight at the side of the Jews against the occupying Roman legions during the Jewish revolt of 66 AD. Among the first bishops of the Aramaic Church of the East, starting with Mar Pekidah, ordained by the Galilean Jewish Christian, Addai, one of the Seventy (perhaps the same as Thaddeus, one of the Twelve), were the bishops of Adiabene. Adiabene together with nearby Edessa exhibit the early Church of the East's understanding that the Aramaic church was the continuation of the earliest Jewish Christianity after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Romans. This Jewish orientation of the early Church of the East can also be shown in its self understanding as to its founding and early leadership under its bishops. Aside from its understanding that its earliest founders were Jewish apostles and their disciples (Thomas, Addai-Thaddeus, Mari, Aggai-Haggai), three bishops directing the church are also considered to be both Jewish and, what is more, in the blood line of the Messiah Himself (Abris = "Ivri = Hebrew", a relative of Jesus' mother Mary, Avraham, a relative of James, and Yaakob, a relative of Joseph). This physical descent from the family of Jesus, perpetuating the seed and dynasty of David in the Churches leadership, is startling different than the outworkings of the "Gentile Church" within the Roman Empire.
The Jewish Orthodox Aramaic scholar Jacob Neusner contends that if the Palestinian Jews had won the war against Rome, the newly converted to Judaism Adiabenian dynasty whould have become a strong candidate for inheriting the Jewish throne in Jerusalem. This enlightens the matrix of the understanding of the Church of the East as perpetuating the dynasty of David in the leadership of the Church. An example of the "easy" self identification of the Aramaic Church with the continuation of physical Israel, is evident in the "Chronicles of Arbela" with its natural allusion to earthly Israel and its events and its phrasing. Speaking of the events of the episcopacy of Isaac, we find in a description of an attack on a believing in Jesus high commander and ruler, "but God, who is good to Israel and to the simple of heart, did not allow the wicked arrows which they fixed upon the the string to harm...", "...and he fell, after delivering himself, like Judas Maccabeus, a sacrifice to the Lord for the salvation of his people.", and, describing his death, ".. they wept for him like David for Jonathan: 'How the mighty have fallen in battle. O Jonathan, upon your high places are the slain. I am distresed about you, O my brother Jonathan. You were greatly beloved by me'" In the understanding of the Adiabenian Christian thought as well as all the early Aramaic Church, there does not seem to be a distinct line between Physical Israel and the Church, between physical Israel and spiritual Israel. Peoplehood carries on.
