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HISTORY OF THE ASSYRIAN CHURCH

a Christian King in the East. Even if he should fall into open vice no bishops could pass sentence on him, but "differatur judicium ejus ad adventum Christi Domini nostri."^[1] The story is clearly fictitious, considered as evidence of the origin of the independence of the Eastern patriarchate. The absolute ignorance of it shown not only by the biographer of Akha d'abuh' and the contemporaries of Papa, but also by the bishops assembled in council at the time of Dad-Ishu^[2] (when its production would have been eminently ad rem), are enough to condemn it, even if the anachronisms^[3] of the Liber Turris did not betray a later hand. Of course it is possible that Akha d'abuh' may have had some personal adventures in Antioch, when he visited the place as a Persian soldier; but the whole Qam-Ishu episode belongs to the realm of romance, whither we unhesitatingly but regretfully dismiss it.

So far from Seleucia being recognized at this

↑ We incline to date the composition of this document as between the years 424 and 530, i. e. to place it after the Council of Dad-Ishu, seeing that it seems reminiscent of some of the language there used; and previous to the time of Mar Aba, seeing that the arrangements described in it for the election of a patriarch do not agree with those prescribed by that prelate. If this be correct, the document would roughly coincide in date with the separation of the "Nestorian" or "Dyophysite" Church of the Persian Empire from the West; a date in itself not unlikely for its composition. In this case the fact that the tradition is common to both Dyophysites and Monophysites, and so is probably older in date than their separation one from the other, would be explained.
↑ Chabot, Synodicon Orientale, pp. 46–49, 289–291.
↑ The author rather imprudently gives us some synchronisms, and gets sadly confused therein; making his imaginary Bishop Jacob (172–190) contemporary not only with Cornmodus, but with Ardashir I of Persia (acceded 225), and with Porphyry (born 232). Of course, the existence of four patriarchates in the year 190 is itself unhistorical.

[1] We incline to date the composition of this document as between the years 424 and 530, i. e. to place it after the Council of Dad-Ishu, seeing that it seems reminiscent of some of the language there used; and previous to the time of Mar Aba, seeing that the arrangements described in it for the election of a patriarch do not agree with those prescribed by that prelate. If this be correct, the document would roughly coincide in date with the separation of the "Nestorian" or "Dyophysite" Church of the Persian Empire from the West; a date in itself not unlikely for its composition. In this case the fact that the tradition is common to both Dyophysites and Monophysites, and so is probably older in date than their separation one from the other, would be explained.

[2] Chabot, Synodicon Orientale, pp. 46–49, 289–291.

[3] The author rather imprudently gives us some synchronisms, and gets sadly confused therein; making his imaginary Bishop Jacob (172–190) contemporary not only with Cornmodus, but with Ardashir I of Persia (acceded 225), and with Porphyry (born 232). Of course, the existence of four patriarchates in the year 190 is itself unhistorical.

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