Ahudemmeh

Ahudemmeh was the Metropolitan of the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church, from 559 until his execution in 575.

Ahudemmeh
Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of the East
Church	Syriac Orthodox Church
Archdiocese	Metropolitanate of the East
Diocese	Tagrit
See	Tagrit
In office	559-575
Predecessor	Office created
Successor	Khameeso
Orders
Consecration	559 by Jacob Baradaeus
Rank	Metropolitan of the East
Personal details
Born	Balad, Sassanian Empire
Died	2 August 575 Ctesiphon, Sassanian Empire
Previous post	Bishop of Beth Arbaye

Ahudemmeh was born in the 6th century into a Nestorian Assyrian family.[1] In his youth he received religious education from the Nestorians and was elevated to bishop within the church for a time. Ahudemmeh later left the Church of the East and joined the Miaphysite Syriac Orthodox Church, breaking off ties with his family and began to criticise the teachings of Mar Nestorius.

According to Bar Hebraeus, Ahudemmeh was consecrated Bishop of Beth Arbaye by the Armenian Catholicos Christopher I in 540.[2] As bishop, Ahudemmeh preached amongst the nomadic Arab tribes of Beth Arbaye and converted many.[3] He also founded a sanctuary dedicated to St. Sergius in the heart of Beth Arbaye known as Aïnqenia, so that the Arabs did not have to travel to Byzantine territory to pray. However, the sanctuary was destroyed by Nestorians not long after.

During this period, Miaphysites were subject to a great deal of persecution from the Sassanians, under suspicion that as they obeyed a spiritual head residing in Byzantine territory, they were therefore inclined to support the Byzantines. This was spurred on by accusations of favouring the Byzantines from Nestorians at the Shah's court at Ctesiphon; thus encouraging further persecution. The Shah Khosrau I decided to hold a debate between the Miaphysites and the Nestorians at his court,[4] to see the most convincing of the two.

The Nestorian group was led by the Catholicos of the East, Joseph and the Miaphysite group was led by Ahudemmeh. John of Ephesus claims that Khosrau I saw that the Miaphysites were superior and consequently gave them freedom to build places of worship throughout the empire. John also states that the result of the conference encouraged Jacob Baradaeus to consecrate Ahudemmeh as Metropolitan of the East in 559.

As Metropolitan, Ahudemmeh rebuilt Aïnqenia and also founded the Monastery of Ga'tanî near Tagrit. Here, in 573 Ahudemmeh baptised a son of Khosrau I, who was then forced to flee to the Byzantine Empire.[5] Khosrau I, outraged, ordered Ahudemmeh's arrest and he was brought to the capital of Ctesiphon where he was imprisoned. He remained in prison until he was executed on 2 August 575.

References

1. Morony, M.G. (2005). Iraq After the Muslim Conquest. Gorgias Press. p. 374. ISBN 9781593333157. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
2. "Origin of the Maphrianate of Tigrit - Fr. Dr. Baby Varghese".
3. Greatrex, G.; Lieu, S.N.C. (2005). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars AD 363-628. Taylor & Francis. p. 134. ISBN 9781134756469. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
4. John of Ephesus , Ecclesiastical History , III e part, Book VI, § 20.
5. Shahîd, I. (2002). Byzantium and the Arabs in the Sixth Century. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. p. 182. ISBN 9780884022848. Retrieved 2014-10-05.

External links

• "Aḥudemmeh". Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage: Electronic Edition.
• "Ahudemmeh - Encyclopedia of Syriac Literature". roger-pearse.com.
• "Catholicate of the East".
• "Mar Ahudemeh".