Christians in the Persian Gulf
Encyclopedia
Christian
s reached Basra
(ancient Perat d'Maishan), near the shores of the Persian Gulf
by the beginning of the fourth century. According to the Chronicle of Seert
, Bishop David of Perat d'Maishan was present at the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
, around 325, and sailed as far as India
. Gregory Bar Hebraeus, Chron. Eccles, 2.10 (v. 3, col. 28) indicates that David had earlier ordained one of the other bishops present at the Council.
The monk Jonah is said to have established a monastery in the Persian Gulf
"on the shores of the black island" in the middle of the fourth century. A Nestorian bishopric
was established at Rev-ardashir, nearly opposite the island of Kharg, in Southern Persia, before the Council of Dadisho
in AD 424.
From the fifth century onward the area fell under the jurisdiction of the Assyrian Church of the East
. Christian sites have been discovered dating from that time until after the advent of Islam
in the region at Failaka, Kharg, Jubail
/Jubayl and the nearby settlements of Thaj, al-Hinnah and Jabal Berri, and Sir Bani Yas
. A suspected church at Marawah
was later shown to be a Neolithic
site.
, but Bahrain was outside the Empire's control offering some safety. The names of several of Muharraq Island
’s villages today reflect this Christian legacy, with Al Dair
meaning “the monastery” or "the parish."
In 410, according to the Oriental Syriac Church synodal records, a bishop named Batai was excommunicated from the church in Bahrain.
decoration, were found at Al-Qusur on the island of Failaka. Pottery at the site can be dated from as early as the first half of the 7th century through the 9th century.
(in present Kuwait
) dating to the early Abbasid
era, the church was in the eastern church style and is symmetrical to that of Failaka.
. At Thaj, 90 km to the West, what appears to be a smaller church or chapel, built of reused stones and perhaps dating to the fifth or sixth century, has been discovered. 10 km NNE of Thaj at al-Hinnah there is evidence of a Christian cemetery of ancient but unknown date. a church was identified in the island of Abu 'Ali near Jubayl.
, at Jabal Berri, three crosses have been found dating possibly to the period when Sassanian Persia had influence over the region.
, an island off the Western coast of the United Arab Emirates
, an extensive monastic and eccelesiastical complex has been found similar to that at Kharg. The church building itself was about 14 m × 4.5 m. As with other sites in the region, plaster crosses were excavated. The excavator suggests a date in the sixth or seventh century for the construction of the church.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s reached Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
(ancient Perat d'Maishan), near the shores of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
by the beginning of the fourth century. According to the Chronicle of Seert
Chronicle of Seert
The Chronicle of Seert is an anonymous historiographic text written in Arabic by the Nestorian Church in Persia and the Middle East, possibly as early as the 9th century AD....
, Bishop David of Perat d'Maishan was present at the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
The Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, also called the Council of Mar Isaac, met in AD 410 in Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the capital of the Sassanid Empire of Persia. The council, extended official recognition to the Empire's Christian community, known as the Church of the East, and established the Bishop of...
, around 325, and sailed as far as India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Gregory Bar Hebraeus, Chron. Eccles, 2.10 (v. 3, col. 28) indicates that David had earlier ordained one of the other bishops present at the Council.
The monk Jonah is said to have established a monastery in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
"on the shores of the black island" in the middle of the fourth century. A Nestorian bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
was established at Rev-ardashir, nearly opposite the island of Kharg, in Southern Persia, before the Council of Dadisho
Dadisho
Mar Dadishoʿ I was a Catholicus of the Church of the East from 421 AD to 456 ADSignificantly, in his reign, in 424 AD, the Church of the East declared itself independent of all other churches; Catholicus Mar Dadisho I started carrying the title of Patrairch as well.Thereafter, all the Catholicoi,...
in AD 424.
From the fifth century onward the area fell under the jurisdiction of the Assyrian Church of the East
Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
. Christian sites have been discovered dating from that time until after the advent of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the region at Failaka, Kharg, Jubail
Jubail
Jubail , is a city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. It consists of the Old Town of Al Jubail, which was originally a small fishing village, up to 1975 and the new industrial area....
/Jubayl and the nearby settlements of Thaj, al-Hinnah and Jabal Berri, and Sir Bani Yas
Sir Bani Yas
Sir Bani Yas is a natural Island located southwest of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It lies offshore from Jebel Dhanna, which serves as a crossing point to other islands such as Dalma. Sir Bani Yas is from north to south and from east to west making it the largest,...
. A suspected church at Marawah
Marawah
Marawah is a low-lying island off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The island is 15 km north of the Khor al Bazm lagoon along the Abu Dhabi coastline in the southern Persian Gulf of the United Arab Emirates.- Geology and geography :...
was later shown to be a Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
site.
Bahrain (historical region)
By the fifth century the historical region of Bahrain was a major centre for Nestorian Christianity (which had come to dominate the southern shores of the Persian Gulf), with Samahij being the seat of bishops. It was a center of Nestorian Christianity until al-Bahrain adopted Islam in 629 AD. As a sect, the Nestorians were often persecuted as heretics by the Byzantine EmpireByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, but Bahrain was outside the Empire's control offering some safety. The names of several of Muharraq Island
Muharraq Island
Muharraq Island is the third largest island in the archipelago of Bahrain after Bahrain Island and Hawar Island. It is named after Muharraq City, the former capital of Bahrain.There are several towns and villages located on the Island, including:...
’s villages today reflect this Christian legacy, with Al Dair
Al Dair
Al Dair is a village in Bahrain on the northern coast of Muharraq Island. It lies north of the Bahrain International Airport, and north west of Samaheej village....
meaning “the monastery” or "the parish."
In 410, according to the Oriental Syriac Church synodal records, a bishop named Batai was excommunicated from the church in Bahrain.
Failaka
Remains of a church, dating to perhaps as early as the 5th or 6th century to judge by the crosses that form part of the stuccoStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
decoration, were found at Al-Qusur on the island of Failaka. Pottery at the site can be dated from as early as the first half of the 7th century through the 9th century.
Akkaz
In 1993 the Kuwaiti-French expedition found a church in AkkazShuwaikh Island
Shuwaikh Island , also known as Qurain Island, and Akkaz Island, is a former island of Kuwait within Kuwait Bay. As an island, it resided about 1 kilometer away from the coast and was roughly 12,000 square meters in size. Shuwaikh Island is an archeological site with pieces dating back to 2000 B.C....
(in present Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
) dating to the early Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
era, the church was in the eastern church style and is symmetrical to that of Failaka.
Kharg
A number of tombs have been found decorated with distinctive Nestorian crosses. A monastery with a church and nearby homes for married priests have also been excavated. The floral designs in the plaster decoration of the church suggested to the excavator a date in the fifth or sixth centuries AD. Later studies would seem to date the decorations to the end of the sixth century AD.Jubail and nearby areas
A church, consisting of a walled courtyard and three rooms on the east side was found in 1986. Cross designs were seen to have been impressed into the plaster flanking the doors of the structure. The reporter of the site did not indicate a clear date for it, but suggested that it must have been in existence for two centuries before the advent of Islam. Christian gravestones were also found at the site of JubailJubail
Jubail , is a city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. It consists of the Old Town of Al Jubail, which was originally a small fishing village, up to 1975 and the new industrial area....
. At Thaj, 90 km to the West, what appears to be a smaller church or chapel, built of reused stones and perhaps dating to the fifth or sixth century, has been discovered. 10 km NNE of Thaj at al-Hinnah there is evidence of a Christian cemetery of ancient but unknown date. a church was identified in the island of Abu 'Ali near Jubayl.
Jabal Berri
Not far to the South of JubailJubail
Jubail , is a city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. It consists of the Old Town of Al Jubail, which was originally a small fishing village, up to 1975 and the new industrial area....
, at Jabal Berri, three crosses have been found dating possibly to the period when Sassanian Persia had influence over the region.
Sir Bani Yas
At Sir Bani YasSir Bani Yas
Sir Bani Yas is a natural Island located southwest of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It lies offshore from Jebel Dhanna, which serves as a crossing point to other islands such as Dalma. Sir Bani Yas is from north to south and from east to west making it the largest,...
, an island off the Western coast of the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, an extensive monastic and eccelesiastical complex has been found similar to that at Kharg. The church building itself was about 14 m × 4.5 m. As with other sites in the region, plaster crosses were excavated. The excavator suggests a date in the sixth or seventh century for the construction of the church.
External links
- Sir Bani Yas, Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey. Gives online access to several of the cited publications.