Monk and Mason on the Tigris Frontier: The Early History of Tur `AbdinTur cAdin is a plateau skirted by the Upper Tigris in south-eastern Turkey. Syrian Orthodox Christians of Aramaic tongue still worship in its Late Antique churches. Monks converted the region and the most powerful monastery, founded in the fourth century, is still flourishing today. This book grew out of an attempt to document more fully the early history of this abbey. It aims to rediscover the practical and symbolic function of the monuments of Tur cAdin and place them in their original social context. A recurring theme is the relationship between village and monastery and, within each, between community and individual. The final chapters also contribute to our understanding of the Syrian Orthodox community under the Abbasid caliphate. A 500-page microfiche supplement contains the first editions of the Qartmin Trilogy, a monastic text to which the book refers, constantly, and the Book of Life, a unique quasi-epigraphical document of a Christian village and its will to surive. |
Contents
The sources | 8 |
The hard core of a legend | 20 |
The foundation of Qartmin Abbey | 33 |
Early buildings | 40 |
The first imperial benefaction | 49 |
The benefaction of Theodosius II | 58 |
Patterns in upperTigritane monasticism | 73 |
The common life according to John of Ephesus | 81 |
The identification of the church | 129 |
The domed octagon | 140 |
Qartmin Abbey in the annals of the church | 149 |
Simeon of the Olives founder of the prosperity of Qartmin | 159 |
149 | 167 |
Spiritual and economic exhaustion | 182 |
B A I and the tablet as an epigraphic setting | 201 |
an ambitious abbots memorial in moulded plaster | 208 |
Monasticism in the seventhcentury Life of Theodotos of Amida | 88 |
The relation of village to monastery | 107 |
The last monuments to imperial favour | 113 |
Commentary on the Syriac description of the main church at Qartmin | 119 |
the decadence of the ninth and tenth centuries | 217 |
S B 13 as historical propaganda | 224 |
Secondary literature | 237 |
Other editions - View all
Monk and Mason on the Tigris Frontier: The Early History of Tur `Abdin Andrew Palmer No preview available - 1990 |
Common terms and phrases
abbey of Qartmin abbot Amida Anastasius ancient apse Arab Arcadius arches Athanasius Baladhuri Barṣawm Bell/Mango benefaction Beth Qustan Beth Svirina bishop bishop of Ţur Book building built burial vault castle Chabot Christian Chronicle of 819 church of Mor cistern commemorated conventual church Corduene Daniel Dara death diocese disciple Dolabani dome east Eastern Saints Edessa Elijah fifth century foll frontier Gabriel Haḥ Harran holy Honigmann INSCR inscription Iwannis Jacob Jacob Baradaeus Jacob of Edessa John of Ephesus later Mardin Mesopotamia Michael Midyat monastery of Mor monastic monk of Qartmin Monophysite Mor Abay Mor Simeon mosaics Nestorian Nisibis octagon oratory patriarch Persian Philoxenos Pognon priest Procopius Qartmin 819 Qartmin Abbey Qartmin Trilogy Qartminite Qenneshre Rabbula region Roman Şalaḥ sanctuary Sandloyo Șawro side Simeon of Olives stone Stylite Syriac Syrian Orthodox Theodosius Theodotos Tigris Ţur Abdin village W-Syr wall Zuqnin