A RELATIONAL DATABASE OF SYRIAC AND ARABIC HISTORICAL REGISTERS AND ARCHIVES

BY DR. ISKANDAR BCHEIRY

INTRODUCTION

In the next ATLA’s annual conference 2017 which will take place in Atlanta Georgia, I am presenting a plan of creating a database of historical registers and archives that belong to the Syriac community which are found in various libraries in the world, with special focus to the Library of the Forty Martyrs in Mardin/Turkey. The database would offer direct access to scholars and students of Syria studies, Near East Christian studies and Ottoman history to the registers and archives and the possibility to examine the copies of original documents as well as the possibility to search a word in the documents. This plan combines both the area of historical studies with the area of librarianship, the use of technology, scholarly communications, and programs that apply to religious studies bibliographers working in university settings. In short, the extracted social, cultural, religious, and geographic information in these archives will be stored in a database system and made of use to scholarly research by schema program.

HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND

The social ethnic fabric of the Near East contains, like other places in the world, various ethnic and religious groups whose historical roots are traced far back in history. The Syriacs or Sūryānī referred to as Aramaeans, or Assyrians are the inhabitants of Syria and Mesopotamia who embraced Christianity in the first and second centuries. Because of the Christological conflict in relation to the nature of Christ, the Syriac world was divided into two major parts in the fifth century: Syriac Orthodox also known in history as Jacobites and the Church of the East also known as the Nestorian Church. The Syriacs Orthodox where those who rejected the resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon in 451 on the nature of Christ, thus they were subject to Byzantine persecutions. After the Arab Muslim conquest of the Byzantine and Persian territory in the Near East in the seventh century, the Christian Syriacs as well as other Christian groups and Jews found themselves as “the people of the Book”, or Dimmī, which is a legal term used to designate a protected non-Muslim under Muslim rule. After living under different Muslim states and dynasties such as Mamelukes, Turcomans, and Persians, the Syriac people were ruled by the Ottomans who occupied the eastern part of Anatolia, Syria, Palestine and Egypt at the beginning of the 16th century. By the 19th century, we find the Syriac community had been greatly weakened and the greater part of them was found in south-east Anatolia, northern Iraq, and parts of west Syria. The 20th century brought with it radical events that enormously changed the life, culture, social, and religious aspects of the Syriacs. These events occurred when the Syriac community as well as other Christian communities lost a great number of its members during the First World War. In addition to that, the twentieth century witnessed a massive Syriac immigration toward Europe and America. Many Syriacs lost contact with their relatives and members of the same family found themselves dispersed in distant places. However, more recently there has been greater interest in rediscovering some of the historical data on Syriac genealogy and communities, particularly from archives that date from Ottoman period.1  

1 The historical background of the Syriac community and their archives is an adapted version of my previous publication. Cf. Iskandar Bcheiry, Collection of historical documents in relation with the Syriac Orthodox community in the late period of the Ottoman Empire, Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias press, 2010, pp.1-2.

THE CITY OF MARDIN

The city of Mardin is in southeast Turkey near the Syrian border. The city is situated at about 3600 feet above sea level on a rocky green hill; the grassy plain in the valley below is known as the Sea of Mardin. The ancient Syriac name of the city is Merdā, a word of likely Persian origin meaning warrior or brave. The town remained an important Roman and Byzantine military post near the border with Persia until the first half of the seventh century, when it was occupied by the Arab Muslims. The city passed under many dominions such as the Marwanids, Seljuks, Artukids, Mongols, and Persians. After the battle of Chaldiran in 1514, the Persian army was defeated, and Mardin with its fortress was occupied by the Ottomans in 1516. In 1534, Mardin was created as a district and included in the province of Diyarbakir. Now a day, Mardin is a center of a province by the same name that contains five districts. In the province of Mardin, there are some churches and monasteries that date to the fourth century.

DAYR AL-ZA‘FARĀN

The region of Mardin contains many monasteries and convents; the most well-known of these is Dayr al-Za‘farān, which is situated 5 miles east from the city on the hills overlooking the Mesopotamian plains. The original structure on the site was a Roman fortress that dates to the fifth century A.D., which was built to protect the Roman frontier from a Persian invasion. The fort was destroyed when the Persians dominated the region in 607 and remained deserted until Ḥananyyā, the bishop of Kafartūţā,2 purchased the building in the eighth century and converted it into a monastery. Being the seat of the Patriarchs of the Syrian Orthodox Church over nearly seven centuries, Deir al-Za‛faran was the major depository of church documents for a long time. However, due to the ravages of time, particularly the repeated Kurdish incursions, this monastery lost most of its library and archive material. Most of its archives and manuscript moved to the Church of the forty Martyrs in Mardin.

SYRIAC ARCHIVES AND REGISTERS

In the Ottoman Empire, Syriacs kept their own baptismal, marriage, funeral, ecclesiastic ordinations and endowments and other records such as archive of correspondence, which can be found in various libraries, churches, and monasteries in Europe, America and the East, with a large concentration in Mardin in South East Turkey, which was once the spiritual headquarters of the Syriac Christians and their patriarchate. The records followed a general norm which became a standard in registering the events.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE REGISTERS AND ARCHIVES

These registers are particularly interesting because they offer information about period between the 15 th century to the 18th century casting light on a period of the Syriac Orthodox Church history for which documents are scarce. In addition, these registers are important from both a topographic and demographic aspect. The Syriac community as well as many other Christian communities was subject to demographic changes which occurred in Anatolia and Syria especially under the Ottoman dominion. Many villages and towns were depopulated and others were rebuilt due to emigration or deportation. These historical documents serve as sort of a measurement to gauge the presence of the Syriac community in certain areas in South East Anatolia and Syria during the Ottoman Period in a way that we can note what changed and what remained. This is possible when we compare the data found in our documents with facts and information from other periods before or after, which belong to

2Kafartūţā is a small town located south of Mardin in Turkey.

other sources. These registers also increase our knowledge about the social and economic life of the local people through the amount and type of their ecclesiastic ordination, birth, baptism, death and endowments. Furthermore, the names of the people and their families show an interesting cultural and social fact.

EXAMPLES OF ENTRIES IN SYRIAC REGISTERS

Records of ordinations: The records of ordinations were made of the following occurring elements: Introduction (the Holy Spirit consecrated…) + name of the consecrated person + church for which he was consecrated + region of the church + liturgical event + Seleucid date and conclusion.

The Holy Spirit consecrated deacon Feṭrūs a priest for the altar of Morī Osyō in Manṣūriyyah [...] in 1884 A.G.The Holy Spirit consecrated ‛Abd Allāh deacon for the altar of Morī Ya‛qūb in the village of Banābīl on Sunday the beginning of Aylūl (September) 1884 A.G.The Holy Spirit consecrated Ni‛mah a deacon for the church of Morī Isṭīfān in the blessed village of Klībīn in the middle of Aylūl (September) in 1884 A.G.The Holy Spirit consecrated deacon Yūsef a priest for the holy church of Morī Gewargīs in Brahīmīyyah at the end of Tišrīn (October) in 1885 A.G.The Holy Spirit consecrated deacon Ya‛qūb a priest for the new church of the Mother of God in Mazr‛ah on the memorial of the birth of St. John in 1886 A.G. May God perfect him.

List of donations: The records of donations were made of the following occurring elements: beneficiary + year + the name of the donors + the amount + the type of the donation. For example, here we have the list of donations which were gathered by the patriarch (collector) in Mardin (location); and dated on June 1872 (the year Christian era). In this list, the amounts of the donations are attached to the names of the donors.

Malkī Qas Elyyā 1120 QurshḤannā Hadāyā 784 QurshMaqdesī Malkī Qal‘at Malḥū 560 QurshḤannā Ġazrlū 784 Qursh

Records of endowments: The records of endowments were made of the following occurring elements: Introduction (A statement of endowment…) + name of the donor + the type of endowment + the church or the monastery for which the endowment was dedicated + the location where the endowment was dedicated + the year and the occasion of the endowment event + Seleucid date and conclusion.

Historical notices and colophons: colophons contain brief descriptions of the date and place of copying, and the name of the copyist of a manuscript. Most of the time, in Syriac colophons additional information would be recorded such as the name of the contemporary religious leaders: patriarch, mafrian and bishop of the diocese. Or other relevant details might be added, such as special events that occurred in the life of the copyist or in the life of his community or country. The normal position for a colophon is at the end of the text. Historical notices, however, occur in marginalia: notes, scribbles, and comments made by readers.

These saints’ lives were copied and completed on the 13th of February in the year 1910 A.G., [1599 A.D] in the chamber of the holy church of Saint Mary the Mother of God, in the blessed village of Wānik, also known as Dayr Abū Ġālib. The copying of the book occurred during a difficult period: because of anarchy and unrests between the kingdoms of the earth; because of rebellion and the unjust rulers of the regions competing with one another. I, Gregory, the writer

of these lives of saints, who by the grace of God is the bishop of Gargar I pray and appeal (to God)

CREATING A RELATIONAL DATABASE OF THE RECORDS

• The goal is to build a model of database in which the data extracted from the sources will be stored in. in other words, schematizing the data according to a frame work of relationship so that we will be able to observe and understand different aspects of history.

• Capturing the data from the sources and then, input it in the created database

• Looking for a relationship between the data stored in the database

The big picture of this project is to create a tool not only to understand many aspects of the life of the Syriac community in south east Anatolia and in direct relationship with other communities who lived beside them or interreacted with them, but also creating a tool for other scholars in different fields and geographical areas to interreact with this relational database according to their own interests.

Below, I would like to present a table that contains sample of types of information that would be extracted from the historical registers, colophons, historical notices and archives:

Loca

tion

Peopled Site

city town village farm country region district capital citadel

Geographical site

mountain mount river valley field plain hill cave lake

Religious site

monastery church temple shrine tomb cemetery basilica

Routes international

regional local river sea land

His

toric

al P

erso

ns

Historical ruling secular People

king queen prince governor leader Pasha Agha ruler Shah

Historical Religious

people

Patriarch Bishop metropolitan

Priest monk nun Priest-monk

Abbot deacon

Historical serviceable people

teacher lawyer doctor architecture

builder butler servant midwife scribes

dona

tions

Dating Christian era

Greek Era Muslim Era

World era Coptic era Gregorian calendar

Julian Calendar

Donation type

currency property Quality work

Agricultural

donation

Business donation

Object donations

Endowments types

property Agricultural

donation

Business donation

Beneficiary

Religious sites

Rel

igio

us p

ract

ices

Religious practices

ordinations

Festivals memorials funerals marriage baptism

Pilgrimage and

religious visitation

Jerusalem Local churches

Local monasterie

s

Shrines Holy places

Ethn

ic-r

elig

ious

gro

ups

Ethnic groups

Syriac Kurds Armenians Arabs Turks Iranians Georgian Egyptians

Religious group

Christians Muslims Yazidis Shiites Sunnis Orthodox catholic Calcedonians

Copts

Soci

al-c

ultu

ral a

spec

t

Names biblical National-ethnic names

Religious names

Locative names

Profession names

nicknames

Professions, jobs and

skills

carpenter Steel maker

potter builder farmer

His

toric

al c

alam

ity

even

ts

Natural disasters

or phenomes

flood snow rain earthquake

volcanos fire drought

Historical disastrous

events

famine besiege captivity massacres invasion destruction Social anarchy wars

Ordinand Ordainer Geograph

ic location Site Original text SourcePaginat

ion/Foliation

Fetrus Patriarch Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591) Manṣūriyyah Morī Osyō

ܦܛܪܘܣ ܡܫܡ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܐܣܝܐ ܩܫܝܫܐ ܡܪܝ ܠܡܕܒܚ

ܕܒܡܢܨܘܪܝܗ ܒܪ ]…[ ܫܢܬ ܐܦܦܕ ܝ̄ܘܢ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f. 96

‛Abd Allāh

Patriarch Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

Banābīl Morī Ya‛qūb

ܡܫܡ ܐܠܗ ܥ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܕܒܒܢܐܒܝܠ ܝܥܩܘܒ ܕܡܪܝ ܠܡܕܒܚܐ ܩܪܝܬܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܪܘܚܐ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܒܝܘܡ ܚܕ

ܐܝܠܘܠ[ ܫܢܬ ܐܦܦܕ [ܒܫܒܐ ܒܪܝܫܐ ܐܠܝܝ]ܘܢ[

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f. 96

Ni‛mahPatriarch

Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

Klībīn Morī Isṭīfān

ܡܫܡ ܢܥܡܗ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܕܒܟܠܝܒܝܢ ܠܥܕܬܐ ܣܛܝܦܢܘܣ ܕܡܪܝ

ܕܐܝܠܘܠ ܒܟܣܗ ܡܒܪܟܬܐ ܩܣܛܪܐ ܫܢܬ ܐܦܦܕ ܝ̄ܘܢ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f. 96

YūsefPatriarch

Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

Brahīmīyyah Morī Gewargīs

ܝܘܣܦ ܡܫܡ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܓܘܪܓܝܣ ܩܫܝܫܐ ܕܡܪܝ ̄ ܩܕ ܠܥܕܬܐ

ܫܢܬ ܬܫܪܝܢ ܒܐܚܪܝܬ ܕܒܪܗܝܡܝܗ ܐܦܦܗ ܝ̄ܘܢ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f. 96

Ya‛qūbPatriarch

Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

Mazr‛ahThe new church

of the Mother of God

ܝܥܩܘܒ ܡܫܡ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܚܕܬܐ ܩܫܝܫܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܕܝܠܕܬ ܠܥܕܬܐ

ܫܢܬ ܕܝܘܚܢܢ ܡܘܠܕܗ ܒܝܘܡ ܕܒܡܙܪܥܗ ܐܦܦܘ ܝ̄ܘܢ ܡܪܝܐ ܢܫܡܠܝܘܗܝ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f. 96

‛AzīzPatriarch

Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

Manṣūriyyah Morī Osyō

ܥܙܝܙ ܕܝܪܝܐ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܒܥܕܬܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܕܝܠܕܬ ܠܕܝܪܐ ܩܫܝܫܐ ܕܐܚܪܝܬ ܒܫܒܐ ܒܚܕ ܐܣܝܐ ܕܡܪܝ

ܡܪܝܐ ܢܫܡܠܘܗܝ ܬܡܘܙ ܫܢܬ ܐܦܦܗ ܝ̄ܘܢ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f.96

TūmāPatriarch

Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

Banābīl Morī Ya‛qūb

ܬܘܡܐ ܡܫܡ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܠܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܝܥܩܘܒ ܕܒܢܐܒܝܠ ܩܫܝܫܐ

ܕܘܟܪܢ ܡܪܝ ܡܠܟܐ ܫܢܬ ܐܦܦܕ ܒܝܘܡ ܝ̄ܘܢ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f. 96

Yešū‛Patriarch

Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

monastery of the See

monastery of the See

ܝܫܘܥ ܕܝܪܝܐ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܒܟܣܗ ܕܟܘܪܣܝܐ ܠܕܝܪܐ ܩܫܝܫܐ

ܕܐܝܠܘܠ ܫܢܬ ܐܦܦܕ ܝ̄ܘܢ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f. 96

YūsefPatriarch

Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

Quṣūr Morī Tādrūs

ܝܘܣܦ ܡܫܡ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܬܐܕܪܘܣ ܩܫܝܫܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܠܥܕܬܐ

ܒܪܝܫ ܕܩܨܘܪ ܡܒܪܟܬܐ ܕܒܩܣܛܪܐ ܡܪܝܐ ܝ̄ܘܢ ܐܦܦܗ ܫܢܬܐ ܐܝܠܘܠ

ܐܝܢ ܘ ܐܡܝܢ ܢܫܡܠܘܗܝ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f.96

IbrāhīmPatriarch

Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

the monastery of Neṭfō

the monastery of Neṭfō

ܐܣܪܚ ܪܘܚܐ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܕܝܪܝܐ ܐܒܪܗܝܡܬܫܪܝܢ ܒܪܝܫ ܕܢܛܦܐ ܠܕܝܪܐ ܩܫܝܫܐ ܡܪܝܐ ܝ̄ܘܢ ܐܦܦܘ ܫܢܬ ܐܚܪܝܐ

ܢܫܡܠܘܗܝ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f.97

Šam‛ūnPatriarch

Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

Qaṭarbil Morī Tūmā

ܫܡܥܘܢ ܡܫܡ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ ܠܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܬܘܡܐ ܕܒܩܪܝܬ ܩܫܝܫܐ

ܩܛܪܒܠ ܒ ]ܚܕ ܒ[ܫܒܐ ܕܨܘܡܐ ܫܢܬܐܦܨܘ ܝ̄ܘܢ

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f. 97

‛Abd al-Nūr

Patriarch Dāwūd Šāh (1576-1591)

Dayr Heliyyā Morī Eliyyōܡܫܡ ܥܛܐܝܗ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܐܣܪܚ

ܕܒܩܣܛܪܐ ܠܥܕܬܐ ]ܐܠܝܐ؟[ ܕܡܪܝ ܩ̄ܕ ܕܥܗܝܕ ]ܕܝܪܗܠܝܐ[ ܒܝܪ ܫܢܬ ܐܦ]ܨܗ[

Syriac manuscript of Hunt. 444 in Bodleian Library - Oxford

f. 97