The Patriarchs of the Church of the East

<p>Mari ibn Suleiman offers a chronicle of the succession of patriarchs from St. Mari to Jaballaha III (circa 1281-1317 AD) combining ecclesiastical history theological exposition and hagiographic detail. He situates each patriarch in the political and religious context of their times describing interactions with secular rulers internal church affairs (ordination synods doctrinal controversies) and missionary or liturgical activity. His account both preserves traditional (sometimes legendary) material about early patriarchs and seeks to provide verifiable historical information for the later ones; thus it is valued today especially for its witness to the Church of the East in the 11th-12th centuries.</p>