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SHAKIR NOORI icles of the Eastern Patriarchate, texts by Bar Hebraeus and the Unknown Edessan, an important document from Sultan Abdul Hamid recognizing the authority and influence of the Chaldean patriarch . . . Reading Father Charbel’s letter, Father Joseph was overcome by gloom and sadness and felt that some part of his city’s history had departed along with the burned books and would never return. He wrote to Father Charbel, asking him to come to the Monastery of the Icons, and to try and save what volumes and manuscripts he could through restoration. Then he asked him to establish a library in the monastery, which boasted a collection of the most important early works. Father Charbel continued to upgrade the library, asking Lebanese, Arab and Western publishers to donate a single copy of all their titles, and families even began to donate the collections of deceased relatives. Charbel dedicated himself to restoring the books and manuscripts. He even asked the monks and nuns to read them and to memorize sections of the Holy Book, the Lord’s Prayer, and the greater part of Psalms, and made novices learn the “ascetic’s ABC”: the virtues and duties of the monastic life. As for free time, the monks were obliged to spend it in reading from the Holy Book, which was memorized, by and large, and compulsory at the monastery. While telling us about something written in one the manuscripts he suddenly burst out laughing: “A funny story!” Then he fell silent. “And what is the story, Father Charbel?” asked the monks and nuns. His hands waved and gesticulated. “The physician to Caliph Abu Jaafar Al-Mansur . . . Do you know who he was? He was the Nestorian Jurjis bin Jibril, who cured the Caliph of a chronic illness which had played havoc with his stomach. Upon being rewarded he delivered a famous speech in the Caliph’s presence in Farsi and Arabic. The Caliph permitted him to drink alcohol and, when he learned that the physician was intending to depart to Elam to visit his wife, who had grown old and housebound, Al-Mansur sent him three thousand dinars and three Byzantine slave girls in the care of the eunuch, Salem. But Jurjis returned the girls to the Caliph, saying: ‘O Commander of the Faithful, these girls 32 BANIPAL 53 – SUMMER 2015
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SHAKIR NOORI cannot reside with me in one house, for as Christians we may not marry more than one woman. As long as my wife is alive, I shall marry no other.’ The Caliph was amazed that a man could turn down three beautiful Byzantine girls. Anyone else wouldn’t have hesitated to bed them together.” The monks and nuns roared with laughter. Some covered their heads with their sashes out of embarrassment and delicacy. Then the knockabout, merry Father Charbel went on: “There’s another amusing story about this physician. The Caliph had once invited him to convert to Islam. ‘Convert and I guarantee you Paradise,’ the Caliph told him, but the physician was bold enough to answer: ‘I am content to join my forefathers, whether in Heaven or in Hell.’ The Caliph marvelled at him and praised and rewarded him, saying over and over: ‘O Christians, you are the dearest of all people to us.’” Father Charbel would debate with the other Assyrian monks about the origins of monasticism and the memorization of the Psalms and the New Testament, which had been the basis of a Christian education in the early and medieval periods, though was not a process of rote learning, but a contemplative, intellectual exercise undertaken by the student. “That’s true, Father, I agree with you about that, and it’s proved by the fact that they rejoiced in the words of the Lord and took pleasure in reading The Monks’ Garden as they sat to eat in the monasteries.” Then he turned to me: “Father Ishaq, during the Byzantine period, the monasteries became repositories of ancient knowledge; indeed, they were responsible for preserving the heritage of the past, fearful lest it slide into lightless anonymity. “Saint Pachomius himself, the first to draw up rules for the monastic life, made laws to protect the books and libraries, and copying rooms sprung up in the monasteries. He regarded copying manuscripts as a sacred duty in which monks and abbots must work together.” “Have you heard of the monk copyists?” asked Father Joseph. “Ibrahim, Herax, Marallus and Saint Melania?” “The copyists are blessed and their work is sacred, which is why a special prayer is said for the copyist, “The Copyist’s Chamber”: ‘O Lord, look kindly on and bless this copyist on behalf of Thy ser- BANIPAL 53 – SUMMER 2015 33

SHAKIR NOORI

cannot reside with me in one house, for as Christians we may not marry more than one woman. As long as my wife is alive, I shall marry no other.’ The Caliph was amazed that a man could turn down three beautiful Byzantine girls. Anyone else wouldn’t have hesitated to bed them together.”

The monks and nuns roared with laughter. Some covered their heads with their sashes out of embarrassment and delicacy.

Then the knockabout, merry Father Charbel went on: “There’s another amusing story about this physician. The Caliph had once invited him to convert to Islam. ‘Convert and I guarantee you Paradise,’ the Caliph told him, but the physician was bold enough to answer: ‘I am content to join my forefathers, whether in Heaven or in Hell.’ The Caliph marvelled at him and praised and rewarded him, saying over and over: ‘O Christians, you are the dearest of all people to us.’”

Father Charbel would debate with the other Assyrian monks about the origins of monasticism and the memorization of the Psalms and the New Testament, which had been the basis of a Christian education in the early and medieval periods, though was not a process of rote learning, but a contemplative, intellectual exercise undertaken by the student.

“That’s true, Father, I agree with you about that, and it’s proved by the fact that they rejoiced in the words of the Lord and took pleasure in reading The Monks’ Garden as they sat to eat in the monasteries.”

Then he turned to me: “Father Ishaq, during the Byzantine period, the monasteries became repositories of ancient knowledge; indeed, they were responsible for preserving the heritage of the past, fearful lest it slide into lightless anonymity.

“Saint Pachomius himself, the first to draw up rules for the monastic life, made laws to protect the books and libraries, and copying rooms sprung up in the monasteries. He regarded copying manuscripts as a sacred duty in which monks and abbots must work together.”

“Have you heard of the monk copyists?” asked Father Joseph. “Ibrahim, Herax, Marallus and Saint Melania?”

“The copyists are blessed and their work is sacred, which is why a special prayer is said for the copyist, “The Copyist’s Chamber”: ‘O Lord, look kindly on and bless this copyist on behalf of Thy ser-

BANIPAL 53 – SUMMER 2015 33

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