'Narrative of a Residence in Koordistan, and on the Site of Ancient Nineveh; with Journal of a Voyage down the Tigris to Bagdad and an Account of a Visit to Shirauz and Persepolis.' [‎113] (146/450)

CH. XVII.] MONASTERY OF MAR ELIAS.
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January 10.—News has just been received from
Mardin, that the Vaivode lias had another quarrel
with the neighbouring tribes, the chiefs of one or two
of which have thrown down their tents. This is a
signal among the tribes of a guerre a V out ranee,
and means—" I have thrown down my tent, and will
not pitch it again till I have had my revenge."
January 22. —I went to-day to visit the remains
of the Nestorian monastery of Mar Elias, called by
the Mahometans Deir el Munkoosh, the ornamented
or painted monastery. I cannot find in Assemanni the
date of its foundation*, but it is mentioned incident
ally in the ninth century ^. The natives say it be
longed to the Roman or Greek Christians, before
* Mr. Rich afterwards discovered the date of the building of
this convent in Assemanni. The following is an entry made in
his note-hook. " At last I have discovered what I was hunting
after. Under Jesnjahus, Ncstorian Catholicus or primate, who
began to reign a.d . 581, and who reigned fifteen years, two
monasteries were founded; one Saed, near Mousul, the other
Mansoor, in the region of Nineveh. This Jesnjabus concluded a
peace between the King of Persia, Hormisdas, son of Anushirvan,
and Ileraclius. The convent of Saed (which is our Deir el Man-
koosh) was founded by Mar Elia." Deir Saed, as it may be seen
from another part of Assemanni, is the same with the monastery
of Mar Elia. Vol. ii. p. 415 ; vol. iii. p. 264.
t The following mention of Mar Elias is made by Assemanni.
Joshua Bar nun of Bath Gabar, a village on the Tigris, between
Nineveh and Mousul, lived thirty years in the monastery of St.
Elias, before he was elected primate of the East, which happened
a.p . 824. — Assem. vol. ii. p. 435. Abu Saed was Archimandrite
of Mar Elias in a.d. 1028.
V ol. II. I