Mor Mattai Dayaro ( St.Mathew Monastery) of Syriac Orthodox Church Threatened By ISIS
25/3/15
Also Read – 60 Minutes feature ISIS Persecution of Christians in Iraq
The historic Syriac Orthodox monastery in Iraq, where the monks still pray in the Aramaic language used by Jesus Christ, is in danger of being attacked by Islamic State militants who are entrenched just four miles away.
The monastery was founded in 363 by the hermit, Mar Mattai who had fled persecution in Amid under the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate. According to Syriac tradition, he was involved in healing the sister of Mor Behnam and converting the brother and sister to Christianity. Their father, king Sennacherib of Assyria initially killed his son and daughter but later recanted and awarded Mattai a place atop Mount Alfaf to establish his monastery. Mattai was quickly joined by a small Syriac followers, and under his leadership that community developed a true monastic ethos.
Father Joseph Ibrahim, one of seven monks remaining at the enormous mountainside monastery, admits that he’s afraid of “the unknown future.” Please uphold our brothers in prayer !!!
