New books explore role of the Church of the East in spreading Christianity

Many new books have been published recently showcasing the history and contribution to the spreading of Christianity around the world by the Church of the East. Unfortunately, few have been bought and read because of the illiteracy of the language among Assyrian people.

Author Rabi Ben Benyamin at the launch Credit: SBS Assyrian

Key Points

• Assyrian Church of the East history
• Lack of readers of the Assyrian language
• Assyrian schools hope to expand the learning of the language

On 11 August 2022, The Assyrian Church of the East under his Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaya, Metropolitan and General Secretary of the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East and in the presence of many Clergymen, representatives of Assyrian social and political parties and a crowd of Assyrian people, attended the official launch of a series of books about the Church of the East at St Hermizd School.

One book - 'The comprehensive explanation of the Symbols of the Eucharist of the Church of the East' - authored by Rev. Shmouel Shimon Shmouel, is in Arabic.

Author of the book entitled 'The Explanation of the Eucharist of the Church of the East', Father Shmouel Shimoun Shmouel Credit: Ninos Emmanuel: SBS Assytrian

Other books on display were series about the history of the Church of the East, the history of the Patriarchs of the church, the Church of the East and the Mongolian destruction of its treasures, and The Church of the East in Malabar and India.

Those books are part of a project commissioned by Assyrian linguistic and prominent personality in the Assyrian community in Australia, Rabi Benyamin bet Benyamin.

Listen to this podcast with Rabi Benyamin bet Benyamin about how this project started and how long it took to complete.

LISTEN TO

The official launch of books about the Patriarchs of the Church of the East

SBS Assyrian

14:25aii

SBS Assyrian interviewed H.B Mar Melis Zaya, who talked about the importance of these books in preserving the history, language and traditions of the Assyrian nation and the Church of the East, which played a huge role in spreading Christianity around the world.

Mr Zaya also expressed his sorrow about the unfortunate lack of readers in the Assyrian language and the challenges facing Assyrian literature and publications.

H.B Mar Meelis Zaya delivering his speech at the launch. Credit: Ninos Emmanuel/SBS Assyrian

His Beatitude is still optimistic about how the schools of St Hermizd , the Nassibin College and the Assyrian language College, will impact the education of students and learning of the Assyrian language.

Anwar Atto, head of the Assyrian language at the Church’s schools, spoke about the importance of these books for the Assyrian reader. He was optimistic about the future of the language and the way the church is dedicated to preserving and teaching it to the new Assyrian Australian generation.

Head of the Assyrian language teaching of the Church of the East schools, Anwar Atto. Credit: Ninos Emmanuel

The publisher of the books, Rabi Benyamin bet Benyamin, expressed his disappointment about the way the books had been promoted and distributed.

When asked if the books would reach Assyrian readers around the globe, he said, sadly, that even though most of these books had been released about a year ago, not many had been bought and many were still sitting on bookshelves and in their original shipping boxes.

If we can’t get these books to be sold and distributed in Melbourne, next to Sydney, I wonder how they can reach other countries in the world where Assyrians reside?”

Benyamin bet Benyamin

He said that this question should not be addressed to him, but must be addressed to the Church of the East.

Rabi Benyamin Benyamin with Ninos Emmanuel, SBS Assyrian Credit: Ninos Emmanuel