Shemon III

Mar

Shemʿon III

Patriarch of All the East
Church| Church of the East
See| Seleucia-Ctesiphon
Installed| c.1425
Term ended| c.1450
Predecessor| Eliya IV
Successor| Shemon IV
Personal details
Born| 14th century
Died| 15th century

Mar Shemʿon III was the patriarch of the Church of the East in the early 15th century. There is uncertainty over his existence, his dates and his place in the order of patriarchs.

Traditionally, Shemʿon III is listed between patriarchs Shemʿon II, whose reign began in 1381/2, and Eliya IV, who is said to have died in 1437.[1] A manuscript made in the reign of the Shemʿon who succeeded Eliya IV casts doubt on this reconstruction, however. In a copy of the Book of the Bee, a list of patriarchs has been extended from the time of Timothy II to "Shemʿon of our days". The intervening patriarchs are Denha II, a certain Shemʿon and Eliya IV. This can only be Shemʿon II.[2]

Manuscript colophons from 1429/30 and 1437 attest to a patriarch named Shemʿon, and David Wilmshurst suggests that this person, along with the "Shemʿon of our days" of the Bee manuscript, was Shemʿon III, who succeeded Eliya IV around 1425.[3][4] He dates his patriarchate from c. 1425 to c. 1450.[5] Jean Maurice Fiey went so far as to deny the existence of Shemʿon III entirely.[6] This would give Shemʿon IV (successor of Eliya IV or Shemʿon III, depending on the list) a reign of sixty years or more.[3]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Burleson & Van Rompay 2011.
2. ^ Wilmshurst 2011, p. 287.
3. ^ a b Wilmshurst 2011, p. 292.
4. ^ Wilmshurst 2000, p. 348.
5. ^ Wilmshurst 2019, p. 800.
6. ^ Wilmshurst 2000, p. 3.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Burleson, Samuel; Van Rompay, Lucas (2011). "List of Patriarchs: I. The Church of the East and its Uniate Continuations". In Sebastian P. Brock; Aaron M. Butts; George A. Kiraz; Lucas Van Rompay (eds.). Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage. Gorgias Press.
* Wilmshurst, David J. (2000). The Ecclesiastical Organisation of the Church of the East, 1318–1913. Peeters.
* Wilmshurst, David J. (2011). The Martyred Church: A History of the Church of the East. East and West Publishing.
* Wilmshurst, David J. (2019). "The Patriarchs of the Church of the East". In Daniel King (ed.). The Syriac World. Routledge. pp. 799–805.

Church of the East titles

Preceded by

Eliya IV
(c.1405-c.1425)

|  Catholicos-Patriarch of the East
(c.1425-c.1450)  | Succeeded by

Shemon IV
(c.1450-1497)

* v
* t
* e

Patriarchs of the Church of the East

1st–4th centuries|

* Thomas the Apostle
* Addai (37–65)
* Aggai (66–87)
* Mari I (88–120)
* Abris (121–137)
* Abraham I (159–171)
* Yaqob I (172–190)
* Ahadabui (202–220)
* Shahlufa (220–240)
* Papa bar Aggai (c. 280–329)
* Shemon bar Sabbae (329–341)
* Shahdost (341–342)
* Barba'shmin (343–346)
* Tomarsa (363–371)
* Qayyoma (377–399)
* Isaac (399–410)

5th–8th centuries|

* Ahha (410–414)
* Yahballaha I (415–420)
* Mana (420)
* Farbokht (421)
* Dadisho (421–456)
* Babowai (457–484)
* Acacius (485–496)
* Babai (497–502/503)
* Shila (503–523)
* Elisha (524–537)
* Narsai (524–537)
* Paul (539)
* Aba I (540–552)
* Joseph (552–567)
* Ezekiel (570–581)
* Ishoyahb I (582–595)
* Sabrisho I (596–604)
* Gregory (605–608)
* Ishoyahb II (628–645)
* Maremmeh (646–649)
* Ishoyahb III (649–659)
* Giwargis I (661–680)
* Yohannan I (680–683)
* Hnanisho I (686–698)
* Yohannan the Leper (691–693)†
* Sliba-zkha (714–728)
* Pethion (731–740)
* Aba II (741–751)
* Surin (753)†
* Yaqob II (753/754–773/775)
* Hnanisho II (773/775–780)
* Timothy I (780–823)

9th–12th centuries|

* Isho Bar Nun (823–828)
* Giwargis II (828–831)
* Sabrisho II (831–835)
* Abraham II (837–850)
* Theodosius (853–858)
* Sargis (860–872)
* Israel of Kashkar (877) (Not consecrated)
* Enosh (877–884)
* Yohannan II (884–892)
* Yohannan III (893–899)
* Yohannan IV (900–905)
* Abraham III (906–937)
* Emmanuel I (937–960)
* Israel (961)
* Abdisho I (963–986)
* Mari II (987–999)
* Yohannan V (1000–1011)
* Yohannan VI (1012–1020)
* Ishoyahb IV (1020–1025)
* Eliya I (1028–1049)
* Yohannan VII (1049–1057)
* Sabrisho III (1064–1072)
* Abdisho II (1074–1090)
* Makkikha I (1092–1110)
* Eliya II (1111–1132)
* Bar Sawma (1134–1136)
* Abdisho III (1139–1148)
* Ishoyahb V (1149–1175)
* Eliya III (1176–1190)
* Yahballaha II (1190–1222)

13th–16th centuries|

* Sabrisho IV (1222–1224)
* Sabrisho V (1226–1256)
* Makkikha II (1257–1265)
* Denha I (1265–1281)
* Yahballaha III (1281–1317)
* Timothy II (1318–1332)
* Denha II (1336/1337–1381/1382)
* Shemon II (c. 1385–c. 1405)
* Eliya IV (c. 1405–c. 1425)
* Shemon III (c. 1425–c. 1450)
* Shemon IV (c. 1450–1497)
* Shemon V (1497–1502)
* Eliya V (1502–1503/1504)
* Shemon VI (1504–1538)
* Shemon VII Ishoyahb (1538/1539–1558)

Eliya line
(1558–1830)|

* Eliya VI (1558–1591)
* Eliya VII (1591–1617)
* Eliya VIII (1617–1660)
* Eliya IX (1660–1700)
* Eliya X (1700–1722)
* Eliya XI (1722–1778)
* Eliya XII (1778–1804)
* Yohannan VIII Hormizd (1780–1830)§

Shimun line
(1553–1861)|

* Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa (1553–1555)
* Abdisho IV Maron (1555–1570)
* Yahballaha IV (1577–1580)
* Shimun IX Dinkha (1580–1600)
* Shimun X Eliyah (1600–1638)
* Shimun XI Eshuyow (1638–1656)
* Shimun XII Yoalaha (1656–1662)
* Shimun XIII Dinkha (1662–1700)
* Shimun XIV Shlemon (1700–1740)
* Shimun XV Maqdassi Mikhail (1740–1780)
* Shimun XVI Yohannan (1780–1820)
* Shimun XVII Abraham (1820–1861)

Josephite line
(1681–1828)|

* Joseph I (1681–1696)
* Joseph II (1696–1712)
* Joseph III (1714–1757)
* Joseph IV (1759–1781)
* Joseph V Augustine Hindi (1781–1828)§

19th century to present|

* Shimun XVIII Rubil (1861–1903)
* Shimun XIX Benyamin (1903–1918)
* Shimun XX Paulos (1918–1920)
* Shimun XXIII Eshai (1920–1975)

| Assyrian Church of the East|

* Dinkha IV (1976–2015)
* Gewargis III (2015–2021)
* Awa III (2021–present)

|

Ancient Church of the East|

* Thoma Darmo (1968–1969)
* Addai II Giwargis (1972–2022)
* Yakoob III Danil (2022)
* Gewargis III Younan (2023–present)

† Illegitimate; § Patriarchal administrator
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