Beth Huzaye ()Thomas A. Carlson et al., "Beth Huzaye — ܟܘܙܣܬܐܢ " in The Syriac Gazetteer last modified December 9, 2016, http://syriaca.org/place/34. or ʿIlam was an East Syriac metropolitan province of the Church of the East, between the fifth and fourteenth centuries. The names refer to Khuzestan and Elam, respectively.
The metropolitan bishops of Beth Huzaye sat at Gundeshapur (,Thomas A. Carlson et al., "Beth Lapaṭ — ܒܝܬ ܠܦܛ " in The Syriac Gazetteer last modified January 14, 2014, http://syriaca.org/place/35.. The metropolitan province of Beth Huzaye had a number of suffragan dioceses at different periods in its history, including Karka d-Ledan, Ahvaz, Shushtar, Susa, Isfahan, Mihrajanqadhaq and Ramhormoz. The Diocese of Shahpur Khwast may also have been a suffragan diocese of the province of Beth Huzaye.
Background The bishop of Beth Lapat was recognised as metropolitan of Beth Huzaye in Canon XXI of the Council of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in 410. The metropolitan of Beth Huzaye ranked above the metropolitans of the other four metropolitan provinces established in 410 (Nisibis, Meshan, Adiabene, and Beth Garmaï), and was responsible for the suffragan dioceses of Karka d-Ledan, Hormizd Ardashir (Ahvaz), Shushter and Susa.Chabot, 272–3
Ecclesiastical history The metropolitan of Beth Huzaye ( or Elam), who resided in the town of Beth Lapat (Veh az Andiokh Shapur), enjoyed the right of consecrating a new patriarch. In 410 it was not possible to appoint a metropolitan for Beth Huzaye, as several bishops of Beth Lapat were competing for precedence and the synod declined to choose between them. Instead, it merely laid down that once it became possible to appoint a metropolitan, he would have jurisdiction over the dioceses of Karka d'Ledan, Hormizd Ardashir, Shushter and Susa.Chabot, 272–3 These dioceses were all founded at least a century earlier, and their bishops were present at most of the synods of the fifth and sixth centuries. A bishop of Ispahan was present at the synod of in 424, and by 576 there were also dioceses for Mihraganqadaq (probably the 'Beth Mihraqaye' included in the title of the Diocese of Ispahan in 497) and Ram Hormizd (Ramiz).
Only four of these seven dioceses were still in existence at the end of the ninth century. The Diocese of Ram Hormizd seems to have lapsed, and the dioceses of Karka d'Ledan and Mihrganqadaq had been combined with the dioceses of Susa and Ispahan respectively. In 893 Eliya of Damascus listed four suffragan dioceses in the 'eparchy of Jundishapur', in the following order: Karkh Ladan and al-Sus (Susa and Karka d'Ledan), al-Ahwaz (Hormizd Ardashir), Tesr (Shushter) and Mihrganqadaq (Ispahan and Mihraganqadaq).Assemani, BO, ii. 485–9 Shahpur Khwast may also have briefly been a diocese in the province of Beth Huzaye. It is doubtful whether any of these dioceses survived into the fourteenth century. The Diocese of Shushter is last mentioned in 1007/8, Hormizd Ardashir in 1012, Ispahan in 1111 and Susa in 1281. Only the metropolitan Diocese of Jundishapur certainly survived into the fourteenth century, and with additional prestige. had for centuries ranked first among the metropolitan provinces of the Church of the East, and its metropolitan enjoyed the privilege of consecrating a new patriarch and sitting on his right hand at synods. By 1222, in consequence of the demise of the Diocese of Kashkar in the province of the patriarch, he had also acquired the privilege of guarding the vacant patriarchal throne.
The Diocese of Beth Lapat (Gondeshabur) The bishop Gadyahb (or Gadhimhab) of Beth Lapat was one of several East Syriac bishops who opposed the claim to precedence put forward by the bishop Papa bar Aggai of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in 315.Chronicle of Seert, i. 26
In 410, there were several rival bishops of Beth Lapat, and Canon XXI of the synod of Seleucia-Ctesiphon merely recorded that 'for the metropolis of Beth Lapat there is not yet a bishop whose name we can inscribe among his fellow-metropolitans, since the town has two or three bishops not recognised by the synod'.Chabot, 272 The bishops Yazdaidad, Agapit, Miles, Bar Shabtha, Mari, and Shila were among the thirty-eight signatories of the synod's acts, and from their position in the list were probably the bishops concerned.Chabot, 274
The bishop Agapit of Beth Lapat was among the signatories of the acts of the synods of Yahballaha I in 420 and in 424.Chabot, 283 and 285
The bishop Papa, 'bishop of Beth Lapat, metropolitan of Beth Huzaye', was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Acacius in 486.Chabot, 306
The deacon Pusaï was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Babaï in 497 on behalf of the metropolitan Marwaï of Beth Huzaye.Chabot, 315
The Paul of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, who had earlier been bishop of Hormizd Ardashir, was elected patriarch in 539.Mari, 49 (Arabic), 43 (Latin)
The metropolitan Paul of Beth Huzaye was among the bishops who rallied to the patriarch Aba I in 540 and signed his Pragmatic.Chabot, 330–1
The bishop , 'bishop, metropolitan of Beth Huzaye', was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Joseph in 554.Chabot, 366
The bishop Dalaï, 'bishop, metropolitan of Beth Huzaye', was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Ezekiel in 576.Chabot, 368
The bishop Baraz, 'metropolitan of Beth Huzaye', was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of I in 585.Chabot, 423
The patriarch Maremmeh (646–50), formerly bishop of Nineveh, was consecrated metropolitan of by the patriarch II (628–46).Chronicle of Seert, ii. 309–10
The metropolitan of was elected patriarch after the degradation of the patriarch Surin, and was consecrated in 751/2.Elijah of Nisibis, Chronography, i. 32
The patriarch Giwargis II (828–31), formerly superior of the monastery of , was consecrated metropolitan of by Timothy I at the request of Caliph Harun al-Rashid's powerful court physician Jabril ibn Bukhtishu. He was metropolitan of 'for twenty years', and was consecrated patriarch on 16 June 828 on the death of Ishoʿ bar Nun.Elijah of Nisibis, Chronography, i. 32; Mari, 67 (Latin), 77 (Arabic); Sliba, 68–9 (Arabic); Wallis Budge, Book of Governors, ii. 447.
The patriarch Theodosius of Beth Garmaï (853–8) was consecrated bishop of Anbar by the patriarch II (831–5) and later became metropolitan of .Mari, 78 (Arabic), 69–70 (Latin)
The bishop Theodore of Qardu was appointed metropolitan of by the patriarch Yohannan III immediately after his consecration on 15 July 893.Sliba, 80 (Arabic) He was present at the consecration of the patriarch Yohannan IV in 900.MS Paris BN Syr 354, folio 147
The metropolitan Giwargis of Gondeshapur was one of three bishops who went into hiding in 961 in protest against the election of the patriarch Israel of Seleucia-Ctesiphon.Mari, 99 (Arabic), 88 (Latin)
The metropolitan of was present at the consecration of the patriarch Mari on 10 April 987.Sliba, 94 (Arabic)
The bishop of Anbar was appointed metropolitan of during the reign of the patriarch Mari (987–99).Sliba, 94 (Arabic)
The metropolitan Emmanuel, formerly bishop of Beth Huzaye, was metropolitan of when Elijah of Nisibis completed his Chronography in 1018/19.Elijah of Nisibis, Chronography, i. 35
The metropolitan , formerly archimandrite of the Monastery of Saint John of Dailam, was consecrated metropolitan of by the patriarch Sabrisho III shortly after his consecration in 1063/4.Mari, 125 (Arabic), 110 (Latin)
The bishop of Balad was consecrated metropolitan of at an unknown date during the reign of the patriarch II (1074–90).Mari, 131 (Arabic), 114–15 (Latin)
The metropolitan and natar kursya of was present at the consecration of the patriarch IV in 1222.Sliba, 116 (Arabic)
The metropolitan Eliya of was present as nāṭar kursyā (interim administrator) at the consecration of the patriarch Makkikha II in 1257.Sliba, 120 (Arabic) He was also present at the consecration of the patriarch Denha I in 1265.Sliba, 121–2 (Arabic)
The metropolitan of was present at the consecration of the patriarch Yahballaha III in 1281.Sliba, 124 (Arabic)
The metropolitan Joseph of was present at the consecration of the patriarch Timothy II in 1318.Assemani, BO, iii. i. 567–80
The Diocese of Karka d'Ledan The Diocese of Karka d'Ledan was one of the four dioceses assigned to the metropolitan province of Beth Huzaye in Canon XXI of the synod of Isaac in 410. The bishops of the other three dioceses were confirmed as suffragans of the metropolitan of Beth Huzaye, but the status of the bishop of Karka d'Ledan (if there was one in 410) was not mentioned.Chabot, 273
The bishop Sawma of Karka d'Ledan was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Yahballaha I in 420.Chabot, 283
The bishop Samuel of Karka d'Ledan was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Babaï in 497.Chabot, 315
The bishop Shalmai of Karka d'Ledan was among the bishops who rallied to the patriarch Mar Aba I in 540 and signed his Pragmatic.Chabot, 330–1
The bishop Surin of Karka d'Ledan adhered by letter to the acts of the synod of Joseph in 554.Chabot, 366
The bishop Mushe of Karka d'Ledan was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Ezekiel in 576.Chabot, 368
The bishop Pusaï of Karka d'Ledan was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Gregory in 605.Chabot, 478
The Diocese of Hormizd Ardashir (Suq-al-Ahwaz) The bishop Yohannan of Hormizd Ardashir was confirmed as a suffragan bishop of the metropolitan of Beth Huzaye in Canon XXI of the synod of Seleucid-Ctesiphon in 410.Chabot, 273
The bishop Bataï of Hormizd Ardashir was one of eleven named bishops listed in the acts of the synod of in 424 as having been reproved at the synods of Seleucid-Ctesiphon in 410 and Yahballaha I in 420.Chabot, 287
The bishop Bataï of Hormizd Ardashir, presumably a different man, was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Acacius in 486.Chabot, 306
The priests Abraham, Maraï, and Adurhormizd were among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Babaï in 497, on behalf of the bishop Shila of Hormizd Ardashir.Chabot, 315–16
The bishop Buzaq (or Yozaq) of al-Ahwaz (Hormizd Ardashir) flourished in the 530s, during the schism of Narsaï and .Mari, 49 (Arabic), 43 (Latin)
Buzaq was succeeded as bishop of Hormizd Ardashir by his archdeacon, Paul. Paul later became metropolitan of Beth Huzaye, and was elected patriarch in 539.Mari, 49 (Arabic), 43 (Latin)
The bishop Shila of Hormizd Ardashir, perhaps the same man, was among the bishops who rallied to the patriarch Mar Aba I in 540 and signed his Pragmatic.Chabot, 330–1 The patriarch visited Hormizd Ardashir and 'having made some urgent corrections there, restored the concord and peace of Christ there with the reconciliation of its inhabitants with their shepherd, the bishop and friend of God Mar Shila'.Chabot, 322 Shila was also among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Mar Aba I in 544, and adhered by letter to the acts of the synod of Joseph in 554.Chabot, 350–1 and 366
Bishop David of Hormizd Ardashir was among the signatories of the acts of the synods of Ezekiel in 576 and Ishoyahb I in 585.Chabot, 368 and 423
The bishop Pusaï of Hormizd Ardashir was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Gregory in 605.Chabot, 478
The bishop Theodore of Hormizd Ardashir was sent by the patriarch Ishoyahb III (649–59) on a mission to the refractory metropolitan Simeon of Rev Ardashir.Fiey, POCN, 46
The bishop of 'Beth Huzaye' (Hormizd Ardashir) was present at the consecration of the patriarch Yohannan IV in 900.MS Paris BN Syr 354, folio 147
The bishop Emmanuel, metropolitan of when Elijah of Nisibis completed his Chronography in 1018/19, was formerly bishop of 'Beth Huzaye' (Hormizd Ardashir).Elijah of Nisibis, Chronography, i. 35
The Diocese of Shushter