ܐܠܗܐ ܗܒ̣ ܝܘܼܠܦܢܐ. ܠܐܝܢܐ ܕܪܚܡ ܝܘܼܠܦܢܐ. ܘܠܪܒܐ ܕܡܠܦ ܫܦܝܼܪ. ܥܒܕܝܗܝ ܪܒܐ ܒܡܠܟܘܼܬ̣ܟ̣܀
‘God grant knowledge, to the one who loves knowledge. And the master who teaches excellently, make him great in Your kingdom.’
St. Ephraim the Assyrian
It gives me great joy to welcome you to Nisibis Assyrian Theological College, the official theological College of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East.
This College provides unique Theological Studies that are in accordance with the most ancient church in the world. The history of the Assyrian Church of the East (Church of the East), over many centuries, comprised the major ration of Christianity, was almost unknown to the West, except for a few reports. The foundations of the Assyrian Church are to be traced to the very first decades of the Apostolic times.
The Apostles that established the Church in Jerusalem, were the same Apostles that established the Church of the East, it was a continuation of the Holy See of Jerusalem. According to the Apostolic Succession of the Assyrian Church of the East, the Apostles who established the Church of the East and served on the See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon were; St. Simon Peter (who wrote his epistle from Babylon 1 Peter 5:13), St. Thomas, St. Bartholomew, Mar Addai (St. Thaddaeus) and Mar Mari (from the seventy disciples). The Church grew rapidly, it covered the majority of eastern Asia and had established itself in China, India and sent missions to Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan by the end of the ninth century.
Today, the majority of the members of the Assyrian Church have fled their ancestral homelands of Assyria due to persecutions and settled in America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and in recent years many have become refugees throughout Middle East. Nisibis Assyrian Theological College will become the spiritual and educational centre of the Church once again and will continue to enrich its clergy, laity and anyone interested to study with us the teachings of a missionary and martyred church.
Bishop Mar Benyamin Elya | Principal
