Dramatis personae

Isho'dnah's Book of Chastity #68, on Saint Mar Habiba:

Superior of the Great Convent of Izla. His family was from the country of Bet-Nûhadra. He was raised by Rabban Dadisho, then superior of the Grand Monastery. He was made superior, and at the age of ninety-two he left this world and was deposited in the martyrion.

#72: Saint Rabban Mar Narsai, superior of the monastery of Mar Abraham the Great, in Izla. —

His carnal family was from the country of Kashkar. He studied the books and their commentaries, and did his novitiate in the Grand Convent. On the night of the Passion he went to Jerusalem and returned that same night. He left the temporal life, and at the age of ninety-six emigrated to Our Lord; his body was laid down in the martyrion.

Following #68, #69-70 deal with some disciples of Mar Babay of Nisibis, so... more second-generation folk. #72 locates a Narsai at Izla - the implication is that Narsai had succeeded Habiba as its abbot. #73 is one more spiritual Babay'id; then #74 moves to al-Hira, with a third Babay ("the Scrivener") so we'll leave these for later if at all. Back to abbot Narsai, Thomas of Marga says some stuff about him, but I don't care to sort it all out just now.

Isho'yahb formerly of Nineveh will be dealing with Bet-Nûhadra in his Metropolitan epistle #10. Later in papal epistle #8 Isho'yahb III writes to Izla... and not to its abbot. Narsai, as a peer of the late Maremmeh (d. AD 649ish), should be about the same age, which was a great age.