On Epistle 17

I don't know that I care to float a proper translation here; but as I read Bcheiry, 64 on Epistle #17: In his third letter to the monks of mount Izla', Isu'yahb mentions that it has been many years since he has heard anything from them, mentioning the successful efforts of the patriarch to revive and strengthen his church...

...this is not going to do. Not at all.

I suspect this is about as far as Bcheiry got:

Chaste brothers who inherit our Father's mountain in Izala as care earnestly for the ministry of the spirit of Abraham, to the lovers of God and servants in the villages, to my masters and brothers: Habiba, Dazanaia, Gregory, Luke, Arziso', Stephen, Yazdin, Bardoq, Simeon and such brothers as are chaste with them, ISO'YAHB your brother: in our Lord, greeting.

I have suffered so many liars, as it seems through the long years, oh godly men; that I had put my confidence in you above all fear. Never to be believed that you were prostrate upon the ground with adversity; because out of many examples, it was not fitting that you be overcome by the temptations which Satan the common enemy is wont to entice. Since those two times I wrote to you, you remained silent without an answer . . .

The bishop continues: I understood indeed that it is wrong to await the same thing which I have now heard has happened to you to suffer. For this reason if I groan with pain, I use proper words. Where then is that beautiful vineyard which flourished in the fruits of righteousness...? Because he is Isho'yahb he is going to go on... and on... and on. But we shall learn that the heirs of Dadisho' the chaste and the illustrious disciples of Babai have NOT lived up to their charge.

Don't take it from me; take it from the Scott-Moncrieff summary (of "XV") - or, better, from EW Budge (note 1, on "No. 16" for him). The title omits the actual ABBOT OF THE PLACE who is Habiba; but the (last line of the) text does not, not even here. Anyway, we'll meet again with Dazonwai and Habiba both, wayyy down in "XLIX" which is #51. Attached to Narsai and Marmeh certainly from "XXVIII" so #30.

What we have in #17 is another letter of Paul to the Corinthians, or of the Romans also to the Corinthians. The monks of Iz(a)la have ousted one of Isho'yahb's allies there. In this, they can claim (honestly) that the "elders" (priests?) had made that decision already, so the monks must follow. Isho'yahb however knows that the Catholicos ("Seleucia") has not signed off on this ouster. Isho'yahb casts himself as a witness to the crime against Joseph at Dotham.

Although his ally is not named he must be a monk and not, say, a Yazdnan. Habiba addressed in #11 and 12 is still in charge... right? I looked through those names in this epistle and found, absent, "Hnanisho'". [UPDATE 2/12: and then there's #4.] Maybe that's him?

But anyway Isho'yahb in citing "years" is saying nothing about the timeline of his correspondence with Izla. When he says "years" he's talking about his years in service of the Church, fighting heresies; he is implying nothing more or less than that Izla is risking to be counted among the heretics.

FIEY 4/15/23: E. XVII is discussed ch. IV, p. 326 in French. The ousted monk was Narsai.