On Epistle 41

Ishoʿyahb's epistle #41 is filed as an episcopal letter, from Nineveh. Latin, Scott-Moncrieff "XXXIX".

The compiler had interpreted the letter #27 also to a Moses priest in Nisibin, aka "XXV", as related to #41. So - I think correctly - the compilation had set #27 earlier and, yes, as episcopal. Back in #27, Ishoʿyahb professed not to believe Moses for the dearth affecting his town which is Nisibin, supposed to be a rich town. Since #41 rhetorically claims the #27-41 span as "not many" years apart, the compiler interpreted this (again correctly I think) as more than one year, so shifted our #41 epistle to the #40s. Also post-#27 is #47, which is summarised "XLV", so I need to translate that too, which I shall do tomorrow.

In between #27 and #41-47, priest Moses has written again, in tones fawning and desperate, ignoring what tones Ishoʿyahb had advised for such missives. Ishoʿyahb has also heard from Nisibin's straits from "others", which will include the Metropolitan Cyriacos if he's still alive. Ishoʿyahb subsequently (and subtly) backs out #27 concerning Nisibin not needing the supplies.

This letter assumes an ʿalma where an oppressive force has taken both Nisibin and ... wherever Ishoʿyahb sits, and is extorting funds Nisibin simply doesn't have. Ishoʿyahb does have some grain stored up, perhaps having surrendered more valuable loot to the extortion's leaders.

We know from the Nisibene coinage that this polis, post-Boran, lay under an anti-shah; later, AG 947, it shall fall to Mahmet's Tayyaye who are ransacking BOTH monasteries of Mardîn for, exactly, being spies for whatever shah. 'Tis possible these Tayy' think of Nisibin similarly.

As for the "son of Mattai", Moses' letter had mooted several Biblical heroes already so - maybe the Maccabee. It might also be Moses used this to invoke Maruta of Tikrit, spiritual son of the Mount Alfâf antimonastery. If this were intentional, Ishoʿyahb pretends not to notice. There's enough fawning in the letter he'd got, that it's reminiscent of the fawning Ishoʿyahb himself had delivered to, er, Cyriacos a few years back.

#41 doesn't mention Cyriacos at all - nor Nineveh. These absences concern me in light of #47 / "XLV". If the correspondence be as late as AG 948 then Ishoʿyahb's side #41 might be a Metropolitan letter sent from Arbela. However we do own #47 which makes that difficult - one last time, this speculation must await the morrow.

FIEY 4/16/23: E. XLI is not handled.