Marutha of Tikrit facts for kids

Marutha of Tikrit was a very important leader in the Syriac Orthodox Church. He was known as the Grand Metropolitan of the East and led the church in the eastern regions from about 628 or 629 until he passed away in 649. The Syriac Orthodox Church remembers him as a saint.

Marutha's Life Story

Early Years and Learning

Marutha was born around 565 in a village called Shawarzaq. His family was quite rich, and his father was the chief of their village.

He started his education at the Saint Samuel monastery nearby. After that, he went to different schools in other villages. He became a monk and a priest at the Nardos monastery, where he also taught. A bishop named Zacchaeus even made him his helper.

Later, Marutha went to the Saint Zacchaeus monastery in Syria. There, he spent ten years studying Greek, Syriac, and religious teachings. He especially focused on the works of a famous thinker named Gregory of Nazianzus. After his studies, he lived alone as a hermit near Edessa, where he became very skilled at writing beautiful letters (calligraphy). Then, he moved to another monastery to study more.

Becoming a Monk and Teacher

People from his home region, who followed a Christian belief called Miaphysitism (later known as Syriac Orthodox), asked Marutha twice to become their bishop. He said no both times. However, the second time, he agreed to visit their region to teach them.

In 605, he joined the monastery of Saint Matthew. He taught the monks about theology and the Bible. One of his students was a man named Denha, who would later become his successor. From there, Marutha traveled to a monastery in Ctesiphon, which was the capital city of the Sasanian Empire. Here, he created new church rules, called canons, and encouraged people to study the Bible more. His rules said that Christians from other groups should not take part in the Eucharist (a special church service) with his group.

Marutha was offered a high position by Samuel, the Grand Metropolitan of the East. But Marutha turned it down. Some historical writings say Samuel wanted him to be the bishop of Tikrit, while others say Samuel wanted him to take his own job as Grand Metropolitan. Around this time, Marutha also preached in Tikrit and helped many people convert to his faith.

Marutha gained the support of Gabriel of Sinjar, a doctor at the Shah's court. The Shah, Khosrow II, was friendly towards Marutha's group. This was because he wanted their help and loyalty during a war with the Roman Empire. However, as the war neared its end, Marutha's group faced difficulties. After Gabriel of Sinjar died, Marutha found safety at another monastery before returning to Saint Matthew's to teach again. The war finally ended with the Roman Empire winning.

Leading the Church in the East

When peace returned, Athanasius I Gammolo, the leader of Marutha's church in the Roman Empire, wanted to bring the church groups back together. He sent his secretary, John, to help make this happen.

John met with the new Shah and then went to the Saint Matthew monastery. He successfully convinced the church leaders and monks there to agree to reunite. A meeting was held, and everyone agreed to restore the union. Marutha and two other monks were chosen to travel to Athanasius to confirm the union and become bishops. Before their journey, they went to Tikrit to discuss the reunion.

In 628 or 629, John, Marutha, and the others returned to Athanasius, and the church groups were reunited. Marutha was first made a bishop, and then Athanasius made him the archbishop of Tikrit and the Grand Metropolitan of the East. Some historians say Marutha was the first leader of his group to be called "maphrian," but this title probably wasn't used until much later, around 1100.

After achieving their goal, the group went back to the Saint Matthew monastery. They held another meeting to organize the church structure in the Sasanian Empire. Historical records differ on the exact agreement. Some say Marutha was given authority over twelve church regions, while others say these regions were split between the monastery and Marutha's archdiocese in Tikrit.

Marutha then settled in Tikrit. Even though there was some initial resistance, his community accepted him. He built two monasteries: one dedicated to Saint Sergius and another to the Virgin Mary. With help from Abraham bar Yeshu, the governor of Tikrit, Marutha also built a large church inside the city's fortress.

When Christians from Edessa were forced to move to the Sasanian Empire, Marutha helped them. He appointed and sent bishops to their new areas. In 637, during the Muslim conquest of Mesopotamia, Marutha led the people of Tikrit to surrender to the Muslim forces. This was done to protect the city's people from harm during the siege.

Later Life and Passing Away

Marutha continued to serve as the Grand Metropolitan of the East until he died on May 2, 649. He was buried in the cathedral within the Tikrit fortress. His student and successor, Denha I, wrote a special story about his life. Later, Marutha was also added to the list of saints honored by other church leaders.

Marutha's Writings

Marutha is believed to have written several important texts.

He is named as the author of a homily (a sermon) about Low Sunday. He also wrote a commentary on the Gospels, which are parts of the Bible. Only small pieces of his comments on the books of Exodus and Matthew still exist today.

Denha's biography of Marutha mentions that Marutha wrote a strong argument against another Christian group, but this writing has been lost. Marutha also created an anaphora, which is a part of a church service. This was later included in a prayer book in 1592. He also wrote a book of special prayers for Holy Week.

People also believe he wrote the life story of another saint named Ahudemmeh. He also wrote at least one prayer of supplication (a request for help). In addition, he wrote a sermon about the blessing of waters during Epiphany, a Christian holiday.

A letter from Marutha to John, who became the patriarch of Antioch after Athanasius, is still preserved. In this letter, Marutha claimed that another church group had adopted different beliefs and that one of their archbishops had caused problems for his group.