in eastern
Saudi Arabia. The 4th century remains are thought to be one of
the oldest surviving church buildings in the world.Christianity was present on the Eastern coast of the Arabian peninsula by the late fourth century. By the fifth century, East Arabian Christian communities organized and had
monks and
bishops, and the Christian community in the region begins appearing in many records. The main literary sources for East Arabian Christianity are the international Christian
synod records compiled into the
Synodicon Orientale, the letters of
Ishoyahb III, the
Khuzistan Chronicle, the
Chronicle of Seert, and the
History of Mar Yawnan. Much of the Christian populations of Eastern Arabia, especially the
Beth Qatraye region, were made up of
Syriac Christians. While
Qatrayith was their spoken language,
Syriac was their written and liturgical language. They used the
Peshitta Bible and even translated writings from foreign languages into Syriac, such as the Persian
Law Book of
Simeon of Rev Ardashir. The church of Beth Qatraye was the
Church of the East, and it was a
suffragan of the Persian
metropolitan see of
Rev Ardashir, under the authority and patriarchate of
Seleucia-Ctesiphon. Four monasteries have been discovered in Eastern Arabia. The most famous is the
Church of the East monastery on Sir Bani Yas, but there are also monasteries at
Kharg Island, al‐Quṣūr (in
Failaka Island), and
Siniyah Island. Monasteries were centers of Christian scholarship, intellectual activity, and theology. The province of
Beth Qatraye where the Sir Bani Yas monastery is located, whose name originates as the Syriac term for "territory of the Qataris", is notable for the number of Christian authors it produced with surviving writings into the present, including:
Dadisho Qatraya,
Isaac of Qatar,
Gabriel of Qatar,
Gabriel Arya,
Abraham Qatraya,
Ahob Qatraya, and the anonymous translator of
Simeon of Rev Ardashir. One of the dominant powers over Eastern Arabia was the
Lakhmid kingdom, the principal Arab client kingdom of the
Sasanian Empire, whose rule was centered in
Mesopotamia, at their capital
Al-Hira. Initially pagan, they slowly transitioned to Christianity from the fourth to late sixth centuries. In the fourth century, they, and the Zoroastrian Sasanians, had a contentious relationship with their Christian minority, periodically shifting between tolerance and persecution. As the Christian minority grew and become more influential, especially at Al-Hira, a tolerant approach was preferred and a native Christian church was fostered, independent of that of the Romans. By 410 AD, Al-Hira had a bishop. Al-Hira became a major base for missionary activity, acting as a gateway for launching missions to the rest of the Sasanian world, on the one hand, and the Arabs of the desert, on the other. Some of the most detailed information about the Christianity of the Lakhmid A-Hira comes from the
Chronicle of Seert which, despite its late final date, is likely a redaction of multiple earlier records, including some written down very close to the events. (Independent records for this history are also found in the
Khuzistan Chronicle and the Arabo-Islamic tradition.) The
Chronicle records the missionary activities of the great monastic founder,
Abraham of Kashkar, at Al-Hira. It also talks about how many of the Lakhmid kings engaged with the Christian presence of the city, and a long account of the final king, who did convert.
Al-Mundhir III, in the mid-6th century, married the princess Hind of the
Hujrid dynasty of the
Kingdom of Kinda. While he did not become a Christian, Hind converted to Christianity, and even sponsored the construction of a
monastery, now known as the
Monastery of Hind the Elder, in the Lakhmid capital. She also may have sponsored Christian monasteries and activities in Eastern Arabia. Later, her great-granddaughter, also named Hind, sponsored the
Monastery of Hind the Younger near
Kufa. The final Lakhmid king,
Al-Nu'man III, converted to Christianity, briefly introducing Christian rule into the area. His conversion is said to have been precipitated by Simeon Jabara, the bishop of Al-Hira. The Persians did not look favorably on this conversion, and made efforts to reconvert him out of his new faith.
History by region Qatar The
Chronicle of Arbela claims that a bishopric in
Beth Qatraye around the year 225, but the Chronicle is likely a later forgery. The first concrete evidence of a highly organized Christian presence in the region of modern-day
Qatar is in the description of the synods held at
Seleucia-Ctesiphon between 410 and 776, as documented in the eighth-century
Synodicon Orientale. The signatory Qatari bishop of this synod was stated to have replaced an earlier bishop, pushing back the date of organized Christianity in this region to the late fourth century. The Synodicon shows that four dioceses existed in the region connected to Persia. The earliest and largest of these dioceses was
Mashmahig mentioned at the 410 synod, led by the bishop Elijah (Elias). The last known "bishop and metropolitan of the land of Qaṭar" was named Thomas, who signed his name on the synod in 676. The second largest diocese,
Darain was located on the island of Toduro (modern
Tarout Island) and was founded during the 410 synod. It was led by the bishop Paul. The third diocese, Hajar, was founded during the Synod of 576 under Bishop Isaac. The 676 synod divided it into two, the Hajar and Hatta dioceses. During this event, Hatta became the fourth and last diocese to be founded in Qatar. Later,
Isaac the Syrian (613–700), also known as Isaac of Qatar, would grow up in Qatar before he was ordained and became a monk in Iraq. Other prominent
Qatari Christians born in the pre-Islamic period include
Gabriel of Qatar,
Abraham bar Lipeh, and
Ahob of Qatar. One literary account, a seventh- or eighth-century
hagiography, mentions more monasteries. The
History of Mar Yawnan (or
Saint Jonah) says that a monastery was constructed on the "Black Island" (likely to be
Sir Bani Yas) between 343 to 346 AD.
Other Gulf countries In
Oman, a diocese was established by the name of Bet-Mazunaye in the Synod of 424 under the Bishop John. It was mentioned again at the synods of 544, 576, and 767. In the mid-seventh century, the Patriarch of the Church of the East,
Isho'yahb, sent a letter to Qataris wherein he described the presence of several faithful communities, including Talun, which is a now an island of
Bahrain. The philologist
Al-Asmaʿi reported while discussing a figure named Ibn Yāmin, that the people of Yāmin were Christians in Bahrain. This accords with the Jewish or Christian etymology of their name, related to Hebrew
Bīnyāmīn or Benjamin, "son of the right side."
Archaeology by region Archaeological discoveries of Christian occupation have been made across Eastern Arabia. This material culture is usually dated from the sixth to ninth centuries. Unfortunately, the lack of contemporary inscriptions has presented difficulties in dating them.
Akkaz In 1993 a joint Kuwaiti-French expedition found a church in
Akkaz (in present
Kuwait) dating to the early
Abbasid era. The church was in the eastern church style and is symmetrical to that of Failaka.
Failaka Remnants of a church, dating to perhaps as early as the 5th or 6th century as determined by the crosses that form part of the
stucco decoration, were found at Al-Qusur on the
Kuwaiti island of
Failaka. Pottery at the site can be dated from as early as the first half of the 7th century through the 9th century.
Kharg Several tombs have been found decorated with distinctive
Nestorian crosses on
Kharg Island of
Iran, located 40 km offshore from Bahrain. A monastery with a church and nearby homes for married priests have also been excavated. The floral designs in the plaster decoration of the church suggested to the excavator a date in the fifth or sixth centuries AD. Later studies would seem to date the decorations to the end of the sixth century AD. Some Syriac inscriptions have been found at Kharg. monastery (
fa) in Kharg Island.
Jubail and nearby areas A
church consisting of a walled courtyard and three rooms on the east side was found in 1986 in
Jubail, the
Gulf coast of
Saudi Arabia. Initially dated to the fourth century, its dating has been moved to the mid-seventh, although this dating is not yet universally accepted.
Jabal Berri Not far to the South of
Jubail, at Jabal Berri, three bronze crosses have been found dating possibly to the period when
Sassanian Persia had influence over the region. Ruins of a nearby settlement suggests that a Christian community may have resided in the area.
Muharraq Old foundations of a Nestorian monastery were discovered in
Samaheej, a village in
Muharraq,
Bahrain. Another village in Muharraq, known as
Al Dair, may have facilitated a monastery, as its name translates 'cloister' or 'monastery' in
Aramaic.
Qasr Al Malehat A site on the south-east coast of
Qatar, near
Al Wakrah, revealed the remnants of a structure purported to be a church. It was built directly on limestone bedrock and a hearth was found inside the ruins. Radiocarbon dating indicates the site was occupied in the early 7th century, and potsherds recovered from the surrounding area evidences continued occupation until the mid to late 8th century. The ceramics are consistent with those found in other Nestorian sites in the
Eastern Arabia and the structure bears resemblance to the excavated church in
Jubail.
Umm Al Maradim An excavation carried out in 2013 uncovered a Nestorian cross in Umm Al Maradim, a site in central Qatar. The cross is made of hard stone and measures between 3 and 4 cm. A number of
hearths and potsherds were found at the site, though no structures were discovered.
Umm Al Quwain In 2022, archeologists announced the find of a monastery in
Siniyah Island, off of the coast of
Umm Al Quwain in the
United Arab Emirates. The ruins include a monastery for prayers, a kitchen, store rooms, and living quarters for a bishop or abbot. There is a large cistern, possibly used for baptisms, and a chalices were found onside, which may have been used for communion.
Sir Bani Yas At
Sir Bani Yas, an island off the Western coast of the
United Arab Emirates, an extensive
monastic and ecclesiastical complex has been found similar to that at
Kharg. It is considered one of the most extensive monasteries in Eastern Arabia. Excavations took place between 1993 and 1996. The
Sir Bani Yas church building itself was about 14 m × 4.5 m. As with other sites in the region, plaster crosses were excavated. The excavator suggests a date in the sixth or seventh century for the construction of the church. The monastery contains decorative motifs that resemble ones known from
Al-Hira in Iraq. == West Arabia ==