Al-Jubb “the Pit” or the Outer Martyrion , Al-Kidr

Bb: The depiction of Mār Behnam chasing a mountain goat and its Syriac caption are based on his legend; Bedjan 1890-1897/1968, vol. II, p. 402-403. AF. Jabal Alfāf Jabal Alfāf, “Mount Alfāf (of Thousands),” in reference to thousands of monks, ascetics and recluses who inhabited this mountain, is located some 25 km northeast of Mosul (see the attached map). Jabal Maqlūb, “Inverted Mountain” is the other name of the mountain, on which numerous Christians sought refuge during anti-Christian persecutions at the hands of the Romans during the 4th century. Today this relatively small mountain is arid but easily accessible. A small Christian village, Mērgē, is located at the foot of the mountain, at the top of which a fortress-like monastery (AF.01) rests like an eagle. On its summit numerous natural caves are scattered, some used in the past by recluses for prayer and study, and this was certainly the case of the polymath Bar-Hebraeus during the 13th century (AF.02.01). The mountain is sacred, and for several centuries up to this day generations of the faithful visit it, seeking blessings and cures. Muslim women with difficulty becoming pregnant also come from all over the country to pray to Mār Mattā for babies or to thank the Saint for granting them their wishes. AF.01 The Syriac Orthodox Monastery of Mār Mattā This venerable monastery located on Mount Alfāf is named after a Syrian ascetic whose story claims that he founded it after he sought refuge in this place during the repressive reign of the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate (361–363). At the end of the 5th century the monastery was burned by the “Nestorian” Bishop Bar-Ṣawmā of Nisibis, massacring Bar-Sōhdē and others whose remains rest in the monastery to this day. During the 6th and 7th centuries, the monastery was made into a true fortress, famous for its buildings, monks, and the production of manuscripts. A skilled school of manuscript illumination existed in this institution during the 13th century, the time of the renowned Bar-Hebraeus, whose cell (AF.02.01) and tomb (AF.01.05), both identified by Syriac inscriptions, are found in the same place. The monastery was rebuilt many times over during its long history and once again in 1833 after the invasion of Muhammad Pasha, the Kurdish amīr of Rawandūz. On the long history of the monastery see Ya‛qūb III 1961, p. 1ff; see also Fiey 1965-1968, p. 759-770. The most important sections in this massive building are the church (AF.01.01) and the adjacent room called bēt-qaddīšē “house of holy men” (AF.01.2-10). This room contains the remains of famous residents of the monastery, including those of Mār Mattā (AF.01.02) and Bar-Hebraeus (AF.01.05). An introduction to this important room is given below, locating the inscriptions within the room’s walls. I am grateful to the monks residing in the monastery, namely dayrōyō Addā Kiḍir al-Qass and dayrōyō Bulus Bihnām Jarjīs Āl-Kabbāzī, for their kind permission and help in photographing its inscriptions.