St. Marutha of Takrit +649

St. Marutha of Takrit +649

Mor Marutha of Tagrit (Syriac: ܡܪܘܬܐ ܕܬܓܪܝܬ‎) was born in Sharsak, a village in Bethnehudra in Mosul around A.D. 569 His father was the village chief, a religious person & very affluent. After his primary education he joined ‘Sardas’ Monastery, where he obtained his priestly ordination. He later moved to Mor Sakkai Monastery to pursue theological studies as well as the study of Greek & Syriac. He spent 10 years there under malphono Theodorus & studied scholarly books of Mor Gregorios Thevologus. Mor Marutha who was a seeker of knowledge became the disciple of Thoma, the blind in Urhoy (Edessa) & attained dexterity in composition of literary works & calligraphy from Shem’vun Shubdia & Mor Aaho. He became a teacher of Theology & interpretation of the books of the Prelates in the church in Mor Mathai monastery. In A.D. 628 he was ordained Maphrian of Tigris by Mor Athanasius I Gammolo. Initially, 12 dioceses were under him, but when people of Urhoy migrated to Persia at the time of war three more dioceses (Azarbaijan, Kursan, & Afganistan) were added. Mor Marutha constructed churches & established monasteries. He also wrote books. The litany used while blessing the water for Epiphany, the biography of Mor Ahudema, bishop of Tigris (+575), interpretation of The Gospel, The Holy Qurbono Thakso, speeches for some feasts are examples. It is recorded in the writings of Bar Sleebi (+1171) that the Nineveh Fast, (3 Day Lent) was put into force by Mor Marutha. Mor Marutha passed away in 649AD at age 80 after having served the Syriac Orthodox Church for twenty years. His remains were interred in the church which he had constructed. Biography adapted from 'Martyrs, Saints and Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox Church' http://www.soc-wus.org/ourchurch/St.%20Marutha%20of%20Takrit.htm