Assyrians in Israel

Assyrians in Israel

Total population
1,000
Regions with significant populations
Jerusalem, Bethlehem
Languages
Levantine Arabic, Neo-Aramaic, Modern Hebrew
Religion
Assyrian Church of the East, Syriac Orthodox Church, Chaldean Catholic Church
Related ethnic groups
Arameans in Israel, Maronites in Israel

Assyrians in Israel (Hebrew: האשורים בישראל; Arabic: آشُورِيُّون في إسرائيل) are Assyrians living in State of Israel, totaling approximately 1,000 individuals.

History

The Assyrian presence in the Israel mainly originated from those who fled the Assyrian genocide from Tur Abdin in 1915. Many found refuge in what was known as the "Syriac Quarter" in Bethlehem and the since destroyed "Syriac Quarter" in the Old City of Jerusalem, squeezed between the Armenian Quarter and the Jewish Quarter at the Old City’s southern end.

It is estimated that 65% of Syriacs who inhabited the Holy Land at the beginning of 1967 left the region (mostly Jerusalem and Bethlehem) in the following years.

Religion

Syriac Orthodox monastery of Saint Mark, in the Old City of Jerusalem

Assyrians are predominantly Christians of the East and West Syriac Rite. The majority of Assyrians in Israel are adherents of the Syriac Orthodox Church, while a smaller community of Catholic Assyrians also exists.

Orthodox Assyrians

Syriac Orthodox Church

The Syriac Orthodox Church is the largest Assyrian church in Israel, covered by the Archbishopric of Israel, Palestine and Jordan under the spiritual guidance and direction of Archbishop Gabriel Dahho.

The most notable monastery in Israel is the Monastery of Saint Mark in Jerusalem. The Syriac Orthodox Church also has sharing rights to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and minor rights to the Tomb of the Virgin Mary where they possess an altar on the western side of the holy site.

Catholic Assyrians

Syriac Catholic Church

The Syriac Catholic Church has a Patriarchal Exarchate formed in 1892 and is based out of the Church of Saint Thomas in Jerusalem. As of 2015, there are 3 parishes in Israel with an estimated 3,000 adherents.

Chaldean Catholic Church

Since 1903, the Chaldean Catholic Church has been represented in Jerusalem by a non-resident patriarchal vicar. In 1997, the Chaldean Catholic Church established the Territory Dependent on the Patriarch which was previously governed as the Patriarchal Vicariate of Jerusalem within the Patriarch's own archeparchy.

See also

• Christianity in Israel
• Assyrian homeland
• Assyrian Jews
• Jews from Kurdistan

Further reading

• Sedan, Gil. "Assyrian community speaks Aramaic, provides a warm welcome to Israelis." Jewish Telegraphic Agency, February 27, 2003.
• Sedan, Gil. "Jews and Arabs work separately to preserve Aramaic." Jewish Telegraphic Agency, August 30, 2002.
• Sun, John Russel. "Assyrians along with other Christians celebrated Easter in Jerusalem." AFP, April 8, 2007.

External links

• Jewish Virtual Library - Christian Communities in Israel
• Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs site on Christian communities
• Invisible Christians of the Holy Land