RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIESto be ordained in the church of Koke in Seleucia with the laying on
of hands and installed on the throne of the catholicos there.^39 However,
late Sasanian rulers not only gave their permission for the election of
a catholicos but often nominated their own candidates. Under the last
Sasanians, the desire of the government to secure stability and loyalty
through the election of its own candidates conflicted with the desire
of the clergy for ecclesiastical autonomy. The involvement of aristo-
cratic Persian laymen at court in church politics led to irregular ele-
vations.
As early as 496, a Christian astrologer at the court of Jiimiisp ob-
tained royal permission for the election of a new catholicos.^40 Then
in 521 a group of notables and Persian clergy consecrated Elisha as
catholicos in the church next to the [wan Kisra in Aspanpur instead
of at Koke. After his election and consecration, a notable who was
the royal physician obtained the necessary royal decree for his elevation
and distributed presents to the royal officials. In opposition, the bish-
ops of Iraq consecrated Mar Narse as his rival according to regular
usage in the cathedral church at Koke, and this caused a brief schism.^41
~n 552, Khusraw Aniishirviin nominated as catholicos a man named
Joseph who had studied medicine in the Byzantine empire and had
returned and settled at Nasibin. Fifteen years later, in 567, Khusraw
Aniishirviin just as arbitrarily deposed him.42 In 570 the bishop of
Zawabi, Ezechiel, was chosen catholicos by the favor of Khusraw
Aniishirviin, who formerly had sent him to Bahrayn and Yaman for
pearls. After the election, the chief of physicians at court, Nawriizi of
Marv, informed the king of the outcome and asked his permission to
authorize Ezechiel's ordination. Once permission had been granted,
Ezechiel was ordained by the bishops.43 Likewise in 582, when the
assembly of clergy and laymen of Mada'in were divided between Job,
the director of the school of Mada'in and a relative of Mar Narse,
and IsM 'yahbh, bishop of Arzon, Hurmizd IV ordered them to con-
secrate Ish(fyahbh because, as bishop of Arzon, he had sent reports
on Byzantine troop movements.^44 In 596 Khusraw Parviz instructed
a Christian notable at court called Takhrid to assemble the other
39 Chabot, Synodicon, pp. 104, 107, 161,361, 365, 420, 553-54.
40 Scher, "Histoire nestorienne," II(l), 128-29.
4' Chabot, Synodicon, p. 339; Scher, "Histoire nestorienne," II(l), 149.
42 Scher, "Histoire nestorienne," II(l), 176, 181.
43 Chabot, Synodicon, p. 370; Scher, "Histoire nestorienne," II(l), 192-93.
44 Chabot, Synodicon, pp. 391-92; Scher, "Histoire nestorienne," II(2), 438.