CHRISTIANSthe Nestorians to elect another catholicos until they all agreed to the
deposition of ]oseph/^5
The way this conflict was institutionalized at Nasibin towards the
end of the sixth century made that city an important epicenter of the
conflict and the place where the Islamic government eventually was
induced to reapply Sasanian methods towards the Nestorians. About
the same time as reformed coenobitic monasticism with strict rules
was being introduced by Abraham of Kaskar to the great monastic
community on Mt. Izla just above the city, the Nestorian school in
Nasibin and its medical branch fell under the influence of I:Ienana of
Adiabene, who was trying to work out a theological compromise with
the Monophysites. The resulting debacle nearly tore the church apart
and left a lasting impression upon it and upon its relations with the
state.
In 582, when it was necessary to choose a new catholicos, the party
of Mar Narse was still in existence and unsuccessfully proposed one
of his relatives as its candidate. Instead, the candidate of the aristocratic
faction, Ish6 'yahbh I, was made catholicos by royal command. This
was probably the real reason why Ish6'yahbh failed to accompany
Khusraw Parvlz in his flight, why he found himself out of favor when
Parvlz returned, and why Parvlz was careful, in 596, to see that a
representative of the monastic faction was elevated to the patriarchate
in the person of Sabhrish6' I against the obvious wishes of the synod.
By that time, Wnana of Adiabene had forced his opponents out of
the school of Nasibin, and the synod held by Sabhrisho' condemned
him. Gregory of Kaskar was made metropolitan of Nasibin and began
to oppose the followers of I:Ienana so vigorously that the notables of
the city protested to the monarch. At that point Sabhrish6' deserted
his bishop and exiled him from his see. Gregory was imprisoned by
Khusraw Parviz for a short while and then retired to a monastery.
Shortly afterwards, the people of Nasibin rebelled against Khusraw
Parviz and killed their marzban. An army under Nakhirjan, accom-
panied by the catholicos, was sent against the city. After Sabhrisho'
persuaded the people to open the gates to him, the city was sacked
and large numbers of people were killed. Afterwards, a group of phy-
sicians from Nasibin at the royal court led by Gabriel of Sinjar began
to conspire against Sabhrish6', and, joined by Queen Shirin, became
Monophysites.^76
7S Ibid., pp. 178, 182.
76 Chabot, Synodicon, pp. 562, 580; Guidi, Chronica Minora I, I, 18-19; Il, 17;