Early Christianity in Edessa

by COGwriter

Edessa of Mesopotamia was on the great trade route to the East which passed between the Syrian desert to the South and the mountains of Arme to the North. It was in what we would call south-east Turkey.

Were there Christians in Edessa?

Yes, but there are questions as to when as a lot of reports are sparse and not considered to be reliable.

"Edessa was the capital of a small principality east of the Euphrates. The Syriac town had been refounded by the Greeks and called by them Edessa, but the Aramaic-speaking inhabitants of the place continued to call it Urhai, a name of uncertain meaning. ... The Romans took possession of Edessa in 216 a.d. ... The early history of the Edessene Church is derived from sources for the most part unfamiliar. Much of our material is late, much of it is mixed up with unhistorical legend and fable. ... I shall now go on, by way of recapitulation, to state what I conceive to have been the main outlines of that history to which our fragmentary sources bear witness. The beginnings, then, of Christianity in Edessa started among the Jews." (Burkitt FC. Early Eastern Christianity. St. Margaret Lectures ON THE SYRIAC-SPEAKING CHURCH. JOHN MURRAY, London, 1904, pp. 6, 9, 33-34)

When it comes to Christianity in Edessa, yes, we see legends and contradictory reports about it.

Yet, there are reasons to believe that there were Church of God Christians there.

A.N. Dugger and C. Dodd published:

Jude “The brother of James, was commonly called Thaddeus. He was crucified at Edessa A.D. 72. ...

Andrew “Was the brother of Peter. He preached the gospel to many Asiatic nations; but on his arrival at Edessa he was taken and crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground. Hence the derivation of the term, St. Andrew’s cross. (Dugger AN, Dodd C. A History of the True Religion Traced From 33 A.D. to Date. Originally Copyrighted, 1936. First Electronic Edition July 2003 Re-edited in Portable Document Format (PDF) by Massimo Marino – Italy For “The Andrew N. Dugger Republishing Project”)

Basically, there is a belief is that a disciple of Jesus named Thaddeus was one of the 70 that Jesus sent out to witness in Luke 10.

That Jude was the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55-56)--and reportedly he preached in Pella after the Jewish revolt of 67-70 A.D. (Cheney DH. Jesus, His Brother, and Paul Their Lives and Archaeological Evidence. Gatekeeper Press, ebook, 2022)--he then may have continued to then go to Edessa.

So, there is some indication of a witness to Edessa in the 1st century A.D.

Now in one report, supposedly near 100 A.D., the Apostle Thomas sent him to Edessa (it is doubtful Thomas lived until that year, but it may be possible). Others point to the year 50 A.D. that Thomas sent Thaddeus as that is about the year King Abgar V of Edessa reportedly died.

Wikipedia has the following:

The missionary Addai evangelized Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) about the middle of the 2nd century. An ancient legend recorded by Eusebius (AD 260–340) and also found in the Doctrine of Addai (c. AD 400) (from information in the royal archives of Edessa) describes how King Abgar V of Edessa communicated to Jesus, requesting he come and heal him, to which appeal he received a reply. It is said that after the resurrection, Thomas sent Addai (or Thaddaeus), to the king, with the result that the city was won to the Christian faith. In this mission he was accompanied by a disciple, Mari, and the two are regarded as co-founders of the church, according to the Liturgy of Addai and Mari (c. AD 200), which is still the normal liturgy of the Assyrian church. The Doctrine of Addai further states that Thomas was regarded as an apostle of the church in Edessa. Addai, who became the first bishop of Edessa, was succeeded by Aggai, then by Palut, who was ordained about 200 by Serapion of Antioch. (Early Christianity. Wikipedia, accessed 04/1/25)

Thaddeus is also often referred to as Addai--but I suspect that they needed to be two different people because of it would seem doubtful that Thaddeus could have lived until Aggai, who supposedly took charge in 190 A.D.

It is likely, ... that Christianity had its origin in Edessa within a Jewish milieu, ... and that the earliest converts were, in the main, Jews. It would appear not improbable that these early Jewish Christians stampted the Edessan Christian community with their own type ... If then we place the origins of Christianity in Edessa within a Jewish Christian milieu we can explain certain features in the Gospel of Thomas which is to be dated c. 140 and which probably emanated from Edessa. (Barnard. The Origins and Emergence of the Church in Edessa during the First Two Centuries A.D. Vigiliae Christianae, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Sep., 1968), pp. 161-175)

Yes, the earliest true Christians in Edessa would have have various characteristics that are considered Jewish.

As far as the so-called Gospel of Thomas goes, it contains a mixture of truth and error and was not written by the Apostle Thomas. But it may be of interest to note that it states that Jesus said:

27 ... If you do not observe the Sabbath as a Sabbath, you will not see the father.

And that is somewhat consistent to what it taught in the 4th chapter of the Book of Hebrews (see The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad).

Various Lists

Regarding Edessa, Wikipedia has the following in its article titled List of bishops of Edessa accessed 04/10/25:

The following list is based on the records of the Chronicle of Edessa (to c.540) and the Chronicle of Zuqnin.

Name of bishop Start date
or floruit		 End date
or death		 Notes
Thaddeus (Addai I) c.100 According to Eusebius of Caesarea
Aggai c.190 According to Eusebius
Palut c.200 According to Eusebius;
He was a contemporary of Serapion of Antioch
Barsamya c. 250

Now those dates are in conflict with the following three lists:

Table of Apostolic Succession for the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East

  1. 33 Toma (Thomas)
  2. 33 Bar Tulmay (Bartholomew)
  3. 33 - 45 Addai (Thaddeus)
  4. 45 - 81 Agai, disciple of Addai (from the Seventy Disciples)
  5. 48 - 81 Mari, disciple of Addai (from the Seventy Disciples)
  6. 90 - 107 Abris, relative of the Virgin Mary
  7. 130 - 152 Oraham I
  8. 172 - 190 Yacob I, relative of Joseph the Carpenter
  9. 191 - 203 Ebid M'shikha
  10. 205 - 220 Akhu d'Awu
  11. 224 - 244 Shakhlupa of Kashkar (Brief History of the Assyrian Churches Assyrian International News Agency Posted 2001-01-01, http://www.aina.org/releases/20120221025100.htm)

Succession from the Chaldean Catholic Church

Thoma Shlikha, (Saint Thomas) (c. 33-c. 77)
Tulmay (St. Bartholomew the Apostle) (c. 33)
Mar Addai, (St. Thaddeus of Edessa)
Aggai
Mari (c. 87-c. 120)
Abris (121–137)
Abraham (159–171)
Yaʿqob (c.190)
Ahadabui (204–220) https://www.liberalcatholics.uk/LCACSuccession.pdf accessed 04/12/25

List of Patriarchs of The Church of the East. ...

1 Mar Aggai (c.66-81). First successor to the Apostleship of his spiritual director the Apostle Saint Thaddeus, one of the Seventy disciples. He in turn was the spiritual director of Mar Mari.
2 Palut of Edessa (c.81-87) renamed Mar Mari (c.87 – c.121) Second successor to the Apostleship of Mar Addai of the Seventy disciples. During his days a bishopric was formally established at Seleucia-Ctesiphon.
3 Abris (Abres or Ahrasius) (121–148 AD) Judah Kyriakos relocates Jerusalem Church to Edessa in 136 AD
4 Abraham (Abraham I of Kashker) (148–171 AD)
5 Yaʿqob I (Mar Yacob I) (c. 172–190 AD)
6 Ebid M’shikha (191–203)
7 Ahadabui (Ahha d'Aboui) (204–220 AD) First bishop of the East to get statikon as Catholicos. Ordained in 231 AD in Jerusalem Council.
8 Shahaloopa of Kashker (Shahlufa) (220–266 AD) https://www.easternorthodoxchristian.com/list-of-patriarchs-of-the-east accessed 04/11/25

Let me add that If Judah of Jerusalem relocated to Edessa c. 136, he would have been a Church of God Christian that held apostolic succession, kept the seventh day Sabbath, kept the Holy Days, avoided unclean meat, etc. He is believed to have lived until 148 AD (Judah Kyriakos. Wikipedia, accessed 04/11/25)

Number 4 on the 3rd list above may not have existed, but here is a report on him:

Abraham (Mar Oraham) of Kashkar was a legendary person of the Church of the East, from the family of Jacob, the brother of Jesus, who is conventionally believed to have sat from 159 to 171. There are historical doubts about his existence by later scholars of the period. ...

The following account of the life of Abraham is given by Bar Hebraeus:

After Abrisius, Abraham. He was also from the family of Jacob, the Lord's brother. He was consecrated at Antioch and sent into the East, where the Christians were being persecuted at that time by the Persians. The Persian king's son suffered from epilepsy, and the king was told that Mar Abraham, the head of the Christian religion, was able to cure him. The king summoned Abraham to his presence, noticed that he looked sad and downcast, and asked him why. Then Abraham recounted the evils he and his people were suffering from the Persians. The king promised to end the persecution of the Christians if Abraham healed his son, and that holy man prayed and laid his hands on the king’s son. He was healed, and peace was given to the faithful. After fulfilling his office for twelve years, he died peacefully.

Historical doubts about existence

Although Abraham is included in traditional lists of primates of the Church of the East, his existence has been doubted by J. M. Fiey, one of the most eminent twentieth-century scholars of the Church of the East. In Fiey's view, Abraham was one of several fictitious bishops of Seleucia-Ctesiphon whose lives were concocted in the sixth century to bridge the gap between the late third century bishop Papa, the first historically attested bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, and the apostle Mari, the legendary founder of Christianity in Persia. (Abraham of Kashkar. Wikipedia, accessed 04/11/25)

Number 5 on the 3rd list may or may not have existed, but here is a report on him:

Yaʿqob I was a legendary primate of the Church of the East, from the family of Joseph the carpenter, who is conventionally believed to have reigned c.190. ...

The following account of the life of Yaʿqob is given by Mari:

Yaʿqob, a Hebrew, from the family of Joseph, the husband of Mary, was sent from Jerusalem after he had modestly attempted to refuse such a dignity, pleading that he was too humble to accept an office which he later fulfilled splendidly. He was invested with all the grades of the priesthood at the same time, and governed the church exceptionally well. He was a prudent man of high morals, who devoted himself to prayer and fasting. He selected bishops who were as upright as he himself was, and the results matched his hopes. Churches were built and the faithful were governed wisely. In his time there flourished the second empire of Persia, and the city of Ardashir was built and named after its king. Then too the philosopher Porphyry flourished in Egypt, who published a refutation of the Gospel. Yaʿqob died after ruling the church for eighteen years and six months, and was buried in al-Madaʿin. (Yaqob I. Wikipedia, accessed 04/11/25)

Since there were 3 Jewish bishops in a row (counting Judah Kyriakos), it is likely that they would have kept the 7th day Sabbath, biblical Holy Days, avoided unclean meats, and held to other original Christian beliefs and practices.

Number 6 of the 3rd list was Ebid M’shikha. That does not sound like a Jewish name. It is unclear what he believed or taught if he existed.

Number 7 on the 3rd above list, Ahadabui, if he existed, supposedly hoped to be ordained by the patriarch of Antioch, but after getting there, he was accused of being a spy by the government and fled to Jerusalem and was ordained there (Bar Hebraeus, Ecclesiastical Chronicle, ed. Abeloos and Lamy, ii. 24–6). Ahadabui would NOT have been a true Christian as those in charge of the Jerusalem from 136 AD onwards into the 3rd century, including that later council in 231 AD, were NOT faithful Christians.

Now, going back to the statement next to number 3 in the 3rd list about Judah Kyriakos, the last Jewish bishop in Jerusalem, going to Edessa. But this may have been after first stopping in Pella.

Notice what the historian E. Gibbon wrote about first, the faithful Christians fleeing Jerusalem in the first Jewish revolt (67-70) and then notice that some who returned left for Pella again after the Jew's Bar Kokba revolt:

The Nazarenes retired from the ruins of Jerusalem to the little town of Pella beyond the Jordan, where that ancient church languished above sixty years in solitude and obscurity. They still enjoyed the comfort of making frequent and devout visits to the Holy City, and the hope of being one day restored to those seats which both nature and religion taught them to love as well as to revere. But at length, under the reign of Hadrian, the desperate fanaticism of the Jews filled up the measure of their calamities; and the Romans, exasperated by their repeated rebellions, exercised the rights of victory with unusual rigour. The emperor founded, under the name of Alia Capitolina, a new city on Mount Sion, to which he gave the privileges of a colony; and denouncing the severest penalties against any of the Jewish people who should dare to approach its precincts, he fixed a vigilant garrison of a Roman cohort to enforce the execution of his orders.

The Nazarenes ... still preserved their former habitation of Pella, ... in Syria. (Gibbon E. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume I, Chapter XV, Section I. ca. 1776-1788)

The 19th century scholar Joseph Barber Lightfoot wrote:

The Church of Ælia Capitolina was very differently constituted from the Church of Pella and the Church of Jerusalem ... not a few doubtless accepted the conqueror’s terms, content to live henceforth as Gentiles ... in the new city of Hadrian.  But there were others who hung to the law of their forefathers ... Judaizing Christians. (Lightfoot JB.  Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians: A Revised Text with Introduction, Notes and Dissertations. Published by Macmillan, 1881, pp. 317, 331)

The Church of Pella was Sabbath-keeping (cf. Bagatti, The Church from the Circumcision, p. 202) as had been the original Jerusalem church. It may have made a lot of sense for Judah Kyriakos to go to Pella at first, but since it was in the Roman Empire, he may have chosen to go to Edessa which was not, hence probably safer.

Information and Legends

Here is something related the Edessa from the book Edessa: The Blessed City:

Thomas, sent Thaddaeus to him as an Apostle, being one of the Seventy, and he came and stayed with Tobias the son of Tobias. Now when news of him was heard, it was reported to Abgar, 'An Apostle of Jesus has come here, as he wrote to you'. So Thaddaeus began in the power of God to heal every disease and weakness so that all marvelled. ... 

The association of Thomas with Thaddaeus-Addai integrated the evangelization of Edessa within the direct apostolic tradition. ...

Addai preached again, declaring that he was not 'a physician of medicines and roots . . . but a disciple of Jesus Christ'. He refuted the worship of the planets and of idols, he glorified Jesus and urged his hearers to acknowledge him also. The city, led by Abgar, his son Ma'nu, and his mother and wife, accepted the new faith. The king encouraged Addai to build a church, and gave him generous gifts so that Addai's word 'should be of authority and prevail in all this town'. In a scene of enthusiasm the chief priests of this town, . . . ran and threw down the altars on which they sacrificed before Nabu and Bel their gods, except the great altar in the midst of the town. . . . And Addai. . . baptized them . . ., and those who used to worship stones and stocks sat at his f e e t , . . . even Jews conversant with the Law and the Prophets . . . who sold soft [stuffs]— they too were persuaded and made the Christian confession. Aggai 'who made the silken [garments] and tiaras of the king', and Palut, and Barshelama (who is also called 'Abshelama) and Barsamya ministered with [Addai] in the church which he had built. . . .

A large multitude of people assembled day by day and came to the prayers of the service and to [the reading of] the Old Testament and the New [Testament] of the Diatessaron.2 They also believed in the resurrection of the dead. . . . They kept also the festivals of the Church at their proper season. . . . Moreover, in the places round about the city, churches were built and many received from [Addai] the hand of priesthood. So the people of the East also, in the guise of merchants, passed over into the territory of the Romans in order to see the signs which Addai did. And those who became disciples received from him the hand of priesthood, and in their own country of the Assyrians they found disciples, and made houses of prayer there in secret from fear of those who worshipped fire and adored water. Narseh, 'king of the Assyrians', enquired of Abgar about the deeds of Addai, and 'was astonished and marvelled'. 3 Finally Addai was seized with that disease of which he departed from the world. And he called for Aggai.. . and made him administrator and ruler in his own place. And Palut who was a deacon he made presbyter, and 'Abshelama4 who was a scribe he made deacon. He admonished them concerning their conduct. Three days later, on 14 Iyar, Addai died. And the whole city was in great mourning and bitter distress on account of him. ...

In a brief sequel to the death of Aggai, we read that because he died suddenly and quickly at the breaking of his legs, he was not able to lay his hands upon Palut. And Palut himself went to Antioch, and received the hand of priesthood from Serapion, bishop of Antioch, ...

There seems little doubt that his fellow-Christians in this area, like early Christians elsewhere, maintained Jewish practices; they avoided, for example, eating meat before the blood had been removed, and at the Passover they ate unleavened bread. (Segal JB. Edessa: The Blessed City. Gorgias Press, 2005. pp. 2, 66, 79, 81, 100) https://ebin.pub/edessa-the-blessed-city-1593331932-9781593331931.html

Now, there are concerns about the above document as it contains later information, some of which later traditions affected. For example, it claimed that Serapion of Antioch was made a bishop by Zephyrinus of Rome --which makes no sense as Rome and Antioch were not then in communion with each other. Plus the timing does not work. Additionally, history points to the fact that Serapion became Bishop of Antioch about a decade before Zephyrinus became Bishop of Rome, so Zephyrinus "certainly did not consecrate Serapion" (Burkitt, p. 26).

Original Christian Practices?

That said, I highlighted "They kept also the festivals of the Church at their proper season" when quoting Edessa: The Blessed City. Notice those in the church included Jewish converts. There was no such holiday as Christmas there and people like Serapion would have kept Passover on the 14th. Hence this is an indication from a non-Church of God source that the church in Edessa, at least near the end of the second century kept the biblical holy days.

On April 10, 2025, I also decided to ask ChatGPT the following:

Were the "Festivals of the Church" Referring to Jewish-Christian Festivals (and Not Christmas or Easter)?

ChatGPT responded with:

Absolutely — and your insight is spot-on. The reference to keeping “festivals of the Church at their proper season” is not referring to Christmas or the fully developed Easter of later centuries. Those feasts were either non-existent or still evolving at the time. ...

Now, the above is not proof, but is consistent with what I considered was likely the case in early Edessa.

Differing Reports

That said, a lot of information in Edessa: The Blessed City came from something called the Doctrine of Addai — a Syriac text likely composed in the late 4th or early 5th century--as well as something called the Book of the Bee, written c. 1222.

A ... list is to be found in the Book of the Bee compiled by Solomon of El-Basra, and in one or two similar collections of historical matter. It begins with Addai. Then comes his disciple Mari; but Ambrose and Abraham, the next in order, are distinguished in the list as being “of the consecration of Antioch.” Here, again, Addai is claimed as the founder of the Church, but the link is soon broken, and the succession goes back to Antioch. (Burkitt, pp. 28-29)

Related to the differing lists and dates, notice the following:

If, therefore, Serapion ordained Palut, Palut could not have been converted to Christianity by one of the seventy-two Disciples, nor could the King Abgar, in whose reign he lived, have been contemporary with our Lord. We are thus confronted in the Doctrine of Addai with two theories of the rise of Christianity in Edessa. On the one theory, which is that maintained in the body of the work, Christianity was planted there in the first century of our era : on the other, which is that of the epilogue, the third president of the Christian Society at Edessa was not ordained bishop till about 200 a.d., and Christianity itself cannot have reached the district much before the middle of the second century. ...

In the Martyrdom of Barsamya we find again the statement that Palut was ordained by Serapion .. (Burkitt, p. 19, 20)

Now here is something from the Acts of Mar Mari--which was probably penned in the 7th century:

After the ascension of our Lord, while the apostles dispersed over the inhabited earth, the grace of God worked. Thomas, one of the Twelve, sent one of the seventy-two disciples, whose name was Addai and who followed Thomas, to the city of Edessa. When Addai arrived there, he resided in the house of a man named ʉbn and began to make miracles. When news about him was heard, Abgar was informed that the disciple of Jesus had arrived there. The king sent after ʉbn, calling upon him, saying: “I heard that a powerful man resides in your house. Bring him up to me now!” Immediately, the man got up and brought Addai to Abgar. The former went into his presence, while a big crowd was before the king. Upon entering, the king saw an awe-inspiring scene in the person of Addai, and he fell down, paying homage to him. ...

Before the blessed Addai died, he selected one of his disciples named Mr, who was living in the love of God and was adorned with virtuous manners. He placed his right hand on Mr, as conferred to him by our Lord Jesus Christ, and sent him to the eastern region, to the land of Babylonia, ordering him to go and preach there the word of our Lord. 7 The blessed Mr Mr left Edessa to begin preaching un- til he reached the city of Nisibis. (The Acts of M¯ar M¯ar¯ı the Apostle Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Amir Harrak. Society of Biblical Literature. 2005, pp. 9, 13)

Let me add that the Acts of Mar Mari also contains trinitarian language that would NOT have been in Edessa in the 2nd or third centuries. So, there are serious reliability issues.

Ivor Fletcher, once in the Worldwide Church of God, wrote:

Eusebius had access to official archives and written records. He was writing some 150 years before the fall of the Roman Empire and during his day many original first century documents were still extant.

He records two letters from the official archives of Edessa, a city state in Mesopotamia. The king or ruler of the area had heard of the healing miracles of Jesus, and being afflicted by a disease, wrote a letter to Him requesting that Jesus should visit him and heal the disease. Eusebius quotes the letter as follows: "Agbarus, prince of Edessa, sends greeting to Jesus the excellent Saviour, who has appeared in the borders of Jerusalem. I have heard the reports respecting thee and thy cures, as performed by thee without medicines and without the use of herbs.

"For as it is said, thou causest the blind to see again, the lame to walk, and thou cleansest the lepers, and thou castest out impure spirits and demons, and thou healest those that are tormented by long disease, and thou raisest the dead.

"And hearing all these things of thee, I concluded in my mind one of two things: either that thou art God, and having descended from heaven, doest these things, or else doing them thou art the Son of God. Therefore, now I have written and besought thee to visit me, and to heal the disease with which I am afflicted. I have, also, heard that the Jews murmur against thee, and are plotting to injure thee; I have, however, a very small but noble state, which is sufficient for us both."

The letter was delivered to Jesus by the courier Ananias who also took back to the king the letter written by Jesus in reply to the king's request. Eusebius quotes this as follows:

"Blessed art thou, O Agbarus, who, without seeing, hast believed in me. For it is written concerning me, that they who have seen me will not believe, that they who have not seen may believe and live.

"But in regard to what you hast written that I should come to thee, it is necessary that I should fulfill all things here, for which I have been sent. And after this fulfillment, thus to be received again by Him that sent me.

"And after I have been received up, I will send to thee a certain one of my disciples, that he may heal thy affliction, and give life to thee and to those who are with thee."

Eusebius, who it seems examined the original documents, adds the following points:

"To these letters there was, also, subjoined in the Syriac language: `After the ascension of Jesus, Judas, who is also called Thomas, sent him Thaddeus, the Apostle, one of the seventy."

Eusebius then proceeds to relate the various miracles and other works of Thaddeus, including the healing of King Agbarus. Following this the king assembled all the citizens together that they might hear the preaching of the Apostle.

Although Eusebius considered this material authentic, the view of some later scholars is that the letters were third century forgeries. Although this could well be the case, it is far from impossible that the publicity which the miracles of Jesus aroused could have spread far from the borders of His own country. (Fletcher IC. THE INCREDIBLE HISTORY OF GOD'S TRUE CHURCH. International Standard Book Number 0-917182-23-5 Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 83-91442)

Ivor Fletcher often relied on legends in his reporting of Church of God history, and the above may or not be true, but is consistent with some other reports.

Here is something else related to the Sabbath:

The … Chaldean Christians have also continued their original practice of Sabbath keeping through the present century. (Sanford EB. A Concise Cyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: Biblical, Biographical, Geographical, Historical, Practical and Theological. S.S. Scranton, 1890, pp. 853,854)

Commenting on that report, then evangelist in the Worldwide Church of God Dean Blackwell wrote, “They were the ancestors” (Blackwell D. A HANDBOOK OF CHURCH HISTORY: A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Ambassador College Graduate School of Theology. April 1973, p. 182)--meaning of certain later faithful Sabbatarian Christians.

Perhaps it should be added that:

Christianity appears to have reached the Euphrates valley about the middle of the second century. The Bishops of Edessa trace their succession to Serapion, Bishop of Antioch from 190 to 203, and there is all the more reason for believing this tradition to be historically exact, because it contradicts so glaringly the alternative story of the successful preaching of Christianity at Edessa by Addai, one of the 72 disciples. ... The later Syrians had ... a different standard of orthodoxy from their forefathers ... (Burkitt FC. Early Christianity Outside the Roman Empire. Cambridge: University Press, 1899, pp. 12,13)

A different standard of orthodoxy than their forefathers shows that the above ‘Church of the East’ did not retain the original faith. Palut was reportedly ordained by Serapion (Ancient Syriac Documents. Ante-Nicene Christian Library. Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325 · Volume 20. 1882, p. 34).  Yet, although Palut would have been a faithful leader, Edessa had adopted non-original beliefs no later than 250 A.D.:

The worship of Saints and Martyrs … By 250 this custom was established at Edessa. It became universal in the churches after great persecutions of Shapur (339-379). (Thomas BM, priest. DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN CHRISTIANITY: CHRISTIAN WORSHIP, CHRISTIAN LIFE, MINISTRY, PATRIARCHATES, COUNCILS, CULTS OF MARTYRS, HAGIOGRAPHIC LITERATURE ETC. FEDERATED FACULTY FOR RESEARCH IN RELIGION AND CULTURE, KOTTAYAM, October 2015, p. 7).

Throughout church history, the mystery of iniquity has been present (2 Thessalonians 2:7), false leaders have appeared (1 John 2:19; 2 Timothy 4:14-15), as were prophesied to do so (2 Peter 2:1-2; Acts 20:29; 2 Timothy 3:13, 4:3-4). Prior to that taking hold in Asia Minor, c. 200 Serapion of Antioch warned (Serapion. From the epistle to Caricus and Ponticus) of a “lying confederacy (Greek Ψευδοῦς τάξεως), to which is given the name of New Prophecy” that was forming (which enveloped much of Antioch after his death). At the time of Serapion’s writing it appears that Rome and Alexandria (Tertullian, Adversus Praxean, c. 1) were still accepting the “New Prophecy” that the Montanists were promoting.

That said, consider the following:

We have seen that there was some evidence to suggest that Palut, with his Antiochene consecration, occupied the position in Edessa of a dissenter from the main body of Christians. (Burkitt, p. 32)

But the old order of things in Edessa about 200 a.d., both in Church and in State, was coming to an end: ... Palut, the new bishop, had been ordained by Serapion of Antioch, but though those outside might at first call his followers Palutians, as if they were a new sect, he or his immediate successors soon became the undisputed presidents of the Catholic Church in Edessa ... The followers of Bardaisan remained with¬ out the pale of the Church, and continued to the fifth century. It is not known at what time the Marcionites first established themselves in Edessa. They also remained till the time of Rabbula ... After Palut’s successor ‘Abshelama came Barsamya ... (Burkitt, p. 35) Barshelama

Now we have something that may help clear matters up. Around when Serapion would have ordained Palut, there were two or more other groups in Edessa.

Concluding Comments

There seem to have been visits by Christian leaders to Edessa in the first century. But whether the stories related to them are true are uncertain.

Let's consider a scenario from 136 A.D. onwards.

Even according to the Greek Orthodox who claim Marcus of Jerusalem as Judah Kyriakos' successor, Bishop Judah lived for a time after that (Judas of Jerusalem. Orthodox Wiki, accessed 04/11/25 https://en.orthodoxwiki.org/Judas_of_Jerusalem)--perhaps another decade or so . He would not have been in Jerusalem--so he would have had to go somewhere else. Edessa was NOT part of the Roman Empire then--only a client state--so while Edessa was far away (like 600 miles/1000 km) it could have been considered as a safe location to seek refuge in--and one that was too far.

If Judah Kyriakos relocated the Jerusalem Church to Edessa in 136 A.D., he would have had original Christian teachings and practices with him. Since it looks like he was and could have been followed by two Jewish leaders-- Abraham (Abraham I of Kashker) and Yaʿqob I (Mar Yacob I)-- it is likely that they were faithful Christians. It is probable that one of their successors was not faithful.

Whether or not, we have reports that Palut had hands laid upon him by Serapion. This may be because Palut and Serapion saw the emergence of the apostate church in that region.

In his c. 200 AD Epistle to Caricus and Ponticus, Serapion warned of a “lying confederacy" (Greek Ψευδοῦς τάξεως) that was affecting Rome, Alexandria, Asia Minor, and elsewhere. Although that related confederacy had been denounced by Thraseas of Eumenia around 160 and by Apollinaris of Hierapolis in 177, Bishops Eleutheris and Victor of Rome seemingly had accepted it after that (Victor died in 199). Let me add that although some claim that Serapion was in communion with the Church of Rome, Serapions denouncement of the false Gospel of Peter, which Rome and Alexandria had accepted to a degree, also shows he was not in communion with their confederacy.

From what I have been able to research, Barsamya was not a Church of God Christian. But around that time there was man named Macarius. He reportedly trained Lucian of Antioch:

Lucian of Antioch, (born c. 240, Samosata, Commagene, Syria [] ...

According to Suidas, Lucian was born at Samosata, Kommagene, Syria, to Christian parents, and was educated in the neighboring city of Edessa, Mesopotamia, at the school of Macarius. ... At Antioch, Lucian was an ordained presbyter. Eusebius of Caesarea notes his theological learning and Lucian’s vita (composed after 327) reports that he founded a Didaskaleion, a school. (TEXTUAL STUDIES: Lucian of Antioch (c. 240-312 C.E.): The Teacher of Arius? Chirstian Publishing House Blog. https://christianpublishinghouse.co/2021/05/26/textual-studies-lucian-of-antioch-c-240-312-c-e-the-teacher-of-arius/ accessed 04/10/25)

Lucain, a presbyter of Antioch ... was born at Samosata about A.D. 240, and educated under Macarius at Edessa. He settled at Antioch. (Cruttwell CT. The heretical sects, Volume 2. Scribner, 1893, p. 532)

So, we see influence from Edessa.

Supposedly 'Abshelama (who is also called Barshelama) succeeded Palut as bishop of Edessa. Macarius may have been the one to succeed 'Abshelama. Because he had a school, he may have been the leading Church of God overseer until succeeded by Lucian who went to Antioch. Lucian was martyred in 312.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states:

The exact date of the introduction of Christianity into Edessa is not known. It is certain, however, that the Christian community was at first made up from the Jewish population of the city. According to an ancient legend, King Abgar V, Ushana, was converted by Addai, who was one of the seventy-two disciples. (For a full account see ABGAR.) In fact, however, the first King of Edessa to embrace the Christian Faith was Abgar IX (c. 206). Under him Christianity became the official religion of the kingdom. As for Addai, he was neither one of the seventy-two disciples as the legend asserts, nor was he the Apostle Thaddeus, as Eusebius says (Church History IV.13), but a missionary from Palestine who evangelized Mesopotamia about the middle of the second century, and became the first bishop of Edessa. ... He was succeeded by Aggai, then by Palout (Palut) who was ordained about 200 by Seraphion of Antioch. ... Antioch caused in important Syriac literary movement at Edessa of which the city long remained the centre. Thence came to us in the second century the famous Peshitto, or Syriac translation of the Old Testament; also Tatian's Diatessaron, which was compiled about 172 ... Among the illustrious disciples of the School of Edessa special mention is due to Bardesanes (154-222) ... (Vailhé, Siméon. "Edessa." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909)

Encyclopedia.com has the following:

EDESSA, SCHOOL OF

With the conversion of the royal house to Christianity (c. 202), Edessa became a center of Oriental Christian culture and theological activity. Mention is made of the disciples of Bardesanes and Lucian of Antioch, who had studied exegesis with Macarius of Edessa (Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten drei Jahrhunderte 21.184) and Eusebius of Emesa attended lectures on Scripture there (Patrologia Graeca 67:1045). (https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/edessa-school accessed 04/14/25)

It has been asserted:

In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Edessa became famous as an important centre of learning and the cultural capital of early Christianity, (Knight SA. Part 1a. The Blessed city of Edessa. Malankara Research, July 24, 2020. https://malankararesearch.org/2020/07/24/part-1-the-blessed-city-of-edessa/ accessed 04/14/25)

The Catechetical School of Edessa stands as a testament to the city's profound influence on Christian education and theological development. Established in the 2nd century AD, this institution became a beacon of Christian scholarship in the ancient world. ...

The school specialized in biblical exegesis, developing the "Antiochene" method of interpretation that emphasized the historical and literal meaning of biblical texts. This approach contrasted with the allegorical methods popular in Alexandria. (Osroene: Ancient Kingdom at the Crossroads of Christianity and Civilization. Sar-El, January 7, 2025 https://sareltours.com/article/osroene accessed 04/14/25)

If that is the case, that supports the view that Macarius taught Lucian at a school in Edessa.

Roman Catholic priest Malachi Martin reported a meeting between Jewish Christians and Bishop of Roman Sylvester I, but gave no source:

A meeting between Sylvester (Pope Sylvester I) and the Jewish Christian leaders took place in 318....The vital interview was not, as far as we know, recorded, but the issues were very well known, and it is probable the Joses, the oldest of the Christian Jews, spoke on behalf of the Desposyni and the rest. ...That most hallowed name, desposyni, had been respected by all believers in the first century and a half of Christian history. The word literally meant, in Greek, "belonging to the Lord." It was reserved uniquely for Jesus' blood relatives. Every part of the ancient Jewish Christian church had always been governed by a desposynos, and each of them carried one of the names traditional in Jesus' family--Zachary, Joseph, John, James, Joses, Simeon, Matthias, and so on. But no one was ever called Jesus. Neither Sylvester nor any of the thirty-two popes before him, nor those succeeding him, ever emphasized that there were at least three well-known and authentic lines of legitimate blood descent from Jesus' own family..." ...The Desposyni demanded that Sylvester, who now had Roman patronage, revoke his confirmation of the authority of the Greek Christian bishops at Jerusalem, in Antioch, in Ephesus, and in Alexandria, and to name desposynos bishops to take their place. They asked that the practice of sending cash to Jerusalem as the mother church be resumed... These blood relatives of Christ demanded the reintroduction of the Law, which included the Sabbath and the Holy Day system of Feasts ... of the Bible. Sylvester dismissed their claims and said that, from now on, the mother church was in Rome and he insisted they accept the Greek bishops to lead them. ... This was the last known dialogue with the Sabbath-keeping church in the east led by the disciples who were descended from blood relatives of Jesus the Messiah. (Malachi Martin, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church. Putnam Pub Group, 1981, pp. 30-31). https://www.geni.com/people/Saint-Judah-Kyriakos-Bishop-of-Jerusalem/6000000002396224184

So, apparently some did attempt to see if the Church of Rome would accept various aspects the original faith, but it was denied. But Sylvester, who was a contemporary to Emperor Constantine—a man who detested Jews and Christians with practices he considered to be Jewish—refused to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3), even when he was reminded of aspects of it. Hence, true succession of doctrine was not coming from Rome.

Because of persecution released by Roman Emperor Theodosius in the late 4th century, the faithful in many areas had to flee (Edessa was part of the Roman Empire then)--but some went further east.

The Nazarenes clung to the ancient ceremonies, but they did not denounce Gentile believers. They were the remnant of the more moderate Jewish Christians who were not prepared to
surrender the national customs. Late in the fourth century, they still lingered in the synagogues of the east. (Blackwell, p. 10)

Anyway, while there were changes in Edessa, the faithful continued though after Theodosius there were few, if any, left in Edessa.

Thiel B. Early Christianity in Edessa. COGwriter (c) 2025 https://www.cogwriter.com/edessa.htm