Christianization of Nubia

References

Sources

1. 1.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 273)

   The three Nubian kingdoms of NOBATIA, MAKOURIA, and ‘ALWA were converted to Christianity at various times in the sixth century. There seems to have been rival missionary activity of Monophysites and Melchites in all three kingdoms, with differing results. Nobatia and ‘Alwa were both converted by the Monophysites from the beginning, while Makouria may initially have favored the Melchites. After the seventh century, however, the Monophysite Coptic church was clearly ascendant throughout NUBIA, although the Melchites continued their efforts to win over the southern countries.

2. 2.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 244)

   At the beginning of the Middle Ages there were three Nubian-speaking kingdoms: Nobatia in the north, MAKOURIA in the middle, and ‘ALWA in the south. All of them were converted to Monophysite Christianity in the sixth century.

3. 3.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 247)

   The worship of the ancient Egyptian deities, and particularly of Isis, lived on for another two centuries, and Nubian votaries were permitted by the Roman authorities to worship in the Temple of Isis at PHILAE. In the sixth century, Christian Egypt was rent by the dispute between Monophysites and Melchites, and it was apparently this dispute that prompted both parties to attempt the conversion of the Nubians to their respective causes. Both apparently had some initial success, but the final triumph went to the Monophysites, and Nubia became an integral part of the Coptic world.

4. 4.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 249)

   Egypt by then had already been in the Christian fold for more than 200 years, and Nubians traveling to Philae and other Egyptian towns had plenty of opportunity to observe the newly built churches, many of them made by the conversion of older temples, and to absorb some of the influences of the new faith. This latter development is reflected in the Christian paraphernalia found in late pagan graves in Nubia (see BALLANA KINGDOM AND CULTURE). There was, moreover, a colony of Egyptians resident within Nubia at QASR IBRIM, and their conversion to Christianity may actually have preceded that of th

5. 5.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 247)

   According to this source, the idea of converting the Nubians was first put forward by a Monophysite priest named JULIAN. He sought and obtained from the Byzantine empress THEODORA a commission to undertake missionary work in the northern Nubian kingdom of NOBATIA. When Emperor Justinian was apprised of this, he ordered that a Melchite mission be sent to Nobatia instead. Theodora then secretly arranged that the Melchite missionaries be detained in Egypt, with the result that Julian arrived on the Nubian scene first, in 543.

6. 6.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 247)

   According to John of Ephesus, his mission was warmly received, and the conversion of the Nobatian king and his subjects soon followed. Julian remained in Nobatia for two years, and then was succeeded by a certain Theodore, bishop of Philae, who continued the work of evangelization until 551. After his departure there was an interruption of missionary activity until the arrival of LONGINUS in 569.

7. 7.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 236)

   The conversion of Nobatia to Christianity in the sixth century is recorded by John of Ephesus. According to him, the work of evangelization was begun by a Monophysite priest named JULIAN in 543 and was completed by LONGINUS, also a Monophysite, in 569-575.

8. 8.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 248)

   What little direct information is available comes from a Spanish monk, John of Biclarum, who records that around 568 the people of Makouria received the faith of Christ. Five years later, according to the same source, a delegation of Makkourai arrived at Constantinople, bringing gifts to the emperor. This testimony, together with other textual allusions, has been taken as suggesting that the original conversion of the Makkourai was to the Melchite rather than to the Monophysite cause. EUTYCHIUS, writing at a much later date, states categorically that the "Nubians" (by whom he presumably meant

9. 9.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 393)

   Nothing is known of the history of Makouria prior to the time its ruler was converted to the Christian faith. According to John of Biclarum, this took place in 569 or 570. The account of John of Biclarum has been taken to imply that Makouria was converted initially by Melchite missionaries, but this has been questioned by recent scholars. After the seventh century, the evidence is very clear that the kingdom, like the neighboring lands of NOBATIA and ‘ALWA, was firmly in the Monophysite camp, and it so remained until the end of the Middle Ages.

10. 10.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 248)

    According to John, as early as 575 the king of ‘Alwa had sent a letter to Longinus, asking him to extend his missionary labors into the southern kingdom. However, the letter arrived in Nobatia after Longinus had left for Egypt, and because of a political dispute within the patriarchate he was not able to return to Nubia for five years.

11. 11.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 249)

    In 580 Longinus reappeared in Nobatia, and almost immediately afterward set out for ‘Alwa. Because of the hostility of the king of Makouria, he could not travel directly up the Nile, but had to take a roundabout route through the Eastern Desert in the company of a BEJA camel caravan. Eventually, after considerable privations along the way, he arrived in ‘Alwa, where he was met by a royal welcoming party. The conversion of the king and his subjects immediately followed. This completed the conversion of the three main Nubian kingdoms, which thereafter remained faithfully in the Christian fold fo

12. 12.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 249)

    The accounts given by John of Ephesus and John of Biclarum of the rapid and easy conversion of the Nubians are undoubtedly colored by the religious zeal of the authors.

13. 13.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 248)

    This might be dismissed as reflecting the biased outlook of ardent Christian propagandists, but the cemeteries of Lower Nubia do suggest a very rapid replacement of pagan by Christian burial practices in the latter half of the sixth century (see NUBIAN MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY).

14. 14.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 263)

    The oldest church buildings of the early Christian period (i.e., sixth century) have been found in the chief towns of the country—FARAS (Pachoras, the capital of Nobatia) and Old DONGOLA (capital of MAKOURIA), as well as the fortress of QASR IBRIM (Primis). From the southernmost capital SOBA in ‘ALWA there are as yet no relevant results from excavations. Since Nubia was evangelized from Egypt, the church architecture is substantially determined by Egyptian models.

15. 15.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 273)

    After the seventh century, however, the Monophysite Coptic church was clearly ascendant throughout NUBIA, although the Melchites continued their efforts to win over the southern countries. ... The evidence tends, rather, to suggest that the Nubian church was treated as integral with that of Egypt, under the direct governance of the Coptic patriarch. The appointment of bishops directly by the patriarch is attested in a number of documents. Notwithstanding this organizational unity, Greek rather than Coptic was always the preferred liturgical language in Nubia (see NUBIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATUR