The history of the patriarchs of the east: eastern christianity from ancient persia to medieval islam

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded the University of California, Los Angeles $291,569 on June 1, 2026, under the Promotion of the Humanities Research program (CFDA 45.161) to produce an annotated English translation of the Ecclesiastical History in the Book of the Tower, a medieval theological compendium that contains the only complete surviving account of the Church of the East across its first millennium.

The translation will make accessible to students, researchers, and general readers an important but little-known account of Eastern Christianity from ancient Persia through medieval Islam, including the relationship between early Muslim caliphs and the largest Christian community under their authority. The final product will be among the first complete, annotated English translations of a major Christian Arabic historical work and will draw attention to a substantial but neglected strand of Middle Eastern historical writing. The book itself will span approximately 450 pages.

Performance runs through May 31, 2029, with place of performance in California. The Catholic University of America serves as a sub-recipient responsible for the initial translation and annotation of one-third of the book and for collaborative editing, refining, and completing the full translation.

An annotated translation of the ecclesiastical history in the book of the tower. [this project will produce an annotated english translation of the only complete, surviving account of the church of the east across its first millennium: the ecclesiastical history found in the medieval theological compendium called the book of the tower. This translation will make accessible to students, researchers, and general readers an important but little-known chapter in the histories of christianity, the medieval middle east, the city of baghdad, and christian-muslim relations. IT includes the complex relationship between the early muslim caliphs and the largest christian community under their authority. In addition, ours will be among the first complete, annotated english translations of a major christian arabic historical work. As such, IT will draw attention to a substantial but neglected strand of middle eastern historical writing.]