Ignatius Yeshu II

Ignatius Yeshu II was the Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1653 until his death in 1661.

Biography

Yeshu was born at Amid and was the son of Abd al-Ahad of the Qamsha family, who were originally from Banim’am. He became a monk at the Monastery of Qartmin and was ordained as a priest. Yeshu took up writing and studied under Rabban Tuma of Khudayda. He later became bishop of Amid and proclaimed himself as patriarch of Antioch in opposition to Ignatius Simon, who was banished to Cyprus. Yeshu was absolved by Ignatius Simon following the latter's return from exile and, upon his death, Yeshu succeeded him as the legitimate patriarch in 1660, according to Aphrem Barsoum. Yeshu died at Aleppo in 1661.