Michael II the Younger


Michael II the Younger, also called Michael the Less, was a 13th-century claimant to the office of Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, serving as an antipatriarch during a period of schism within the Syriac Orthodox Church.
He was called "Zaʿura" by Barhebraeus, which means "the younger", "junior", "the little", or "the less", to distinguish him from his uncle, Michael the Great.

Life

Born Joshua Sephtono , he hailed from a prominent ecclesiastical family in Melitene, that of Michael the Syrian. His father was Abraham and his uncle was Michael the Syrian. Another uncle, Saliba, served as Archbishop of Mardin and later of Jerusalem, ordained by Michael the Syrian. Joshua had a brother, Jacob, who changed his name upon being elevated to his position, adopting the name Gregory upon his ordination as maphrian.
Joshua became a monk at Monastery of Mar Barsauma. Following the death of Patriarch Michael the Syrian in 1199, he attempted to become the Patriarch of Antioch, prompting him to leave the monastery. Thus he left the monastery, but the abbot pursued him in an effort to bring him backk. Joshua, in response, had him arrested by the governor of Gargar, only released on the condition that he would not hinder Michael's pursuit of the office.

Episcopate

Joshua was ordained by his brother, Maphrian Jacob, at Mor Hananyo Monastery in 1200, adopting the name Michael in honor of his uncle. As it was commonly done at the time, he appointed three bishops loyal to him in order to consolidate his support immediataely after his ordination, but the people of Mardin bribed the governor to have both him and his brother expelled, to which he relocated to Melitene.Thus, Michael became the antipatriarch, rival to Athanasius VIII bar Salibi, the patriarch of Antioch officially recognized by the Syriac Orthodox Church throughout the latter's entire pontificate. The anonymous author of the Chronicle of 1234 regarded him as the legitimate patriarch and labeled Athanasius as the antipatriarch. Athanasius was recognized in the western and northern provinces of the ecclesiastical territory of Antioch while Michael was recognized in the eastern and southern provinces. Both patriarchs wielded their financial and influential resources to assert their legitimacy; Athanasius accused Michael of bribing Sultan Rukn al-Din of Melitene with six thousand dinars, despite the prohibition against monks owning any money.
Athanasius died in 1207, and John XII of Antioch was ordained as his successor; Michael, however continued to contest John, and the schism persisted. According to Barhebraeus, Michael never gained significant popular support even within his own family, with the notable exception of his brother, Maphrian Jacob, who remained loyal to him.
Michael died 40 days after his brother in 1215, leading to the eventual resolution of the schism.

Works

Despite the trouble he caused, Michael was a learned and chaste man who composed several books:
He also composed a long liturgy that starts with the phrase, "O Lord, Who art the master of all and the first righteous who has no equal."