Truth Triumphant - Benjamin G. Wilkinson

Seleucia, Headquarters of the Church
To understand the might of the Church of the
East over which Papas was elected first supreme
head, consideration should be given to the twin
cities of Seleucia and Ctesiphon, the first center of
this strong organization. It must be remembered
that in the days of the apostles it was the Parthian
Empire which lay cast of Syria and Asia Minor.
This empire was destined to endure for nearly five
hundred years (250 B.C. to A.D. 226). It continued
long enough to see the Romans come up and
subjugate the weak successors of Alexander. The
Romans, however, dreaded a clash with the
Parthians because of their crushing cavalry. Had
the Parthians put down Zoroastrianism, a religion
which had been strong and crafty and determined
to rule the state since the days of the Persian
Empire, and had the Parthians been more
avaricious of power, they might have continued to
be dreaded conquerors.[8] But they failed to do
this. The Persians overthrew them in 226, and the
new empire also set up its capital at Seleucia.
When Papas was elected supreme leader of the
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