The seal of the Catholicos Bābōy discovered?

Subject Areas : Historical Archaeology

Christelle Jullien ¹ , Mostafa Ekhtesasi ² , Amir Khanmoradi ³ , Ehsan Khonsarinejad ^{4 *}

1 - CNRS, Villejuif, France
2 - Independent Researcher
3 - Archaeology, Humanities, Bu Ali Sina University, Hamedan
4 - Archaeology, Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran

Received: 2025-04-04 Accepted : 2025-06-21 Published : 2025-08-22

Keywords: Seal, Bābōy, Catholicos, Sasanian, the Good Shepherd,

Abstract :

Scholarly attention to the study of Sasanian seals has significantly enhanced our understanding of this historical period, particularly through the identification of prominent figures of the time. This article examines a Sasanian-period seal bearing a Syriac inscription that attributes it to an individual named Bābōy. During the Sasanian era, several leaders of the Church of the East bore the names Babi or Bābōy, occupying various ecclesiastical ranks from Catholicos to priest across the empire. In order to more precisely identify the owner of this seal, we analyze its historical context, the iconography, and the content of the inscription. Based on the findings, the most plausible attribution is to Bābōy, the Catholicos of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, who led the Eastern Christian community between approximately 457 and 484 CE, during the reigns of Hormizd III and Peroz I. According to Syriac chronicles and Arab Christian hagiographies, Bābōy was executed under accusations involving internal Church conspiracies, questions about his loyalty, the performance of politically sensitive rites, and, notably, the dispatch of a letter to Emperor Zeno bearing his personal seal.

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