The ancient people of Bet-Nahrain (Mesopotamia) had a large and gastronomically advanced food menu.  In fact, Bet-Nahrain was apparently the birthplace of haute cuisine as well as a cradle of civilization.  A 4000-year-old text written on 24 tablets lists terms in the Sumerian and Akkadian languages for over 800 different items of food and drink.  Included are 20 different kinds of cheese, over 100 varieties of soup and 300 types of bread- each with different ingredients filling, shape or size.  A bas-relief discovered at Nineveh shows servants carrying choice delicacies- among them grasshoppers en brochette- to the royal table, while a satirical text about meat-filled intestine casings indicates that the Mesopotamians made, and presumably ate, the world's first known sausage.  Records from Ur include suckling pigs, wood-pigeons, ducks, lambs and geese.  Other texts list many kinds of fresh and saltwater fish, the preferred kinds being those raised in the reservoirs which were part of Mesopotamia's intricate irrigation system.

Chickpeas and lentils head one Sumerian listing of foods that grew there.  But the cornerstone of the Mesopotamian diet appears to have been the onion family- including leeks, shallots and garlic.  The Sumerians also ate lettuce and cucumber, and apples, pears, grapes, figs, pistachios and pomegranates were widely grown.  They used spices and herbs, including coriander, cumin and watercress.

The hand-size tablets found by French Assyriologist Jean Bottero, himself an accomplished chef, include recipes for spicy meat and vegetable stew of gazelle, kid, pigeon, partridge and turnip, as well as for pies and garnishes that suggest, says Bottero, "so much refinement in dealing with matters of palate" that we must now accept that the people of Bet-Nahrain had a "scientifically-based, learned cuisine."

Preparation of the ancient Assyrian meals was complex, calling in different recipes for operations like mixing, sprinkling, slicing, squeezing, pounding, steeping, shredding, crumbling, straining and marinating.  Along with the number of steps involved, this complexity implies the availability of a wide selection of kitchen implements and ample culinary installations- both features more likely to be found in a temple or palace than in a private household.  The Mesopotamians, for example, prepared a fermented sauce, which they called siqqu, from fish, shellfish and grasshoppers for both kitchen and table use.  They also had knowledge of the lactic fermentation needed to make cream cheese.  Bottero believes that the Mesopotamian concept of good food was not only worlds away from ours in time, but also in taste.  They liked their food soaked in fats and oils, seemed obsessed with every member of the onion family and may have used much less salt than we do today.

Three of the World's Oldest Known Recipes Recorded Nearly 4000 Years Ago in Bet-Nahrain:

Kid Stew

Singe head, legs, and tail over flame before putting in pot.  Meat, in addition to kid, is needed preferably mutton to sharpen the flavor.  Bring water to boil.  Throw in fat.  Squeeze onion, samidu (a plant probably of the onion family) and garlic to extract juices, add to pot with blood and soured milk.  Add an equal amount of raw suhutinnu (another plant probably of the onion family) and serve.

Tarru-Bird Stew

Besides the tarru birds (which may have been pigeon, quail or partridge) meat from a fresh leg of mutton is needed.  Boil the water, throw fat in.  Dress the tarru and place in pot.  Add coarse salt as needed.  Add hulled cake of malt.  Squeeze onions, samidu, leek, garlic [together] and add to pot along with milk. After cooking and cutting up the tarru, plunge them  to braise in stock from the pot.  Then place them back in the pot in order to finish cooking.  To be brought out for carving.

Braised Turnips

Meat is not needed.  Boil water.  Throw fat in.  Add onion, dorsal thorn (name of unknown plant used as seasoning), coriander, cumin, and kanasu (a legume).  Squeeze leek and garlic and spread juice on dish.  Add onion and mint.

Based on the article "A Babylonian Banquet"
by John Lawton
Aramco World Magazine

(ZNAF:  Baghdad) Iraq accused Turkey of monopolizing the waters of the Tigris & Euphrates rivers in Bet-Nahrain to put pressure on Iraq and Syria.  Iraq complained that Turkey is building dams on the two rivers without taking into consideration the legitimate rights of the Arab countries to the south of its borders.  Baghdad and Damascus have repeatedly accused Turkey of denying them their full rights with its massive GAP water project in Anatolia. Both rivers of Bet-Nahrain originate in the mountainous regions of Turkey.

"I've enjoyed your magazine online and only wish that an independent Assyria would arise one day on the ashes of 'Iraq.' I've written to you before, expressing my outrage at the world's ignoring of the Assyrian
plight. Here in America, Hillary Clinton talks of the need for a 'Palestinian' state. Where is her feelings for an Assyrian state? The hypocrisy is unbelievable and overwhelming...I will continue to surf the beautiful Assyrian websites, including Zenda.  Long Live a Free and Independent Assyria!"

Steven Simpson
New York

ZENDA invites its readers who will be attending this week's Assyrian State Convention of California in Turlock and Modesto to join this year's ACNC 98 to be held at Modesto's DoubleTree Hotel.  For more information see the CALENDAR OF EVENTS.  The following is a complete list of this year's speakers and their topic of discussion.  All sessions are scheduled in the afternoon.

1:00 - 1:10    Welcome Message
                         Francis Sarguis, Conference Chairman

1:10 - 1:20    Conference Agenda - A Brief Introduction
                        Abdulmesih BarAbrahem, Program Chairman

1:20 - 1:45    "Nineveh On Line,  What next?" -
                        Albert Gabrial , Founder and System Administrator

1:45 - 2:15    Assyrian Word Processing for Mac Computers - A DEMO
                         Daniel Kai, Xeno Technology

2:15 - 2:50    "The Role of Telemedicine in Assyrian Refugee Camps"
                        Sarra Nanou

Break (20 Minutes)

3:10 - 3:40    "ZENDA Emergency Response Network (ZERN)"
                        Wilfred Alkhas, Publisher- ZENDA

3:40 - 4:10    "Coordination of Assyrian Mass Media"
                        Wilson Narsai

4:10 - 4:40    "Assyrian Woman"
                        Adrin Takhsh, Free University of Berlin

4:40 - 5:10    "Assyrian for Education: The Hammurabi Elementary School Project"
                        Romena Jonas

5:10 - 5:40    "In Patient Search of Assyrian Education"
                        Francis Sarguis, Editor- Journal of the Assyrian Academic Studies

5:40 - 6:00     Concluding Remarks

The North American Patristic Society is sponsoring a conference on Syriac Studies on Saturday, 30 May. at the Crown Center of Chicago's Loyola University.  Professor Joseph P. Amar will be directing a special session on early church history from 1:30-4:30 PM.  See below for panel information:

1:30-1:55

• "Come, hidden Mother's: Initiatory Spirit Ephicleses Syriac-Speaking Christianity (Acts of Thomas)"   Susan Meyers (University of Notre Dame)

1:55-2:20

• "Ephraem the Surian on the Utility of Language and the Place of Silence" Paul S. Russell (Chevy Chase, Maryland)

2:20-2:45

• "Hellenism in the East: Evidence of Greek Philosophical Concepts in the Writings of Ephrem the Syrian" Ute Possekel (Woburm, Massachusetts)

2:45-3:00         BREAK

3:00-3:25

• "The Image and Glory of God in Jacob of Serug's Homily 'On the Chariot that Ezekiel Saw'; Some Reflections on a Monophysite Christology"  Alexander Golitzin (Marquete University)

3:25-3:55

• "Contextualization of Christian Theology: Moshe bar Kepha's Writings" Abdul Massih Saadi (Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago)

3:55-4:14

• "The Dialogue of John of Edessa and Phineas the Jew" John C. Lamoreaux (Duke University)

Edward Crown Center for the Humanities is located at the far east end of Loyola Avenue.

For Ticket Reservation call :  209-551-4432 & 209-668-8444

If you are an Assyrian University, College, Technical, or High School graduate who completed studies between June 1997 - August 1998 then please call and register in the 4rd Annual Assyrian Graduation Assembly to be held on June 21, 1998 in Chicago, Illinois.  Deadline for Registration is June 14, 1998 !  This event is hosted by the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East with assistance from The Assyrian Academic Society.

High School graduates for 1998 only
College, technical, college, and university graduates for June 97 - August 98
Must be an Assyrian (from any church, it is our honor)
Three hour program includes
Special seating for graduates
Gifts for graduates
Guest speakers
   Student representative speakers
   Video and photographs
All Assyrian educators are invited
Free refreshments
Free admission

For Registration and Information please call:
                  Misha Talya - (773) 463-4200
                  Sara Royal - (773) 777-7370
                  Mary Yonan - (773) 463-7920
                  Tina Yousif (847) 699-1931

Hosted By:
               Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East
               Mar Gewargis Church
               7201 North Ashland
                   Chicago, IL 60626  USA
                   Office: + (1-773) 465-4777
                   Fax: + (1-847) 966-0012

Assyrian Academic Society
Chicago, Illinois

A group of independent Iraqis and Iraqi-Americans will undertake a bus journey touring eleven states from San Francisco, California, to Washington, DC in a campaign to indict Saddam Hussein for his crimes against humanity including the crime of genocide; to implement UN Resolution 688 calling on the Iraqi government to respect the human rights of all its citizens and to call for lifting the economic sanctions against the innocent Iraqi people.

The group will kick off the campaign in California and drive through several states ending in Washington DC. At every stop, the group will carry out public rallies with local Iraqis, Iraqi-Americans, and sympathizers talking to people, government officials, and the media about the Indict Campaign, UN Resolution 688 and the sanctions against innocent civilians, exposing the Iraqi regime's crimes, and collecting signatures on a letter addressed to leaders of the international community. The letter will urge the international community to bring Saddam Hussein and his cronies before an international court of justice and to help the Iraqi people choose their own government based on freedom, justice and respect for human rights for all Iraqis. The Free Iraq Campaign will present the letter and signatures to the American Administration and Congress and to the member states of the United Nations Security Council.

To make this campaign possible, the group is seeking donations from all Iraqis, Iraqi-Americans, and Americans, in funds, effort and time.  We will be following up on the "Free Iraq" journey, bringing you the latest details about the progress of the bus tour.

For more information, contact Nibras Kazimi at nibrask@mediaone.net
Web site at Events Board of  http://www.iraq.net/
Tel. (508) 641-0443
Fax. (617) 876-0839

All donations are to be mailed to:  Iraqi American Committee   P.O. Box 41164   Los Angeles, CA 90041

Free Iraq Campaign Endorsements: (alphabetically)
     Assyrian National Alliance, Chicago, IL
     Canadian Iraqi Community Relief Fund, ONT
     Independent Iraqi Group of North America, Toronto, ONT
     Iraqi American Committee, Los Angeles, CA
     Iraqi Democratic Union, CA, AZ, MI
     Iraqi Forum for Democracy, Nashville, TN
     Iraq Foundation, Washington, DC
     Iraqi Turkoman Association of Toronto, ONT
     Kurdish National Congress of North America
     Muslim Public Affairs Council, Los Angeles, CA

(ZNAf: Beirut) Nearly 700,000 Lebanese voters will participate in this week's elections in which nearly 10,000 candidates are running for the initial round of the first municipal elections in 35 years.  Lebanon last held municipal elections in 1963, but since then polls have been postponed because of political crises and the 15-year civil war.  The first phase of polls will begin this Thursday (May 24) at the district of Mount Lebanon, east of Beirut, where 9,717 candidates are running for 3,728 municipal and mayoral seats.  The poll will determine the popular support of the pro-Syrian government and the Christian opposition, which has boycotted legislative elections since 1992 in protest of Damascus's heavy Syrian influence.  Lebanon is currently dealing with an economic crisis triggered by a 16 billion dollar debt burden built up by the government's massive post-war reconstruction, and opposition to a recent round of tax hikes. Last week Lebanon asked the World Bank for 600 million dollars in medium-term credits for infrastructure projects.

The Christian community constitutes the majority population of Mount Lebanon, apart from the regions of Shouf and Aley which are dominated by Druze communities.  Voting will not take place in 12 villages on Mount Lebanon where there has not yet been a "reconciliation" between the Druze and Christian families who have not returned to their homes there since the end of the 1975-1990 war.  "We are trying to create a positive Christian-Druze atmosphere which could lead to people putting resentments left over by the war behind them," said Dory Chamoun, a Christian opposition leader who is standing in the Christian village of Deir al-Qamar in the Shouf.  Municipal and mayoral elections will be held on the next three Sundays for the five other districts of north Lebanon, Beirut, south Lebanon, Nabatiyeh and the Bekaa. Lebanese aged 21 and older will be eligible to elect 646 municipal councils and 2,041 mukhtars (Assyrian Kokha), or village chiefs, for a six-year term.  Neither will there will be elections in areas of southern Lebanon  still under Israeli occupation or the adjacent Christian-dominated Jezzine region, a stronghold of the Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army (SLA) militia.

The June 1997 elections were postponed because pro-Syrian Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri did not consider conditions favorable to their candidates, pitting them against President Elias Hrawi who wanted elections carried out on time.

May 21	TURLOCK, CALIFORNIA FUNDRAISING DINNER FEATURING NARSAI DAVID Sponsored by the Management, Operations, and Marketing Department California State University, Stanislaus   University Event Center  7:00 p.m. in the .   Tickets:  $37.50 per person, $70 per couple.   Narsai David Scholarship Fund for Assyrian and Business students.   (209) 667-3507 or elkiissa@toto.csustan.edu.
May 22	HAMBURG, GERMANY AN ASSYRIAN EVENING  A Cultural Exchange Event Organized by German Cultural Organizations/Radio&TV  Lectures & Interviews with Several University Professors , Students, & Representatives of Assyrian Organizations from Hamburg, Wiesbaden, Paderborn, Berlin, and & other German Cities are Expected to Attend  Assyrian Dance Groups from Wiesbaden & Hamburg  Appearance on Hamburger Fruehstueckfernseher Television Program  An Event Organized by Elizabeth Karamian
May 22-25	TURLOCK-MODESTO, CALIFORNIA ASSYRIAN STATE CONVENTION OF CALIFORNIA  Sponsored by the Assyrian United Organizations of California  Host:  Assyrian American Civic Club of California
May 23	MODESTO, CALIFORNIA 4th ASSYRIAN COMMUNITY NETWORKING CONFERENCE  See This Week's SURFERS CORNER  Organized by:  Nineveh On Line  1:00-6:00 PM   DoubleTree Hotel (Formerly Red Lion Inn)  Center Plaza, Modesto
May 30	CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SYRIAC STUDIES CONFERENCE  Speakers:  Susan Meyers, Paul S. Russell, Ute Possekel, Alexander Golitzin, Abdul Massih Saadi, John C. Lamoreaux  Edward Crown Center for the Humanities  Loyola Univeristy, Chicago  1:30-4:30 PM
June 6	SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA DEEP SEA FISHING WITH THE AAS Second Annual Deep Sea Salmon Fishing Trip  Assyrian Aid Society of Santa Clara County  Santa Cruz Board Walk  6:00 AM  $55.00/Person; includes accessories and line  Limited to 22- payment due on May 29  Yokie Khaninia at (408) 226-9724  or (650) 968-9241 extension 260
July 4	SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA ASSYRIAN OLYMPIC GAMES
June 21	CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FOURTH ANNUAL GRADUATION ASSEMBLY  Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East   Mar Gewargis Church   7201 North Ashland   Chicago, IL 60626  USA   Office: + (1-773) 465-4777   Fax: + (1-847) 966-0012  For Registration and Information please call:        Misha Talya - (773) 463-4200        Sara Royal - (773) 777-7370        Mary Yonan - (773) 463-7920        Tina Yousif (847) 699-1931
Sep 2-7	WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT ASSYRIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION  Sponsored by the Assyrian American National Federation
Through   2001	CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS NUZI & THE HURRIANS:  FRAGMENTS OF A FORGOTTEN PAST Hurrian settlements in Bet-Nahrain during mid-2nd millennium B.C.  More than 100 objects excavated by Harvard between 1927 & 1931  Harvard University's Semitic Museum  -cuneiform tablets  -seals  -glasswork  -pottery  -beaded jewelry  -lion statuettes from the temple of Ishtar at Nuzi

 

ENGLISH	MODERN ASSYRIAN	GENDER	EXAMPLE
Hurricane	il/aala	Feminine	ilaala d'Florida
Sea Storm	makh/sho/la	Feminine	makkshola khelanta = Strong Sea Storm

 

DATE	FEASTS & MEMORIALS
May 5	Mart Shmoni & Her Sons
May 10	Mar Addai
May 12	Mor Jacob of Nisibin [Syrian Orthodox Church]
May 15	Our Lady of the Fields or Harvest (Mart Maryam, Natdra d'Zaar'a)
May 20	Mor Dodo [Syrian Orthodox Church]
May 21	Feast of the Ascension (Soolaqa)
May 22	Mart Rita
May 28	Feast of the Ascension (Soolaqa) [Syrian Orthodox Church)
May 31	Pentecost

 

BC (2350)

Enheduanna is the earliest known woman poet.  She was the daughter of King Sargon of Akkad and served as the priestess of the moon god, Nanna in the city of Ur. She is credited for the writing of a cycle of songs in praise of the most important temples in Sumer and an impassioned poem directed to the goddess Inanna asking for help when a revolution in Ur threatened her life.

The Sumerians, Odijk

Abraham, a kinsman of James, the brother of Jesus of Nazareth, was appointed to succeed as the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church.  He ruled over the church until A.D. 152.  During his time, Assyrians were sorely persecuted by the Persian king.

The Ashurbanipal Library Newsletter, Vol I, #4 (1988)

Location	Class	Instructor	Date	Time	Location
Chicago	Introductory Classical Assyrian  alphabet and the vowel system, basic literacy skills & vocabulary	Saad Sadi	APR 4 JUN 27	Saturdays  3-5 PM	North Park Univ Carlson Tower  Room C44
Chicago	Introductory Modern Assyrian I  alphabet and the vowel system, basic literacy skills & vocabulary	Zaia Kanoon	APR 9 JUN 25	Thursdays  7-9 PM	North Park Univ  Sohlberg  Room B-3
Chicago	Introductory Modern Assyrian II  reading & writing,  & elementary grammar.	Zaia Kanoon	APR 4 JUN 27	Saturdays  3-5 PM	North Park Univ  Carlson Tower  Room C42

The woman in labor is having a difficult labor,
Her labor is dificult, the baby is stuck,
the baby is stuck!
The door bolt is locked, about to end life,
The door is fastened against the suckling kid,
the woman giving birth is covered with death's dust,
She is covered with the dust of battle, like a chariot,
She is covered with the dust of tuffets, like a plow.
She sprawls in her own blood, like a struggling warrior,
Her eyesight is waning, she cannot see,
Her lips are coated, she cannot open them,
Her eyesight is dim, she is alarmed, her ears cannot hear!
Her breast is not held in, her headbands are askew,
She is not veiled with, she has no shame.
Stand by me and keep calling out, O Merciful Marduk,
"Here is the confusion, I'm surrounded, get to me!"
Bring out the one sealed up, created by the gods,
Created by mankind, let him come out and see the light!

A Mesopotamian prayer, written around 3700 B.C, to help in the delivery of a child stuck in the womb.

From Distant Days, Foster

May 23, 1829:  dies, Mar Kalman Yosip David, Metropolitan of the Assyrian Church of the East in Damascus.  He was an Assyrian linguistics scholar and had written books on the Assyrian grammar and a modern Assyrian translation of the Bible.

ZENDA salutes the organizers of this year's Assyrian Community Networking Conference in Modesto, California for bringing together an impressive group of Assyrian activists, engineers, students, and publishers.  All invited guests have one thing in common- they represent the new generation of modern Assyrian thinkers and reformers enthusiastically preparing for the arrival of the next century.  The many long hours of  preparation in the span of a few months will finally culminate in the next weekend's gathering where a variety of topics from the technical areas of the Internet to the future of gender relations will be discussed in a slide-show format.  Although the name may be misleading the topics do include subjects that may have none in common with the technical world of "networking" in the Silicon Valley sense.  Rather, the attendees and the speakers are given an opportunity to "network" face-to-face whereas they have in the past year only been communicating via the web and the impersonal email messaging systems.  In the coming issues ZENDA will provide a complete report on the proceedings of this conference.  For a complete list of the ACNC '98 organizers click here.

ZENDA REQUESTS:

-AN ASSYRIAN MOTHER SEEKS A LIVE-IN SITUATION

An Assyrian woman from Baghdad and in her early 60's is looking for an Assyrian family in need of a live-in person to take care of an elderly or any member of the family.  This dependable and reliable Assyrian mother arrived in the U.S. two years ago and has been taking care of an elderly non-Assyrian woman in Turlock, California where she currently lives.  She lives alone, her English is limited and therefore prefers to be with an Assyrian family.  If you are in need of such a person or know of someone who may use the services of this Assyrian woman please contact ZENDA.

-JOIN ZENDA'S CLASS OF 1998

It's that time of the year again and ZENDA is preparing the list of all Assyrian graduates from the colleges and universities around the world.  If you are such a person or know of someone (daughter, son, friend, etc.) please contact ZENDA with the following information:

                            Example:
Student's Name     (Sargina Atoureta)
Major:                  (Electrical Engineering)
Degree:                 (Master's Degree)
School:                 (Free University of Babylon)

ZENDA will announce the names of its Class of 1998 graduating students in the June 15 issue.  Your student need not be a ZENDA reader.

From all of us at ZENDA a heartfelt congratulation to the Class of 1998!

CORPORATE ACCOUNTS	UNIVERSITY ACCOUNTS	PERSONAL ACCOUNTS
AT&T  Ericsson Hewlett-Packard Yaskawa		Australia  Bolingbrook, Illinois Ontario, Canada

                             

This Week's Contributors:

Abdul Massih Saadi	Chicago, Illinois	Surfers Corner
Albert Gabrial	Turlock, California	Surfers Corner
Albert Isaaco	Suttercreek, California	Surfers Corner
Lena Mushell	San Jose, California	Surfers Corner
Martin David	Modesto, California	Zenda Requests
Nadia Joseph	Chicago, Illinois	Surfers Corner

               

Thank You For Referring ZENDA to a Friend:

David Chibo	Australia
Firas Jatou	Ontario, Canada
Ghassan Hanna	San Mateo, California
Martin Mirza	Wheeling, Illinois

 

The Directory of ZENDA News Sources

ZNAA (Assyrian Academic Society-Chicago)
ZNAD (Assyrian Democratic Organization)
ZNAF (Agence France-Presse)
ZNAI  (Assyrian International News Agency)
ZNAK (American Kurdish
ZNAM (Archeology Magazine)
ZNAP (Associated Press International)
ZNBN (Bet-Nahrain Inc/ KBSV-TV "AssyriaVision")
ZNCO (
ZNCN (ClariNews)
ZNIF (Iraq Foundation)
ZNDA (Zenda: zenda@ix.netcom.com)
ZNIN (Iraqi National Congress)
ZNLT (Los Angeles Times)
ZNMN (San Jose Mercury News)
ZNMW (Mideast Newswire)
ZNNQ (Nabu Quarterly)
ZNNV (Nineveh Magazine)
ZNQA (Qala Atouraya- Moscow)
ZNRU (Reuters)
ZNSH (Shotapouta Newsletter)
ZNSJ (San Jose Mercury News)
ZNSM (Shufimafi Lebanese News)
ZNSO (Syrian Orthodox News "SOCNews")
ZNTM (Time Magazine)
ZNUP (United Press International)
ZNUS (US News & World Report)