▁Sab r ish o ʿ ▁was ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁Beth ▁Nu had ra , ▁who ▁was ▁consec r ated ▁bishop ▁of ▁Har ran ▁by ▁the ▁metropol itan ▁Y uw an is ▁of ▁N is ib is , ▁and ▁transferred ▁by ▁Tim othy ▁to ▁the ▁arch di oc ese ▁of ▁Dam asc us . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁expert ▁in ▁church ▁rit ual , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁otherwise ▁gift ed . ▁ ▁He ▁gave ▁a ▁magnific ent ▁reception ▁to ▁al - Ma ʿ mun ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁Christians ▁in ▁his ▁suite ▁on ▁the ▁occasion ▁of ▁their ▁visit ▁to ▁Dam asc us , ▁thereby ▁winning ▁the ▁grat itude ▁of ▁all . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁and ▁consec r ated ▁patri arch ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 1 7 ▁of ▁the ▁Arab s , ▁and ▁soon ▁afterwards ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁great ▁monaster y ▁and ▁restored ▁the ▁church ▁of ▁the ▁monaster y ▁of ▁Mar ▁P eth ion , ▁an ▁ancient ▁monaster y ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ians . ▁ ▁Because ▁al - M ans ur ▁had ▁built ▁his ▁city ▁[ Bag hd ad ] ▁and ▁people ▁had ▁f locked ▁there ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁it , ▁Sab r ish o ʿ ▁demol ished ▁those ▁churches , ▁because ▁many ▁people ▁were ▁considering ▁squ atting ▁in ▁them , ▁but ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁san ctu ary ▁and ▁the ▁alt ar ▁int act , ▁and ▁he ▁re built ▁the ▁conf essional ▁and ▁the ▁port ico . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁built ▁a ▁school , ▁and ▁gathered