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Edessa is the name, in the West, for the city today called Urfa somewhere at the border of Turkey and Iraq. Assyrians have always called it 'Urhay' meaning in Aramaic the 'city (or place) of light'. In fact, the name Edessa itself is the corruption of the name (word) 'Edessu' which also in Akkadian (the ancient language of the Assyrians) meant the 'city of light'.
Edessa, Urhay, was that beautiful, attractive and stunningly glamorous young lady, who, when walking in the street, all young men (even some old men!) would look at her admiringly, and also would passionately desire to lay a hand on her. Yes indeed, for centuries different kingdoms, rulers and empires, each at a time, laid their hands on her and ruled her. Some of these are, Persian Empire, Alexander the Great, Arab rulers, Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire and Egyptian rulers and so on. But one thing was unchanged about Edessa (Urhay) throughout all that period and all those vicissitudes, and that was the fact that it was always an 'Assyrian City'. That is, though its population consisted of different peoples and communities, Assyrians were the majority and also prominent: culturally, educationally and intellectually. Assyrians had been there probably before their Empire declined. Anyhow, let me say, that 'beautiful Edessa' was conquered (regained) by Ottomans in 1637, and since then she has been part of Turkey. Her name, 'Urhay' (city of light) was changed to 'Urfa'.
After the fall of Assyrian Empire in 612 BC, the surviving Assyrians, who had taken refuge in certain northern parts of today's Iraq, set up a small kingdom, also known as a 'principality', in that part of Mesopotamia and its capital city became Edessa. The 'principality' was called 'Osroene'; the name refers to 'ten chiefs', a group of ten leaders. 'OSRO' in Assyrian, Aramaic, means ten.
The Kings of Edessa, with the exception of a few, were all Assyrians. Abgar (King Abgar), contrary to the views of many people, was an Assyrian and not an Arab. The very name/word 'Abgar' consists of the shortenings of two Assyrian (Aramaic) words: 'Ab' is the abbreviation of the word 'Aba' meaning 'father', and 'Gar' is the abbreviation of the word 'Gawra' (Gora) meaning, in this context, 'Great', 'Elder', 'one who is in authority'. So Abgar means 'Great Father', 'Father-in-authority'. And Greek's 'Patriarch' is a transliteration of the word 'Abgar'. Incidentally, there are many words in Greek language today, particularly in philosophy, etc., that are Aramaic, or can be traced to Aramaic words.
The name, Urhai (Edessa) has always been significant among the Assyrians not only for them as the reminiscent of once being the city of the Assyrians' educational and cultural center, but also in relation to (the beginning of ) their Christianity. Let us see how.
At the time of Jesus, King Abgar V (UKOMO) who had been suffering from an incurable disease was the King of Edessa, also by some referred to as Prince of Edessa. Abgar wrote a letter to Jesus, saying that he believed in Jesus as the Son of God, and also he believed in his amazing miracles about which he had heard. King Abgar in his letter is asking Jesus to come and give him healing. At the end of his letter says that he has heard that the Jews are persecuting Him, thus, he is suggesting that Jesus could come and stay and live in his City. Jesus replies to his letter as follows:
'Blessed art thou Abgar who, without
seeing, has believed in me. For it is
written concerning me, that they who
have seen me will not believe, that they
who have not seen may believe and live.
But in regard to what thou has written,
that I should come to thee, it is necessary
that I should fulfil all things here, for
which I have been sent. And after this
fulfilment, thus to be received again
by Him that sent me. After having been
received up, I will send to thee a certain
disciple that he may heal thy affliction,
and give life to thee and to those who
are with thee.'
And after the Ascension of Jesus to the Mystical Eternity of the Heavenly Father, Mar Addai one of the seventy disciples was sent to Edessa in order to heal Abgar. This took place at the 'Christ-inspired request' of St. Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus (or, as we read in some places at the Command of Lord Himself). Mar Addai (Lord Addai) in the West is called 'Thaddeus'. Mar Addai was not alone in this journey (though some texts don't mention this); he was accompanied by one of his close friends and followers, called Mar Mari (Maree); he too was one of the seventy. In Edessa they visited King Abgar. After a brief conversation, Mar Addai, a truly Holy man, put his hand on Abgar's head and said,
'I place my hand upon thee in the
name of Eshoo Msheekha [meaning in Aramaic,
Jesus Christ ], and in His name you are healed.'
Healing took place immediately. Many other people, including those who were with Abgar, were healed too. During his short stay in Edessa, Mar Addai preached the Gospel of the Christ. He also organized that a church with Abgar's money should to built Edessa: 'The Blessed City'. Yes indeed, Urhai (Edessa) became the first Christian City. And its people, mostly Assyrian, accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Meanwhile in other cities and towns Christianity was rapidly spreading among the Assyrians chiefly in the region of Adiabene which later became central to the growth and rapid expansion of the Church that was founded in Seleuquia-Ctesiphon, in Babylon ---- The Church of The East.
The two Holy Assyrian men, Mar Addai and Mar Mari, were preparing to leave Edessa for Babylon to join the 'Christ-inspired group' in establishing the first Church, which I just mentioned.
Incidentally, we can read this fascinating story in the book written by the great Ecclesiastical Historian, Eusebius (4th century), and in the well-known 'Doctrine of Addai'. (Mar Addai, Lord Addai, was one of the greatest early theologians and a religious philosopher.) And also, it is wonderful to read it in Assyriac Aramaic, the language of the correspondence between Abgar, the Prince of Edessa, and Jesus, the Prince of Peace.