"Mar Isaac of Nineveh, a native of Beth Qatraye, was born in the early part of the 7th century. He was ordained bishop of Nineveh, but resigned the office after only five months to pursue the life of a solitary monk. Among the many writers of the Assyrian Church of the East on the spiritual life, Mar Isaac is considered the greatest. His writings have enjoyed a wide circulation among Christians in the east and west through translations into eighteen classical and modern languages. The fact that Mar Isaac is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches is a remarkable testimony to the profound influence his writings have had on the spiritual life of many Christians. This also testifies to the truth that spirituality often provides a means to transcend the narrow confines of sectarian differences. This volume contains an English translation of the original Syriac texts edited and published by Fr. Paul Bedjan in 1909" --