The unrestricted optimism that greeted the publication of Mešīhā-Zekā's work has gradually been replaced by a well-founded scepticism, particularly following the Bollandist Paul Peeters' fundamental, critical work, "Le Passionnaire d' Adiabene." This scepticism, however, in no way denies its value, in some fields very significant, but fastens upon the fact that the main source, the "teacher" malfānā or "author" maktèbānā, Abel, and the work itself are unnoticed in Nestorian literature. As there is no other way of verifying or even of rendering probable its information concerning the ancient history of Persian Christianity, the "Chronicle of Arbela" can be disregarded as a primary source. It represents the common tendency of the ancients to establish an unbroken connection with the period of the Apostles, and it may be compared to the work describing the Christianization of Osrhoene, Doctrina Addai. This also records the apocryphal stories of Jesus' correspondence with King Abgar and the finding of the Cross. The principal character, Addai, Peqīdā's teacher and "one of the 72 Apostles" is sent to Edessa by the Apostle Judas Thomas. Here, through the intervention of the Jew Tobias ben Tobias, he comes in contact with King Akbar Ukāmā (Abgar V, 4 BC to AD 7 and later AD 13 to AD 50), who is converted to Christianity. The missionary activities of Addai are taken up and carried on effectively "in all this country of Mesopotamia" (bet nahrin, fol. 31a at end) by his disciple Aggai. After his violent death, Palut takes his place after being ordained by Serapion, bishop of Antioch, who himself "had received the hand of priesthood from Zephyrinus, bishop of the City of Rome." The whole work gives the impression of a legend and is even more clearly a formulated attempt to establish a positive apostolic succession than is the "Chronicle of Arbela." As Serapion was bishop around 190-210 AD, and Zephyrinus from 198 to 217, it can only be Abgar VIII the Great (177-212) of the Edessa kings who, probably for political reasons, accepted Christianity and at whose court lived the gnostic Bardaisān. The "Chronicle of Edessa," when referring to the catastrophic flood in the year 513 of the Seleucid era (AD 201), describes an Akbar freed of all legendary features in a manner that takes for granted a positive attitude to Christinaity on his part.

The "History (taš'ītā) of the Apostle Mār Mārī" is in the same literary category as Doctrina Addai. It is a book with a purpose, expressing Seleucia-Ctesiphon's ambitions of supremacy. The book tells of Mār Mārī's leaving Edessa after the death of his teacher and going to Nisibis, which he Christianized. Later, with the help of his disciples, he expanded the missionary work into the various Iranian provinces, and himself went south to Bet Arāmāye, Babylonia, where he founded a bishopric at Koke (Seleucia-Ctesiphon), and to Susiana (Bet Huzāye) and Persis (Bet Pārsāye). In these areas he confirmed that indigenous merchants converted by Addai had laid a solid foundation. Shortly before his death, Mār Mārī named his disciple Pāpā as his successor. The characteristics of the legend are unmistakable, but in spit of all misgivings on this and on the two other texts, they cannot eo ipso be disregarded as having no historical value. To have been acceptable to people at the time, the lengends must have been based upon historical fact. They will not stand up in detail to critical analysis, but some of their historical bases can be clearly set out.

-The Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3(2): The Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian Periods, ed. Ehsan Yarshater (NY: Cambridge UP, 1983), 926-927.