He was born in Talkef of Shimʿun Jamīl and Farīdeh. In 1866 he joined the Monastery of Rabban Hormizd, whose Abbot then was Elishaʿ Tīshā. In 1869, he accompanied his Abbot and Patr. Yawsep Audo to the first Vatican Council, and there attended the Propaganda school until 1879. He was ordained a priest in 1879 for St. Mary’s Monastery near Alqosh, and established a school there in 1880. In 1885 he was appointed by Patriarch Eliya ʿAbū al-Yūnān to visit the faithful of the northern areas. He was appointed a vicar for the diocese of ʿAqra for one year. In 1892, he accompanied Toma Audo on a pastoral visit to the mountain villages for purposes of unifying a split in the church. In 1895 he served as a delegate to the Vatican for Patriarch ʿAbdishoʿ Khayyāṭ for seven years. He was elected a general Abbot for the Chald. monks three times (1881–1983/4, 1887–94, and 1900–1917).

In addition to his numerous scholarly works in Arabic, Latin, and Italian, he translated from Latin back into Syriac a theological book written originally in Syriac by Adam ʿAqraya around 1610–13 which was later translated into Latin (the original Syriac was lost).