George of Arbela (Syriac: Giwargis bar Tobi) was an East Syriac churchman and author who served as the metropolitan of Mosul and Erbil (Arbela) from c. 960 until after 987. George was relatively young man when he first put himself forward as a candidate for the patriarchate of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in 960/961. Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥasan ibn Ibrāhīm, the Christian treasurer of the Emir Muʿizz al-Dawla, used his influence to procure the election of Israel of Kashkar. Already ninety years old, Israel died in September. George stood for election again when the metropolitans gathered in 963, being passed over in favour of ʿAbdishoʿ I, the emir's preferred candidate. George stood down at the next patriarchal election in 987, since the Emir Sharaf al-Dawla, who had just taken Baghdad by force, recommended th