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Jacobites are the Monophysites of Syria. They have never been more than a comparatively small, poor and scattered sect. They never succeeded in capturing all Syria, as their co-religionists the Copts captured all Egypt. Now, especially, they are a very small body scattered around Diyārbakr, with colonies in most Syrian towns. In religion they agree with the Copts, with whom they are in communion. In rite they are quite different. They alone keep, in the Syriac language, the old rite of Antioch. This is perhaps the chief importance of the sect to students.

In discussing the general history of Monophysism we have seen that already in the 5th century the Egyptian party (against Chalcedon) made many converts, expecially monks, in Palestine