Ignatius of Jesus

Ignatius of Jesus (, born Carlo Leonelli; 1596, Sorbolongo, Pesaro – 21 February 1667, Rome) was an Italian Roman Catholic friar of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites who served as a missionary in Persia, Basra, and Lebanon for 35 years. He is best known for writing the first Western scholarly work on Mandaeism, Narratio originis, rituum, & errorum christianorum Sancti Ioannis ("Narration of the Origin, the Rituals, and the Errors of the Christians of St. John").

Biography 1596, Carlo Leonelli was born as the fifth of sixth siblings to a semi-noble family in Sorbolongo. and took his vows on 27 February 1623, receiving the name of Ignatius of Jesus.

1629–1634: Isfahan 1634–1641: Shiraz 1641–1652: Basra 1652–1664: Lebanon

He died in Rome on 21 February 1667.

His other works include Grammatica linguae persicae (1661), a grammar of the Persian language.