Theological controversies that arose in the first half of the 5th century regarding the teachings of Nestorius (d. 450) resulted in the creation of a specific term: "Nestorians", that was used to designate those Christians who shared his views in the fields of Christology and Mariology. That term was applied to all who agreed wit teaching of Nestorius, both within the borders of Roman Empire and beyond, regardless of their ethnic, linguistic or other backgrounds. Among Greek Christians, Nestorianism was eventually suppressed, but within some communities of Syriac Christians, particularly those beyond Byzantine imperial borders, support for Nestorius persisted, particularly within the Church of the East in the Sassanian Empire, where Nestorius came to be counted among the "teachers of the Church" and eventually became venerated as a saint. Since it was the only Christian denomination that practiced such reverence for Nestorius, the term "Nestorians" became commonly used as designation for adherents of the Church of the East in general, regardless of the fact that its official theological positions, finally formulated by the Babai the Great at the council of 612, was distinctive both in essence and terminology.