asahel grant was born at marshall, new york, studied medicine at pittsfield, massachusetts, and practiced in utica, new york. in 1835 he went as a missionary with the american board of commissioners for foreign missions to iran. he settled at urmia and worked among the nestorians there and elsewhere in western asia. he died in mosul in the ottoman empire. he was a daring adventurer throughout the middle east, but had little success in converting the fierce nestorians, whom he considered among the "ten lost tribes" of israel. he wrote "the nestorians" and an appeal for christian doctors to engage in missionary work.