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Abraham Yohannan was born April 26, 1853, in Urmi, Persia. Having received his preliminary education in the town-school and at home, he entered Urmi College, Urmi, Persia in 1864. He took a six years' course which involved the study of Oriental languages, as Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Armenian, Science and Theology.

He graduated in 1870 and received his appointment to give instruction in Oriental languages in Urmi College, until 1886 when he was called to America to assist in the revision of the Scriptures in Modern Syriac under the auspices of the Bible Society . In 1888, he entered the General Theological Seminary in New York and graduated two yeras later. He founded the Oriental Mission and joined it to St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, New York, where was promoted to the Holy orders of Priesthood by Bishop Potter of New York in 1891.

In 1893, he entered the School of Philosophy of Columbia University, to pursue his studies in some of the Semitic languages under Prof. R. J. H. Gottheil, and Indo-Iranian under Prof A.V.W. Jackson, and received the degree of A.M. in 1895. Upon achieving this degree, he was appointed Lecturer in Modern Oriental languages at Columbia, and was candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, his subjects being the Semitic and Indo-Iranian languages.

Starting in 1900 he was engaged in giving instruction in the Oriental languages in Columbia University, and is in charge of the Oriental Mission of St. Bartholomew's church.