Abda and Abdisho
Abda and Abdisho | |
---|---|
Bishops, Martyrs | |
Died | 16 May 376 |
Venerated in | Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Church of the East |
Feast | 16 May |
Abdisho and Abda were two successive
Accused by his nephew of being a spy for the
In Abdisho's absence, a new bishop was appointed, Abda, who was soon also accused of spying for Rome. He was arrested with 28 others and seven virgins and all were led in chains to Gondeshapur. According to the hagiography, they refused to worship the sun and each received one hundred lashes. Two Christian brothers, Barhadbshabba and Samuel, voluntarily joined them. All but the virgins were beheaded on 15 May 376. The next day, Abdisho and Abd Alaha were dealt the same fate. Roman slaves from a nearby village took the bodies. The virgins were executed on 22 May.[1]
There may have been a political aspect to the persecution, since the king was attempting to establish Mazdaism as the state religion and judged Christians as the natural allies of the Romans.[2] The historian Sozomen wrote about 22 martyrs who were tortured together. He mentions Abdas and Abdisho in 15th and 16th places in his list of martyrs. This information is worth trusting because it was written less than 100 years after their death.[3]
Their feast day is 16 May in the
38 companions
The biographical text
- Priests (16)[4]
- Abd Alaha
- Simeon
- Abraham
- Aba
- Ajabel
- Joseph
- Han
- Ebedjesu
- Abdallah
- John
- Ebedjesu
- Maris
- Berhadbesciaba
- Rozichaeus
- Abdallah
- Ebedjesu
- Deacons (9)
- Eliab
- Ebedjesu
- Marjab
- Maris
- Abdias
- Berhadbesciaba
- Han
- Simeon
- Maris
- Monks (6)
- Papa
- Evolesus
- Ebedjesu and three others
- Unnamed virgins (7).
References
- ^ a b c Jean Maurice Fiey, Saints Syriaques (Darwin Press, 2004), pp. 18–19.
- ^ Lucchesi, Giovanni. "Santi Abda and Ebedieso", Santi e Beati, July 20, 2011
- ^ Santi Abda e Ebedieso Martiri, 16 maggio Retrieved on 8 Feb 2018
- ^ Holweck, F. G. A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1924, p. 2
Sources
- Fr. Joseph Irvin Vespers: Orthodox Service Books - Number 6. Lulu Press, Inc, 28 September 2017.
- Fr. Joseph Irvin The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: Orthodox Service Books - Number 1, Lulu Press, Inc, 8 July 2017.