The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian church/Hamle

by Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Hamle

Hamle 1 (July 8)

On this day the holy virgin Cephronia became a martyr. This fighter of the spiritual fight gave herself to our Lord Jesus Christ. She was the sister of the abbess of a nunnery (wherein there were fifty virgins, now the nunnery lay between two rivers) whose name was ‘Ariana, and she brought her up in the fear of God, and taught her to read the Divine Books. And she fought a good fight, and devoted herself to God, and she fasted for two days at a time, and she prayed many prayers. Now this holy woman ‘Ariana was exceedingly beautiful. When Diocletian, the infidel, commended his officers to make men worship idols, they seized many Christians and they became martyrs. When the virgins heard this they went forth from the nunnery and hid themselves, and there was no one left in the nunnery except the abbess ‘Ariana, and this Saint Cephronia, and another sister. And on the following day the envoys of the emperor came to the nunnery, and they seized the abbess and bound her with fetters, and then searched for the other virgins. And saint Cephronia said unto them, “Come, take me, and set free this old woman”; and they took her, and bound her with fetters of iron, and carried her to the city; now at that time her days were twelve years; and the abbess followed her weeping. And when they brought her to the governor he asked her saying, “Wilt thou worship the idols?” And he promised her many things [if she would do so]. But she refused to obey him, and she spurned his promises. And he commanded the soldiers to beat her with rods, and they did so. And he commanded them to rip up her clothes, and they ripped them up so that her body became visible. And the abbess cried out at him, saying, “May God rip thee up, O wicked infidel, even as thou wishest to put to shame this little girl.” And the governor was wroth, and he commanded them to bind Saint Cephronia, and to torture her on the wheel and to cut her body with iron saws; and they did this to her until all her body was sawn in pieces. And she prayed to God, and sought for help from Him, and no injury happened to her. After this they cut out her tongue, and smashed her teeth, and they cut off her limbs and burnt her body with fire; and our Lord Jesus Christ raised her up without suffering. When the governor was tired of torturing her he commanded them to cut off her head with the sword, and then she received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And a certain rich man, who was a believer, came and took her body, and wrapped it up in beautiful silk wrappings, and laid it in a coffin of gold, and many signs and miracles took place through her. Salutation to Cephronia.

And on this day also died the holy fighters Kalyos, Archbishop of Rome, and Bartholomew, and Gebre Medhin, the monk and righteous man.

And on this day also died the saints and fighters, the two priests, who were brothers, Beyus and Benjamin. These saints were priests in the church of the city of Tuna, in the district of Tida, in Lower Egypt, and they were brothers. Their father was steward of the church, and he was an excellent and meek man. His two sons were perfect in holiness, and God wrought great signs and wonders by their hands. And they healed the sick, for they used to wash the sick in water from the well of the church, and they were healed of their sicknesses straightway. And at the time when death was drawing nigh to their father, the priest Benjamin was putting on the priestly vestments in order to go up into the sanctuary, to consecrate the Offering; and one told him saying, “Thy father is nigh unto death and he is asking for thee.” And Saint Benjamin said, “I cannot take off the priestly vestments until I have finished the Office; if God willth me to see him before his death, [good and well,] and if not, God’s Will be done.” And whilst he was speaking thus his father sent a messenger, asking for him a third time. And when he had finished the Office he found that his father was dead, and he was exceedingly sorry, because the money and the sacred possessions of the church were deposited with him, and he did not know where his father had laid them. And his brother Beyus counseled him to go to the desert of Scete, and to ask the holy elders there about the sacred possessions of the church. And when Saint Benjamin had gone to the desert of Scete, he went and held converse with Saint Abba Daniel, Abbot of the desert of Scete, and Abba Daniel told him about everything which had happened, and he commanded him to go to a certain righteous man, who would make him to know everything that had happened to the property. And Benjamin went to him, and he revealed to him where the sacred money was, and he took it away with him. And after this the saint and his brother devoted themselves to every kind of good and noble and perfect spiritual fight, and they became believers. In those days, what was left of the holy Body (i.e. the sacramental bread) they laid up [in a coffer] for [use in] sickness, and when any one was nigh to die, they gave him some of it. And Satan, in the form of a serpent, came and moved the coffer, and made a hole in it, and went in and ate the Body which rested therein; and the serpent was in the habit of going into that box, and eating the holy Body which was therein. And when the saints knew this they wept, and Benjamin, who was exceedingly sorrowful, killed the serpent; and then they took counsel together as to whether they should eat the serpent, because the holy Body [was inside it]. And they asked God to inform them if this was His good pleasure, and the angel of God appeared unto them, and commanded them to eat the serpent; and they ate it. And after this they died, and God revealed their work and their strife to a certain holy virgin, and she told the people how the saints had lived. And they built for them a beautiful church, and many signs and miracles were made manifest by their bodies, and these are mentioned in [the story of] their fight. Salutation to Benjamin and to Beyus.

And on this day also [took place] the testimony of ‘Agnatyos (Ignatius), the Archbishop.

And on this day also Thomas the apostle worked a miracle for the woman who was killed in a tavern. There was a certain young man who used to do an unseemly thing, and he took a piece of the sacramental bread to put into his mouth; and his two hands withered, and he was unable to put [the bread] into his mouth. And the man who saw him told the holy apostle what had taken place, and the apostle called him. And he said unto him, “Tell me, my son, what thou didst do. Be not ashamed, for the grace of God hath admonished thee.” And the man bowed down at his feet, and he said unto him, “I have done an abominable thing, though I thought I was doing a good one. I loved a certain woman who served in a tavern, and I said unto her, ‘Remain pure, even as thou hast taught me that thou art pure.’ And when she refused I took a sword and killed her.” And the apostle said unto him, “How couldst thou let anger make thee to commit the act of the Serpent?” And straightway the holy apostle commanded one to bring him water, and he prayed over the water, and said unto the man, “Dost thou believe in our Lord Jesus Christ? Wash thy hand”; and the man washed his hand and it was healed and became as it was before. Then the apostle said unto him, “Come, lead me to the dead body.” And the young man went with the apostle, and brought him unto the place where he had stabbed the woman. And when the apostle saw her he was very sorry, for she was very beautiful; and he commanded the young man to bring her out, and to lay her on a bed, and the people did as he commanded. And he laid his hand upon her, and prayed, and having finished his prayer he said unto the young man, “Go and say unto her, holding her hand, ‘I with my hand killed thee, and with my hand Christ raiseth thee, up through Faith.’” And the young man drew nigh unto her, and he said to her, “I believe in our Lord Christ,” and as he did so he drew the woman’s hand [to him], and she leaped up and sat down, and many people who were there saw her. And she looked at the holy apostle, and left her bed, and bowed down at his feet. And she took the hem of his garment, and said unto him, “Where is the other one who was with thee, and who committed me to thee?” And the apostle said unto her, “Where didst thou arrive? Tell me.” And she answered and said unto him, “A man who was wholly black, and wearing foul raiment, took me and carried me into a place of darkness, wherein there were many pits; and there was a horrible smell there. And I saw a pit of fire, which blazed, and a wheel of fire, and souls were bound to that wheel. And I also saw another pit of fire, which was filled with boiling filth and worms, and there were souls, which were being rolled therein. And some were hung up by their tongues, and some by their hair, and some by their hands, and some by their feet, and the heads of some were under a layer of smoke and they were being smoked with sulfur. And I also saw a place of darkness, which was very dense. And he who was guiding me said unto me, ‘These are the souls of fornicators, and calumniators, and liars, and plunderers, and stealers, and murderers, and of those who never visited the sick, and who did not remember the Law of God; therefore they are rewarded according to their works.’” And the apostle said unto those men who were there, “Do ye hear what this woman saith? This is not the only punishment which God hath in store for the wicked, but there is worse than this. And turn ye to God, and forsake the working of sin, and the evil mind, and dwell in Faith, and with a meek spirit and with holiness, and ye shall receive grace from Him.” And all the people believed in God, and they collected much gold in order that he might give alms to the poor, for the people was wont to give alms. And the fame of him arrived in all countries and cities, and the people took up all those who were sick or diseased, and those who were possessed of evil spirits, and those who were lunatics, and those who were tormented as they lay on their beds, and brought them and laid them down in the place where the apostle was. And he healed them all by the might of our Lord Jesus Christ. Salutation to Thomas. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 2 (July 9)

On this day died Saint Thaddeus the apostle, who was one of the Twelve Great Apostles. This blessed apostle our Lord chose, and he was of the number of the Twelve Apostles. When the Holy Spirit Paraclete had descended upon him, he departed into all the cities, and preached the preaching of the Holy Gospel, and he turned many of the Jews and pagans to the knowledge of their Creator, and he baptized them with Christian baptism. One day as he was journeying in the country of Syria our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him in the form of a young man with a goodly presence, and He said unto him, “Peace be unto thee O My beloved Thaddeus, the apostle! Fear not, I will be with thee.” And the apostle said unto Him, “May Thy peace be with me.” And then He gave him the salutation of “Peace,” and went up into heaven. When the apostle drew nigh unto the city, he saw an old man ploughing the fields, and he went to him and said unto him, “Peace be unto thee.” And he also said unto him, “O old man, give me bread to eat”; and the old man said unto him, “I have none here.” But stay with the oxen, and I will go and fetch some for thee to eat.” And he said unto him, “Go in peace,” and when the old man went the apostle remained with the oxen, [and said,] “The man hath gone to do me a kindness.” And he rose up, and seized the plough, and he cried out to the oxen so that he might plough. And Peter, the chief of the Apostles, sowed for him, for he was with him then, and he blessed the seed in the Name of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ. And Thaddeus ploughed three furrows, and the seed germinated that day, and became ears filled with wheat. When the old man returned to the fields, and saw what the apostle had done, he fell down at his feet and said, “Art thou God Who hath come down from heaven?” And Thaddeus said unto him, “I am not God, but a servant of God.” And that [old] man said unto him, “In return for the good which thou hast done for me I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.” And the apostle said unto him, “It is unnecessary for thee to do this, but take thine oxen and lead them back to their master, and make known to thy wife that I am here, and let her prepare supper in your house, that I may eat; for I was to go into this city and tarry [there] this day for the Lord Jesus Christ hath called me.” And the man took the ears of corn from the fields, which the apostles had sown, and he came unto the city with his oxen. And when he came unto the city the men saw him carrying ears of corn, and they said unto him, “Where didst thou get these ears of corn this day? Is it not the time for sowing?” And he answered them never a word, and took back the oxen to their owner; and he came unto his dwelling, and they made ready a good [meal] for the apostle. And the story of the man came to the nobles of the city, and they sent to him, saying, “Where didst thou get these ears of corn? Tell us, that thou mayest not die an evil death.” And he answered and said unto them, “A certain man passed whilst I was ploughing”; and he told them the whole story to the end. And the nobles said unto him, “Go and bring him to us,” and the man said unto them, “Wait a little; he is coming to my house, and when he cometh ye can see him.” And Satan corrupted the hearts of the nobles, and they said, “Woe be unto us if this man be one of the Twelve Man who are magicians! Rise up, let us go out to kill him.” And other men answered and said, “We cannot kill him, for we have heard that Jesus their God doeth what they want; but let us take a woman, and set her naked outside the city; and when the apostle wisheth to come into the city and seeth her, he will not enter.” And they brought a woman who was a harlot, and stripped her naked, and set her by the gates, and when the apostle had come to the gates of the city he saw the naked woman, and she perceived that wickedness of her deed. And the apostle prayed and said, “O my Lord Jesus Christ, send Michael the Archangel, and let him hang up this woman by the hair of her head in the air whilst I enter the city”; and forthwith she was hung up by the hair of her head, and all the nobles saw her hanging, but they could not perceive what held her. And she cried out and said, “God will judge the nobles of the city,” but none of the men of the city believed her, because Satan had hardened their hearts. And the apostle prayed to God and said, “O Lord, strengthen me to fight Satan, who hath risen up against me.” And the apostle prayed, and Michael the Archangel came down and drove away the evil spirits, which vexed the souls of the men of the city. And the apostle went about in the city, and preached in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the men of the city believed; and straightway they took down the woman who was hanging in the air. And after this Thaddeus appointed bishops and priests over them, and he baptized them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And he appointed the woman who had been suspended in the air to minister in the church, and he healed the sick, and opened the eyes of the blind, and the dumb spoke, and the lame walked, and devils were driven out, and he raised the dead, and at length all the people of the city believed. And Satan was wroth, and he entered into the heart of a rich young man who loved money, and he sent him to the apostle. And he came and bowed down before him, and said unto him, “O servant of God, I have much money, what am I to do that I may live?” And the apostle said unto the young man, “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. Slay not, steal not, and fornicate not. What thou wouldst not that men should do unto thee, that do not to others; and sell thy possessions, and give [the price thereof] to the poor of this city.” And when the young man heard these words, his wrath against the apostle increased, and he seized him by the neck, wishing to kill him, but this did not take place for God strengthened him; and his eye did not go forth from his head under the tribulation of the choking. And the apostle said unto him, “Our Lord saith, ‘It is as easy for a camel to go through the eye of a needle as for a rich man to go into the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew xix, 24). And the young man said unto him, “These words of thine are not true; a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle.” And at that moment a man who had with him a camel passed before him, and the apostle seized him and made him stand still. And the apostle asked a certain tailor for a needle, and the tailor, wishing to help the apostle, brought him a needle with a large eye. And the apostle thanked [him] and said unto him, “Bring a needle with a small eye, so that the glory of God may be manifest in this city”; and the tailor did as he commanded him, and brought him a needle with a small eye. And straightway the apostle stretched out his hands and prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ, and he said, “Come thou and thy camel into the eye of this needle”; and the man and his camel came into the eye of the needle. And the apostle said, “Do it again so that all the people may know”; and when the people saw this wonderful thing, they lifted up their voices and said, “There is no god except the Lord God of Thaddeus, the Apostle.” And when the young man saw this, he bowed down with his face to the ground, and he asked the apostle to forgive him his sin, and to take all his possessions and distribute them among the poor. And the apostle did as he asked him, and taught him the Law of the Faith, and he baptized him in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and likewise all the men of the city; and he administered unto them the Holy Mysteries, the Body of our Lord and His precious Blood. And the apostle went forth from them, and they set him on his way and bade him farewell in peace. After this he came to the country of Syria, and he preached therein, and many men believed through him. And much tribulation and punishment came upon him from the Jews and the Gentiles; and then he died in peace. Salutation to Thaddeus. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 3 (July 10)

On this day died the holy father, Cyril, the pillar of the Faith, the lamp of the Holy Church, the twenty-fourth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This saint was brought up by his mother’s brother, Theophilus, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, his predecessor, and he sent him to the monastery of Saint Abba Macarius, and he learned from him all divine doctrine; in one year he learned by heart all the Holy Books. And God gave him grace and intelligence to such a degree that when he had once read a book he knew it by heart. And then the archbishop handed him over to the honorable father Abba Sarapamon, the bishop, and his wisdom and knowledge increased, and he learned how to do all good and honorable works. And when he had finished learning all the good works, Abba Sarapamon sent him to Abba Theophilus, the archbishop, who rejoiced in him with a great joy, and thanked God Who had given him such a son. And he gave him a place in the archiepiscopal palace to read the Scriptures to the people at all times. And it came to pass that when he was reading the Scriptures no man wished him to hold his peace, because of the sweetness of his voice. When Abba Theophilus died, they made this father Abba Cyril archbishop in his stead, and the church shone with his doctrine. And when Nestorius, Archbishop of the city of Constantinople, denied God, a General Council of four (sic) hundred bishops assembled because of him in the city of Ephesus, in the days of the Emperor Theodosius. And this father was the President of the Council, and he disputed with Nestorius, and resisted him successfully, and overcame him, and made manifest his denial of God. And when Nestorius would not turn from [his error], Cyril cursed him, and excommunicated him, and drove him from his throne. And this saint composed Twelve Discourses wherein he explained the True Faith, and after them he wrote many Homilies, and Admonitions, and “Characters,” which are in the hands of believers to the present day. And this father affirmed that God, the Word, is One Nature, and One Being in His Incarnation, and he cursed all those who separated Christ, or who differed from this good opinion, and from this True Faith. And having finished his good fight, and pleased God, he became a little sick, and died in peace after he had sat on the throne of Mark the evangelist for two and thirty years. Salutation to Cyril. Salutation to you, O Seraphim and Cherubim, who praise God ceaselessly. Salutation to the Holy Angels.

And on this day also died the holy and honorable father, Abba Coelestinus, Archbishop of the city of Rome, who was the disciple of Yonaknidos (Innocentius), the archbishop, his predecessor. At the time of his death the archbishop commanded that this father should succeed him as archbishop, and then he commanded him, saying, “Take good heed, O my son, for there are ravening wolves in the city of Rome.” And when Yonakendis (Innocentius) died, they appointed this father Coelestinus archbishop in his stead. Now Arsonius was Emperor of the city of Rome in those days. And when Honorius died, Julian, the infidel, reined in his stead, and Julian, the infidel, wanted to appoint Nestorius Archbishop of Rome, and to expel this father Coelestinus, but the men of the city expelled Nestorius; and there was in the heart of that infidel emperor great vindictiveness against Saint Coelestinus. And the saint went forth, and departed to a monastery, which was near Pentapolis, and he dwelt therein, and God wrought many signs and miracles by his hands. And the Emperor Julian, the infidel, went forth to war. And Raphael, the angel of God, appeared unto Saint Coelestinus in a vision of the night, and gave him [the salutation of] peace, and said unto him, “Rise up and depart to the city of Antioch to Saint Dimitrianus, the Archbishop of Antioch, and abide with him, for the emperor hath decided in his heart, if he returneth from the war, to kill thee.” And when he woke up from his dream, he went forth from that monastery, and he had two brethren with him, and he came to the city of Antioch. And he found Dimitrianus ill, and he told him everything, which had happened to the emperor; and Coelestinus tarried with him in one of the monasteries of the city of Antioch. And Saint Ignatius, and Nakendinos (Innocentius), the Archbishop of the city of Rome, appeared before the Emperor Julian, the infidel. And with them was one who was exceedingly awesome and terrifying, and he said unto him, “Why hast thou left the city of these men without an archbishop? Behold, God will remove thy soul from thee, and thou shalt die in the hands of thine enemies.” And the emperor said unto him, “O my lord, what shall I do?” And they answered and said unto him, “Dost thou believe in the Passion of the Son of God?” And he answered and said unto them, “I do believe.” And they answered and said unto him, “Send and fetch our son Coelestinus, and restore him to his throne.” When the emperor awoke from his dream he was afraid, and he wrote a letter, and sent it to Dimitrianus, saying, “Be not angry with me on account of Coelestinus. Instruct my messengers and cause them to come to the place where he liveth, so that they may restore him to his office.” And when the messengers of the emperor went they found Saint Coelestinus, and they restored him to the city of Rome with great honor, and the people welcomed him with great joy. And in those days the emperor returned from the war victorious, and the Church was in a state of quietness and peace. When Nestorius denied God, and the General Council assembled [to deal] with him, Coelestinus was unable to attend the Council, because of his illness, but he sent two priests, who carried an epistle wherein he cursed Nerstorius, and excommunicated him. Now the emperor believed in the words of Nestorius, and would have nominated him [archbishop], but he was afraid of the archbishops. And when God willed to give Coelestinus rest from the labor of this world Yonaknidos (Innocentius) and Athanasius appeared to him, and said unto him, “Direct the people, for behold, thou shalt come to us; our Lord Jesus Christ calleth thee.” And when he woke up the commanded the people, and said unto them, “Take good heed to yourselves, for behold ravening wolves shall come into this city.” And having said this he added, “Let us rise up and depart, for behold the saints are seeking for me and for two others, and we must go out from this world.” And at that moment the two others were Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, and Lucius, Bishop of the city of San (Tanis); and having said this he died in peace. Salutation to Coelestinus. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 4 (July 11)

On this day Saint John, and Saint Simon, the son of his father’s brother, from the city of Sarmalas, became martyrs. The mother of Saint John was barren, and his father asked our Lord Jesus Christ to give him a son, and he vowed that if He did so, he would make himself a servant of God all the days of his life. And John the Baptist appeared unto him in a vision, and told him that God would give him a son; and when this saint was born he called him John. And he built first of all a church in the name of Saint John the Baptist. And when the boy was grown up and his days were twelve years, his father gave him his flock to tend. And John used to give his food to the shepherds every day, and also to those who passed by on the road, and he fasted until the evening daily. And when his father heard this he went to him in the fields so that he might know if what people had told him about him [was true], and the young man Saint John was afraid lest his father should beat him, and he wanted to flee. And his father said unto him, “Show me thy food [for] this day”; and John answered and said unto him, “Go inside that thou mayest see it.” And when his father went inside, and [looked at] the place where things were put, he saw that it was full of hot bread, and he marveled exceedingly and told his mother what had happened to their son. And from that hour they knew that grace was on their son, and they no longer allowed him to tend the sheep. And the saint studied and learned by heart many of the Books of the Church. And his parents asked him to let them arrange a marriage for him, but he did not wish this. And when his days were eighteen years, he was made a priest, and Simon, the son of his father’s brother, left the sheep and became his disciple, and he it was who described his miracles. Now God made manifest through him great miracles, and the people used to bring unto him those who were sick with every sickness whatsoever, and he prayed over some olive oil, and anointed them therewith, and they were healed of their sickness. And he rebuked the sick, and said unto them, “Many ills come upon you because of your sins”; and this saint wrought so many miracles that they cannot be counted, and among them are the following: A soldier took and carried off some barley from a widow woman. And the widow came to the saint, and complained to him about the soldier, and the saint cursed him, and his horse died when he had eaten the barley. On one occasion the king’s general came to collect tribute, and he had with him a man, one of whose eyes was blind. And that man came to Saint John, and was blessed by him, and straightway his eye that was blind was opened, and he saw well with it. And this holy man could see by the Holy Spirit the deeds of all men, and their sins were revealed to him, and he rebuked them for their sins. And the report of this saint was heard of by a king whose name was Marianus, who had an only daughter, and a serpent entered her belly, and grew up therein, and she was nigh to die; and although her father had given much money to the physicians they were unable to cure her. And the general made known to him the history of Saint John, and how he had opened the eye of his blind servant, and the king commanded his soldiers to send and bring the saint. And Saint John knew by the Spirit that the king wanted to bring him to him, and he feared the fatigue of the journey and the sea. And straightway a cloud caught him up from the city of Sarmalas, and carried him along until it brought him to the city of Antioch, and set him upon the king’s bed; and when the king saw him he was troubled and was afraid. And the saint told the king, saying, “I am that poor man for whom thou didst wish to send and bring hither.” [And the king brought] his daughter to Saint John, and he prayed over her, and the serpent went forth from her belly without injuring her, or causing her pain. And the king, and all the men of the house of the king were blessed by him, and they marveled exceedingly, and they glorified God Who gave such grace to those who love Him and who do His commands. And the king offered him much money and gifts, but he would take nothing whatsoever from him. And the king wished to make him dwell with him, but could not make him do so, and he laid hold upon his girdle so that he might [not] depart, and a cloud caught him up whilst the king was holding his girdle in his hand, and the girdle broke in the king’s hand, and Saint John arrived in his city that night. And the king built a church over that girdle, and it is called “the church of the girdle” to this day. When Saint John consecrated the Offering he could distinguish between the sinners and the good, and those who were fit to partake and those who were not. When Diocletian denied Christ, and worshipped idols, this saint took Simon, the son of his father’s brother, and went to the city of Alexandria, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor. And the soldiers tortured them severely, and after this they cut off their heads with their swords. And their souls entered into everlasting rest, and their bodies are to this day in the city of Gamnudi, where great miracles and healings take place through them. Salutation to John and to Simon.

And on this day also is commemorated the great saint Abba Isaiah the anchorite, of the desert of Scete. Salutation to Isaiah.

And on this day also died Saint Abba Gabriel, the seventy-eighth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This saint had believing and blessed parents, and they walked in the way of God, and in His commandments, and according to His good pleasure. And having begotten him, they reared him in the fear of God. One day there came to him certain holy monks, and among them was a righteous elder whose spiritual fight was good. And he saw a beautiful vision, as it were many bishops surrounding the boy, and they laid their hands upon him, and blessed him, and they all said, “So be it, so be it.” When the elder woke up from his vision he meditated and said, “The boy shall become great.” And he said unto his father, “Teach him well, for assuredly he shall become the head and chief of many peoples; thou wilt not see him at all times.” And he told him what he had seen; and the father of the boy praised God, saying, “Shall anything happen to this boy?” And when his days were two (?) years his father died in the mercy of our Lord and God and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Now the boy had an uncle whose name was Peter, and he was Bishop of the city of Behna, and his spiritual fight was admirable, and he was learned in all the holy Books of God of the New and of the Old Testaments, and he took the boy and taught him. And all those who saw the boy marveled at the grace of God, which was upon him, and at his understanding and knowledge, and he was made a deacon. And when his days were twelve years he wanted to put on the garb of the ascetic life, and he renounced this fleeting world. And the Bishop Abba Peter gave him into the hands of the blessed monk Abba Peter the priest, and he became devoted to God, and a fighter, and a man of good piety. And he took the boy and taught him the spiritual fight, and the Rule of the monastic life in a few days, and signs and wonders and spiritual excellence appeared through him; and many men loved him because of his spiritual fight, and his devotion to God, and his humility. And after the death of his teacher, Peter the priest, he departed to the monastery of Saint Anthony, where he lived for many years, fighting the fight with fasting, and prayer, and vigils and unceasing prostrations; and after this he departed to the desert of Scete, to the monastery of Abba Macarius. And he became abbot of the church of our holy Lady, the two-fold Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, in the monastery of Marmos, and he toiled and restored the building thereof. And then he went to Jerusalem, and was blessed in the holy places, and there he was made priest of the church of the Holy Resurrection by the hand of the holy father Bishop Abba Michael. Thence he returned to the city of Mesr (Cairo), and dwelt in the church of Mu’Allakah of our holy Lady the Virgin Mary, copying the holy Books of the Holy Church. In those days the throne of Mark the evangelist remained without an archbishop for a few days, and all the bishops and priests agreed with one consent to make this saint archbishop. And Satan, the hater of what is good, brought certain men who were envious of him, and they did not wish him to be appointed, and they appointed archbishop the holy and spiritual father Abba Athanasius, who is know as “Son of the Crown.” And good works appeared from him, and he walked uprightly without blemish, like Abba Athanasius the apostle, and then he died. And again the bishops, and the elders, and the people gathered together, and they set their hands to a document and wished that Abba Gabriel should be appointed archbishop. And again the Enemy of what is good stirred up dissension among the people, and they agreed that the name of Gabriel and the names of others should be written on papers, and that they should be laid on the altar, and that they should pray over them for three days, and should celebrate the Offering, so that God should make known who was to hold this honorable position and reveal his name. And they did thus, and they brought a little child, who brought forth the paper whereon was the name of this father; and all the bishops assembled and made him prefect of the church of Mu’Allakah. And again his appointment was not completed, and Abba John, who is known as the “son of ‘Absadi,” was appointed. And at that time the church of Egypt suffered great tribulation. When Abba John was appointed, this father Abba Gabriel went to the monastery of Saint Abba Anthony, and he fought a great fight, and devoted himself to fasting, and prayer, and vigils, and to prostrations by day and by night; and in the strenuousness of his fight he was superior to many. And he lived thus one year (?). And many of the holy monks saw beautiful visions concerning him, and some of them said that they saw him in the city of Alexandria, dressed in archiepiscopal apparel, with many Christians and Gentiles surrounding him. And some of them saw him in the desert of Scete, where he was appointed head of the monastery of Saint Abba Macarius; and some of them saw a countless number of keys handed to him. Many times when he wished to come down from the monastery of Abba Macarius, he became sick, and was unable to come down. And then Saint Anthony appeared unto him, in a vision, and said unto him, “I do not wish thee to go down from the monastery except by the Will of God, and henceforward thou shalt not go down except at His time.” And when three years were ended, a certain holy elder of the monks of the monastery of Anthony saw the vision of a glorious angel, who said unto him, “Three years from this time they shall take Abba Gabriel and make him Archbishop of the city of Alexandria”; and that elder went out straightway and told Abba Gabriel what he had seen. One day the governor of the city of Tafih came to the monastery of Abba Anthony, and with him were the abbot, and many judges (or, officers), and a letter from the emperor ordering them to bring Abba Gabriel quickly, and to make him Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. And they took him against his will, and carried him with great honor to the city of Alexandria, and with him were the father bishops; and all the people rejoiced in him. And that day he and the bishops, and the priests and the deacons, appointed a bishop to Jerusalem, and after this he consecrated Myron (i.e. the holy oil) three times; and he remained thus for one year and on month. At that time Abba Anthony appeared, and said unto him, “Behold, thy departure draweth nigh, and after one year and a half thou shalt depart to God and shalt inherit everlasting life.” And at that time great tribulation came upon the Christians, and this father asked God to deliver them from it; and God accepted his petition and delivered them. Then the archbishop returned to his throne, and Abba Gabriel hid himself in a secret place, and no man knew where he was, except a certain believer. And through the excessive intensity of his spiritual fight, by night and by day, his appearance became changed, and his body dried up. And after this God revealed the matter of this father to a certain believer, who pleased God by his works, and he became zealous for him with a divine zeal, and he brought him out of that place, and established him in the church of the Apostles, and he lived there for many days devoting himself to prayer and to sacred duties. And he visited the sick, and provided them with what they needed, and he comforted the believers who came to him. One night Abba Athanasius, the archbishop, appeared unto him plainly, and said unto him, “Be not sad because of the labor and sorrow which hath come to thee, for God hath delivered thee from much toil and tribulation. And behold, there must come upon thee a sickness, so that God may perfect thy patient endurance; rejoice, however, for thou hast received the grace of God, which is great, and thou shalt receive everlasting life, and joy which is unending.” And straightway a severe sickness seized him, and he continued to be sick, and he was frightened and disturbed about the departure of his soul from his body, and about his standing before God. And there was before his face a picture of our holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, and to this he prayed continually; and at that time God Most High appeared unto him with a shining face, and comforted him, and strengthened him, and said unto him, “Fear not, but rejoice, for thou hast received the grace of the kingdom of the heavens. At the end of three days thou shalt depart from this fleeting world”; and after three days he died in peace, and was buried in the church of Saint Mercurius with great honor. Salutation to Gabriel the Archbishop. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 5 (July 12)

On this day took place the martyrdom of the two great apostles, the chiefs of the apostles, Peter and Paul. Peter was from Bethsaida, and he was a fisherman. Our Lord chose him on the second day following that whereon He was baptized, and He chose Andrew his brother before him. And having chosen Saint Peter, He made him chief of the apostles, and he continued to minister to our Redeemer until the time of His death and Passion. And in him there were faith, and zeal, and love for God, and because of this our Lord made him the chief of the apostles. Now the apostles were divided about the matter of our Redeemer, and some of them said that He was Elias, and some that He was Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets, and he confessed before them all, saying, “Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Thereupon our Lord proclaimed him blessed, and He made him the Rock of the Church, and gave him the keys of the Kingdom of heaven. After this he received the grace of the Holy Spirit Paraclete, and he went in among the rational wolves of this world, and preached among them in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was crucified, and he converted a countless number of the people, and brought them into the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; and God wrought great and innumerable signs and wonders by his hands. And he wrote two Epistles and sent them to the believers, and he spoke to Mark and translated for him the Gospel, which is known as his. Then he came into the city of Rome, and he went up into the great theatre wherein all the nobles were gathered together, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Blessed are the merciful, for one shall have mercy on them,” and what followeth (Matthew 5). And when the four stone pillars, which formed the four corners of the tribune, heard his words, they said “Amen”; and the multitudes heard this voice. And there was a certain man in whom a Satan had lived for seventy years, and the Satan cast him down at that moment, and went forth from him, because of his hearing the voice from the pillars of stone. And when the nobles heard that voice they feared with a great fear, and they came to their dwelling places wondering in their minds. And one of the nobles whose name was Caustus came to a woman whose name was ‘Akrosya, and told her what had happened, and how Peter had taught concerning the forsaking of this world, and [on showing] mercy to the poor. And when this woman heard his voice, she woke up in her heart, and said, “This is a hard matter.” And then they promised each other that they would do everything, which Saint Peter taught, and they distributed all their riches among the poor and destitute folk. And after those days the emperor sent to Caustus, and told him to come and consult with him concerning an imperial matter. And when Caustus heard this he was sorry, because he had no money to give to the emperor, and because he had no money for the necessary expenses of the journey. And he took counsel with his wife, [saying,] “He maketh a pretence to me with many words.” And his wife said unto him, “Go, only the God of Saint Peter can make [matters] good for thee”; and he came to the emperor who received him with great joy. And after a year he returned to his house, and behold, his two sons were dead; and his wife was afraid to tell him the truth. And she made a pretence to him, with much speaking, but at length she told him, and on hearing it he sorrowed. And she also said unto him, “O my lord, let us pray to God,” and they prayed to God with a whole heart and there came a voice which said, “O Caustus, O wife of Caustus, because ye have received the words of Peter, My disciple, I will give you back your sons alive”; and straightway their sons rose from the dead, and all those who heard [of this] glorified God. Now one of those who rose was Clement, who became a disciple of this apostle. And Saint Peter told him all the mysteries which he had seen, and how he had seen our Lord Jesus Christ going up into heaven in the flesh, and he delivered to him the secret books which it is not meet that men should see; and this Clement he made a bishop, and his brother he made a deacon. And moreover, Saint Peter saw a great and honorable similitude of the Lady of us all, Mary, the Pure, the God-bearer. He saw a cloud, which was like unto a bow, and in the cloud, which appeared upon it a tabernacle of light, and in the innermost part thereof sat, in the flesh, our holy Lady, the two-fold Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord in the flesh. And angels surrounded her, having swords and spears of fire in their hands, and they said, “O blessed woman, thou art the vineyard, the beautiful one wherefrom grew the grapes of salvation. Blessed art thou, O Upper Chamber, for thou didst carry in thy womb the Lamb of God, and the Lord of lords. Rejoice, O Mother of light, Mother of mercy. Rejoice, O Throne of salvation, on whom sat the God of gods. Rejoice, O Lady of all men.” And when the angels had finished saluting her, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared, and spoke with her, and none knew what He said unto her except Mary; and straightway there was an earthquake. And Peter also saw mysteries, which are ineffable. And after this our Lord commanded Peter to preach in all the cities, and he preached the preaching of the Holy Gospel. And he went to the seacoast and came to the city of Emmaus, and Leda (Lydda). And one day whilst he was praying in the city of Iyope (Joppa) a cloud of light enveloped him, and there came down a sheet, which was spread out, from heaven to earth, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed creatures, and all kinds of birds, and the similitude of swine. And a voice cried to him from heaven, saying, “Arise, Peter kill and eat.” And he said unto Him, “O my Lord, I cannot kill and eat what is unclean.” And again a voice called him, saying, “What God hath cleansed let not man hold to be unclean”; and he heard this voice three times. And each time the voice called him, a finger made a sign to him and pointed to the beast, which was like unto a pig. And that sheet went up and was withdrawn into heaven, and he marveled at what he had seen and he understood that [it signified] the reception of the Gentiles who were to turn to God, and he told the holy Apostles his brethren this. And then Saint Peter came with Saint John to the city of Antioch, as our Lord Jesus Christ had commanded them; and Peter sent John on to the gates of the city, so that he might learn the affairs of the city, and he asked concerning the report of Antioch. And he found outside the city certain evil men, who spoke words of insult to him and wanted to kill him. And he returned weeping and angry, and said unto Saint Peter, “If these common folk are as bad as this, what shall we do before the kings of this city, and the nobles thereof? Even if we come into it and preach in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, how shall we teach the Faith?” And Peter said unto him, “O my beloved, be not dismayed by the words of these men, and be not sorrowful, for He Who hath brought us from Jerusalem hither in one night, that is to say a journey of twenty days on horses, will prosper our work.” And after that they came into the city, and preached in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the men of the city and the priests of the idols gathered together and beat them severely, and treated them with ignominy, and made a mock of them, and cut off one half of the hair of their heads, and tied them up in a tower and shut the doors on them; and they prayed to God to help them. And our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was surrounded with the Cherubim and the Seraphim, appeared unto them, and said unto them, “O Peter and John, fear ye not and be not sorrowful, for I will be with you to the end of the world. And marvel not because they have shaved the centre of your heads to make sport of you, for this shall be unto you a sign of which to boast, and for hair of honor. And it shall be a sign of priesthood to every man who shall follow you in the Church, and who shall offer My Body, even as ye do now. To the priest who dieth with this crown upon his head I will give remission of sins”; and having said this to them He went up into heaven with [great] glory. Then by the commandment of God, Saint Paul arrived, and the saints met and talked together. And when he saw Saint John he said unto them, “What have the men of this city done to thee?” And Saint John said unto him, “Marvel not at me, for the chief of the Apostles also [hath] this symbol.” And Saint Paul went to the city of Antioch, and held converse with the men as he wished, and he pretended that he would worship the idols; and he released the saints and took them away. And he asked them about their work, and he told them that he also was a disciple of our Lord Christ. And they worked miracles there, and they opened the eyes of those who had been blind from their mother’s wombs. And they also made to live the king’s son who had been dead for three months, and whose body had decayed and become corruption; and the king and his wife held converse with Saint Peter and believed. And Saint Peter smote the ground and water flowed forth, and he baptized the king and all the men of Antioch in the Name of Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and they built a church there. And after this the believing men who were in Laodicea sent to him [a messenger to say] that the river Kisaros had drowned many men, and flooded their villages, and their flocks; and Peter and Paul sent him to Saint John, the beloved. And as the saint was going along the road, he found a sheep which had become separated from its flock, and he sent it on, saying, “Go to the river Kisaros, and say unto it, ‘The disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ hath sent me to thee, and he telleth thee to become fettered by the word of God.” And the sheep went and did as the saint commanded it, and the river became quiet (i.e. subsided). And when the infidels saw this miracle a countless multitude of them believed. And then he passed on to the city of Rome, and he preached therein and performed many signs and wonders, and he conquered Simon, the magician, who had resisted him, and he cast him down from his rule over the souls of men. And at this miracle many men believed, and the concubines of ‘Akrepos, the legate of the city, believed through him, and preserved [their] purity, and many women withdrew from their husbands. And because of this the people took counsel to kill him, and the wife of Altabius, a friend of the king, sent a message to Saint Peter advising him to go forth from the city of Rome, and the believing brethren likewise told him to do this, and he went forth from the city alone, and he disguised himself so that no one might know him. And he found our Lord coming into the city in the form in which he had first known Him, and he bowed low before Him, and said unto Him, “Whither goest thou, [my] Lord?” And He said unto him, “To Rome, that I may be crucified.” And Saint Peter said unto Him, “Lord, wilt Thou be crucified a second time?” And Saint Peter remembered that He had said unto him, “When thou art grown up, another shall gird thee and take thee whither thou wouldst not go.” And straightway he returned to the city, and told the brethren everything, which had taken place between our Lord Christ [and himself], and they were very sad. And when the Emperor Nero heard the report of him, he seized him and commanded the soldiers to crucify him. And Peter begged and entreated that they would crucify him head downwards, saying, “My Lord Jesus Christ was crucified standing upright, and it is meet for me to be crucified head downwards.” And when they crucified him he spoke unto the believers the word of life, and he strengthened them in the True Faith, and after this he delivered up his soul into the hand of God. Salutation to thee, O Peter.

And on this day also became a martyr Saint Paul, the tongue of oil, the tongue of Christ, the tongue of sweet perfume, the lamp of Christians, the fountain of life, and the well of wisdom, whose name being interpreted is “leader, commander, he who is praised,” or according to another interpretation, “haven, tranquility, quietness and keeping silent.” This Saint Paul was a Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; and his kinsfolk called his name “Saul,” the well-known interpretation of which is, “given.” He was a young man of handsome appearance, upright in stature, and ruddy, like the rind of a pomegranate. His face was open, his nose was large, above his eyes was kohl, his cheeks were [like] an open rose, and his beard was full. He was learned in the Law of the Torah, and he was jealous for the same. And the disciples, who believed through the holy Apostles, were exceedingly afraid of him, because he had received authority from the high priest, who wrote to him an order, with his own hand, commanding him to bind with fetters all those who preached in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And as Saul and those who were with him were journeying along the road from the city of Jerusalem to the city of Damascus, a light from heaven shone upon him, and he fell upon his face on the ground, and he heard a voice which said unto him, “Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute Me? It is bad for thee to kick against sharp goads.” And he said unto Him, “Who art thou, Lord?” And He answered and said unto him, “I am that Jesus, the Nazarene, Whom thou persecutest. But rise up, and come into the city of Damascus, and there they will tell thee what thou must do.” And the men of Jerusalem who were with him stood up, and they heard His voice but there was none whom they saw. And Saul rose up from the earth, and though his eyes were open he saw nothing, and leading him they brought him to Damascus, where he remained for three days, not eating, not drinking, and not seeing. And there was a certain man in the city of Damascus, who was one of the holy apostles and whose name was Hananya (Ananias), and our Lord appeared unto him and said unto him, “Hananya (Ananias),” and he said, “Behold me, my Lord.” And the Lord said unto him, “Rise up, and go to the street which is called ‘Straight’ and enquire there in the house of Sayda [for a man] whose name is Saul, of the city of Tarsus.” And Hananya (Ananias) said unto Him, “My Lord, I have heard about that man and of all the evil which he hath done to the saints of Jerusalem, and having obtained authority from the high-priest, he hath come hither to imprison all those who bear Thy Name.” And our Lord said unto him, “I have set him to be a chosen vessel for Me, and he shall go and carry My Name among the peoples and kings of Israel. And I will show him how great things he must suffer for My Name.” And Saint Hananya (Ananias) went and came to his house, and found him praying, and he laid his hand upon him, and he prayed over him that he might see. And he said unto him, “Saul, my brother, my Lord Jesus Christ, Who appeared unto thee on the road as thou camest hither, hath sent me unto thee that thou mayest see, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And straightway there went out of Paul’s eyes as it were scales, and he could see, and he rose up, and was baptized, and ate food, and became strong; and he remained in Damascus a few days with the holy apostles, and preached in their Synagogues. And he taught concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, saying, “He is the Son of God,” and all those who heard him marveled, saying, “Is not this the man who killed those who were called by this name in Jerusalem and here also?” And this Saint Paul the apostle was filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit Paraclete, and he proclaimed boldly the Faith of righteousness. And his jealously for the Law of our Lord Jesus Christ was double that which he had had for the Law of the Torah. And he went unto all the ends of the world, and preached the Name of our Lord Who was crucified, and a multitude of people who could not be numbered believed through him. And great tribulation came [upon him], and many beatings. And the Jews shut him up in prison, and bound him with fetters, and sunk him in the sea, and took him into deserts, and tortured him with every king of torture. And behold, it is written in his Epistles, and in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, saying, “The Holy Spirit separated Saul and Barnabas for the work which He required of them” And for this reason they went into the land of the Greeks and performed many miracles, some of them took place when they went round the island of Kuela. And they came to a city, the name of which is Yafus (Paphos), and they found a certain Jewish magician whose name was Elymas, who withstood them, and wished to keep the deputy of the city from them and from the Faith. And Saint Paul rebuked him and said unto him, “Behold, the hand of God is upon thee. Thou shalt become blind, and shalt not see the sun until the time when the appointed time shall have come”; and straightway the eyes of Elymas clouded over, and became sightless, and he enquired for some one to lead him. And when the governor of the city saw him, he marveled and believed in God. And then they went to the district of Lukanya (Lycania) and Lestran (Lystra), and Darben (Derbe), and taught there. And there was in the city of Lestran (Lystra) a certain man with twisted feet, and he was born thus from his mother’s womb, and he had never walked; and he heard Saint Paul speaking. And Saint Paul knew that the man had in him the faith whereby he would be healed, and he said unto him, “In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ rise up and stand upon thy feet”; and straightway he rose up and walked, and when the people saw him they believed. And whilst he was there, certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium came and stoned the blessed Saint Paul, and they dragged him outside the city, for they thought that he was dead. And on the following day, when Saint Barnabas was near the city, he appointed a priest to each of the churches there. And then he went to Phrygia and Galatia and on towards Tiro’ada (Troad), and they passed over into Macedonia. And they found there a girl who was under the power of a demon, and she brought to her owners her earnings, which were much, and she followed after them crying out and saying, “These servants of God shall teach us the way of life”; and she pressed upon Saint Paul. And Saint Paul turned, and rebuked the unclean spirit, which was on her, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the girl was healed. And after this he went out to the city of Halab, and he made to live the mother of Timothy, whose name was Badreman, who had been dead. There the people wished him to sacrifice to the god of the city, [but he refused to do so]. And they cast him into a furnace, and he stretched out his arms in the form of the Cross, and the men of the city saw the sign of the Cross with their own eyes; and they entreated him to come out, and he went forth, being injured in no wise, and they prostrated themselves before him. And all the people believed through them, and even Anestus, the governor of the city, believed; and the priests of the seventy idols fled and hid themselves. And Saint Paul called the figure of gold, which was in the form of a guza, and it came and stood up in the form of a lion in the middle of the temple. And Saint Paul said unto it, “Where are the priests who worship thee?” And the lion answered and said unto him, “Wait, O my lord, until I am able to tell thee where they are.” And the lion went to where they were hidden, and brought out one of the priests, holding him by is neck, which was in his mouth, and he dragged him along like a dead man, and cast him down among the people; and thus he did to the seventy of them. And when the people saw [this] they wanted to kill the priests. And Saint Paul said, “This day life and not death is seemly in this city,” and he baptized them all. And he said unto the image of the guza, which was a lion, “Fear not, O lion, because thou hast ministered unto me, thy existence shall be in the desert until I want thee”; and he dwelt in the desert of the lion. And Saint Paul went ... and came into the city. And the Jews heard of the report of him, and they gathered together against him, and seized him, and tortured him. And they also brought two oxen, and they lifted up the feet of Saint Paul, and tied him between two oxen, with ‘Antekos his disciple, and they dragged them through the streets of the city, over the sharp stones, until their blood flowed like water, and their bodies were torn and cut, and their bones were visible. And the disciples prayed to God, and the two oxen, and the man who was driving them, turned into stone in the midst of the city, where they stood still, and they are there until this day. And the people having seen this told the governor, and he became wroth, and commanded the soldiers to bring them before him, and they brought them, [the people] stoning them as they did so. And the governor was wroth with Saint Paul, and he said unto him, “O man, behold, I will torture thee.” And he commanded them to bring two brass bulls, and they brought bitumen, and pitch, and sulfur, and fat and mixed them together, and they smeared the outside and the inside of the two brass bulls therewith, and they cast the disciples into them. Then they took them into a furnace, and they lighted a fire therein, and kept it burning for three days and three nights. And our Lord Jesus Christ came, with His angels, and He made the furnace to move from its place into the grounds of the offices of the government, and the flames blew backwards, and consumed the men of the city. And a voice from heaven called those who remained, and bade them to gather together to the furnace (?). And the lion, which Paul had sent into the desert, came and cried out with [his] voice, saying, “Believe ye in the Lord Jesus Christ, [the God] of Saint Paul.” And the lion came back, and said unto Saint Paul and Sekantes, “Get forth from the fire, so that the men of this city may not know”; and they went forth from the red-hot furnace alive, and the hair of their heads was not singed, and there was no smell of fire upon them. And straightway all the people cried out, saying, “We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Nazarene,” and Paul baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And he made Sekantes a priest, and having built there a church, he departed to the city of Athens. Then he went to other cities with Saint Philip the apostle and preached therein, and the elders of the city seized them, and bound them hand and foot, and put chains about their necks, and they made iron helmets to put over their heads. And they also made figures of the hand, with palms and fingers of iron, and they thrust them over their hands and along their arms, until each hand and arm was covered with iron, and then they drove nails through them. And they also made figures of the shoulders in iron, which reached up to the neck and they drove nails into them, back and front; and they made plates of iron to envelop their limbs and to cover their bodies in such a way that no part of the body was visible. And they nailed plates of iron over their sides, and they made shoes of iron for their feet, and they drove nails through their hands, and the soles of their feet, and their thighs; and they made plates (?) in the form of a covering. And men who prepared roots and drugs came, and brought a talent of lead, and huge vessel of brass, and seven pound of refined fat. And they mixed with it grease, and wax, and ox-fat, and many roots for burning in the fire, and bitumen, and pitch, and sulfur, and tar, and seven pounds of colophony resin, and glue (?), and clematis wood (i.e. brushwood), and charcoal, and very much wood. And they brought bitumen, which had been prepared, and melted it in the [brass] vessel, and they daubed it on the iron plates, inside which were on the bodies of the saints, until they took the shape of their bodies. And they poured over the iron plates, inside which were the saints, the lead which they had melted, until it reached from their feet to their heads. And they set them up by the side of a bushy pine tree, which was five cubits high from the ground to the top thereof, and they lighted a fire about the apostles with the leaves and branches of vines from which the fruit had been plucked, and the flames rose up over their bodies. And the apostles prayed to God, and He put mercy into the heart of one of the nobles, who said unto the soldiers. “Release them.” And when they had released them, they removed the plates of iron form their bodies and their skin peeled off, and came away like flakes of iron, and the blood of the apostles dripped down upon the ground. And Satan entered into the hearts of the men of the city, and they put the apostles back again into the fire, but an angel came down, and extinguished the fire on them, and a bright cloud came and rained on them and enshrouded the bodies of the saints. And when the people of this city saw this, they all believed. Now the saints were tortured by stoning and by being shot at with arrows. [And the apostles] raised many from the dead. And after this Saint Paul departed to another city, and preached the preaching of the Holy Gospel. And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him, and said unto him, “Peace be unto thee, O Paul, My chosen one. Whosoever shall celebrate thy commemoration, and call upon thy name, and build a church in thy name, and shall visit the church and pray therein, and make votive offerings to it, and shall perform mercy on the day of thy commemoration in any way whatsoever, all these I will establish with thee in the kingdom of My Father, which is in the heavens. And whosoever shall build churches in thy name, I will see that My angels have them under their protection.” And He promised him many things, and gave him a salute with His holy mouth, and went up into heaven. And then they journeyed about to many cities. And he came into the great city of Tarikon, and he saw our Lady Mary, the mother of light, and she commanded him to teach in that city; and she told him many things, and she gave him “Peace,” and went up into heaven. And then Saint Paul came into the city of Rome, and preached therein, and many of the men thereof believed through him, and he baptized them with holy Christian baptism; and he wrote to them twelve Epistles, and that [to the Romans] is the first of his Epistles. And after this the Emperor Nero seized him and tortured him severely, and delivered him up that the soldiers might cut off his head. And as he was passing along with the executioner, a certain maiden who was a kinswoman of the Emperor Nero, and who had believed through him on our Lord Jesus Christ, met him, and when she saw him with the executioner she wept. And he comforted her, and said unto her, “Give me thy cloak, and I will return [it] to thee soon”; and she gave him her cloak. And Saint Paul went with the executioner to the place where they cut off heads, and having bowed his head to the executioner, he covered his face with the cloak of the maiden, and the executioner cut off the holy head of Saint Paul and left it wrapped in the cloak of the maiden. And the maiden said [to the executioner], “Where is Paul?” And he said, “Behold, he is lying in the place where they cut off heads, and his head is covered up in thy cloak.” And she answered and said unto him, “Thou liest. Behold the saints Peter and Paul have this moment left me, and they were arrayed in the apparel of kings, and they had decorated crowns on their heads, and they gave me my cloak. And behold, this is it as thou canst see”; and she showed it to the executioner, and to those who were with him, and they marveled thereat and believed on our Lord Jesus Christ. And God wrought by the hands of Paul the apostle signs and wonders which cannot be counted; and the people used to lay the sick folk in their beds by the road on which Saint Paul passed, and when his shadow fell upon them they recovered from their sicknesses immediately. Salutation to Paul. Salutation to Peter and Paul. Salutation to Caustus and to ‘Akrosia. [Wanting in the Bodleian MS.] Salutation to Agrippa, and to Anestia, and to Deweres, and to Karia, and to ‘Akrama, and to ‘Akrabania, and to ‘Akestiana, and to the wife of Altabius of Rome. [Wanting in the Bodleian MS.]

And on this day also are commemorated the Seventy-two martyrs (i.e. Disciples), and Isaac who lived in the city of Gaza, and the righteous men who were in Debre Ash. Salutation to the Seventy-two Disciples. Salutation to Isaac. Salutation to the Fathers of Debre Ash.

And on this day also is commemorated the festival of Sakue’el, the Archangel. Salutation to Sakue’el. Salutation to the sainted woman Maskal Kibra. Salutation to Marcellus, the son of Yona, the disciple of Paul. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 6 (July 13)

On this day took place the ascension of the body of Ezra Beher, who was also called the “scribe of the commands of God.” This saint was of the house of Levi. And he began to speak words of awe with the Highest, and he said, “Thou didst create the earth, and Thou didst command the dust and it produced Adam.” And again he spoke saying how the waters of the Flood went forth at the appointed time and destroyed everyone, and how Noah, and Abraham, and David, and Solomon were chosen. And he mentioneth in his Book that the soul doth not go forth from its body and wanders about for seven days, and is then redeemed according to its work. And then he speaketh about the Day of Judgment, how there will be neither sun nor moon nor stars, [but] the splendor of the lightning of the glory of God. And then he saw Zion in the form of a beautiful woman, whose soul was suffering grievously, and her garments were rent, and she was covered with ashes, and she told him that her son had died on the day he came into his palace. And whilst he was talking to her face lighted up greatly, and her appearance was like that of the lightning. And he saw the place of her foundations. And he saw in the night how, as it were, and eagle ascended from the sea, and he had twelve wings and three heads, and how the heads went forth from his wings and how they were punished and blotted out through them. And he prophesied concerning the birth of Christ, and he said, “A lion rose up roaring out of the desert, and I heard him speak with the voice of the children of man, and he reviled the eagle.” And again he prophesied concerning the birth of Christ, and said, “I saw in the night a great wind which went forth from the sea, and it troubled all the waves thereof. And I saw that that wind which went forth from the sea was like the figure of a man, and he saw that the appearance thereof was like a cloud of heaven, and there was power and many praises with him, and his position was at the right hand of the Father. And [he saw], as it were, seven tribes gather together to him, and he set them on the other side of the Tekaze.” And then when he hath mentioned the blotting out and destruction of the Books of the Prophets, he saith that the offspring of the Fathers went out into the desert, and made himself to shrink by means of fasting and prayer. And he took with him five wise men, who were scribes, and a voice called unto him from the tree opposite, and said unto him, “Ezra, Ezra, Ezra, open thy mouth.” And he gave him a cup full of water with which there was, as it were, fire, and he took it and drank it, and wisdom welled up in his heart, and understanding was weighty in his breast. And his spirit took good heed, and his mouth was opened, and it closed not again, and the Highest gave wisdom unto these five men, and they wrote down everything which happened, and the miracles, but they did not know what followed each of them. And they dwelt there forty days, and he spoke by day, and did not keep silence by night, and in those forty days nine and ninety Books were written. And then the Highest spoke unto him and said unto him, “Observe this: give these [Books] to the wise men of the people in whom is the lamp of light”; and wisdom sprung up and knowledge flowed forth [like a spring]. And he did this for four years of the Sabbaths of the years. And after the judgment (or, punishment), in the five thousand and twelfth year of the darkness, in the third month, on the ninth day of the month, on that day they took Ezra Beher and all those scribes who were with him. Salutation to thee Sutuel, the remaining [one] of the Prophets.

And on this day also died the holy woman Saturnina. This saint was of the people of Jerusalem, and aforetime she was a sinner. And then she repented and turned to God, with burning of heart and bitter weeping; and she rejected the lust of the flesh and at length became an abbess. And she excelled in performing works of ascetic virtue, and when one looked at her behold one saw that her body had dwindled away through her excessive spiritual fighting, and through her renunciation of food. And the nuns said unto her, “Eat a small amount of lentils that thou mayest help thy body,” and when they set them before her she said unto them, “O my daughters, I will not trouble myself for the sake of a few lentils, for I should return to penitence for my former sins, and because of this I should increase greatly my eating.” And then she died in peace. Salutation to Saturnina.

And on this day also the holy Apostle ‘Alempeyas (Olympius), who was called Paul, became a martyr. This saint was of the number of the Seventy-Two disciples, and he followed the Apostles and went with them to the preaching. And he carried the Epistles of the Apostle Peter, and ministered unto him at the time of his tribulation, and he suffered with him, and came with him into the city of Rome. And he preached the preaching of the Holy Gospel, and he taught and converted many of the pagans to the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when Saint Peter the apostle became a martyr, this apostle came and took him down from the honorable Cross, and he wrapped him in fine and costly cloths and laid him in the house of one of the believers. And certain men informed the Emperor Nero that he was a disciple of Saint Peter, and the emperor had him brought, and he questioned him about it, and the saint confessed that he was a disciple of Saint Peter the apostle, and he confessed that our Lord Jesus Christ was God indeed. And Nero tortured him severely, and beat him, and crucified him, and he burned the lower part of him as he was hanging. And after this the emperor said unto him, “How dost thou wish to die?” so that I may kill thee. And the saint answered and said unto him, “I wish to die for the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ, kill me any way thou wishest, and bring me speedily to my desire.” And Nero commanded the soldiers to beat him and to crucify him, head downwards, like his master Saint Peter; and they did thus to him, and he received the crown of the apostles and martyrs. Salutation to ‘Alminas (Olympius), who was called Paul.

And on this day also are commemorated Bartholomew of Darasa, and one thousand martyrs, and seventy little ones, and Kaladyanu (Claudian) the archbishop, the ninth from Mark.

And on this day also the holy woman and fighter of the spiritual fight Theodosia, the mother of ‘Abrokoronadeyos became a martyr, and two prefects, and twelve women, became martyrs with her. And this happened because this holy woman heard that certain men had laid information against her son ‘Abrokoronadeyos, and informed [the governor] that he was a Christian, and the governor tortured him very severely and ‘Abrokoronadeyos was nigh to die. And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him that night, and healed him, and raised him up whole and uninjured. And when the two prefects, and the twelve women, and his mother also, saw him, they marveled and cried out, saying, “We believe in the God of this saint ‘Abrokoronadeyos.” And the governor commanded the soldiers to cut off their heads with the sword, and they received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Theodosia and to the six (sic) women, and to the two prefects. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 7 (July 14)

On this day died the holy father, the devoted ascetic and fighter Abba Sinoda ‘Arsematadas (i.e. Archimandrite), that is to say, “head of the solitaries.” This saint was of the men of a city the name of which is Sansal, which is in the neighborhood of the city of ‘Akmim in Upper Egypt, and Saint Arsenius, who was like the angels, prophesied concerning him. This Arsenius was going along the road on certain business of the monastery, and there were monks with him, and he met the mother of this Saint Sinoda as she was going out to draw water. And he went up to her, and saluted her thrice saying, “God shall bless the good fruit of thy womb! It shall be sweet-smelling, and his name shall be fragrant like perfumery, and his fame shall be in all countries for ever.” And when the monks saw him they marveled, and they said unto him, “O our father, didst thou not wish [never] to see the face of a woman at all? What hath happened to thee now?” And he said unto them, “As God liveth, O my son, there shall go forth from this woman a grain of salt wherewith all the world shall be salted, and [all] those who hope for the mercy of God.” And a certain monk, who was a righteous man, and a spiritual fighter, answered and said unto Abba Arsenius, “As God liveth, O my father, when thou didst draw nigh this woman to salute her, I saw the angel of God, and in his hands was a sharp sword of fire which turned about every way. And the angel said unto thee, ‘Having saluted her, peace be unto thee, O friend of our Lord Jesus Christ. Know thou that he who shall be born of this woman shall rejoice the hearts of all the holy elect ones; and the Son of God shall hold converse with him many times.’” And when the seventh day of the month of Genbot arrived, this saint Abba Sinoda was born. Now his father had flocks of sheep, and when Sinoda was grown up, he handed them over to his son to tend; and Saint Sinoda used to give the shepherds their food. And he would go down to the well in the cold winter season, and stand up in it, and pray from evening until dawn, all the time. And a certain righteous old man testified concerning him, saying, that he saw the fingers of Saint Sinoda like ten lighted lamps. And his father took him, and carried him to Saint Abba ‘Absal his mother’s brother, that he might bless him. And Abba ‘Absal laid [his hands] on the boy’s head, and said unto him, “My blessing, O Sinoda, for assuredly thou shalt become the great father of many peoples”; and his father left him with Abba ‘Absal. And one day Abba ‘Absal heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Behold, appoint Saint Sinoda ‘Arsimatradas over all the world.” And he fought a great spiritual fight, and devoted himself to the works of piety, with fasting and prayer, and prostrations, and frequent and ceaseless vigils; and he became the light of all the ends of the world. And he composed many Homilies, and Admonitions, and profitable Sayings. One night the angel of God appeared to Abba ‘Absal, and brought him the apparel of Elijah the prophet, and the head cloths of the Three Children, and the girdle of Saint John the Baptist, and he said unto him, “God saith unto thee: Pray over Sinoda, and array him in this apparel of the ascetic life.” And straightway Abba ‘Absal rose up, and prayed over Abba Sinoda, and arrayed him in the garb of the ascetic life. And after this he fought a great fight, and he drew up a Canon for monks, and nuns, and the laity, and women, and all [classes of] men. And when the General Council of two hundred Bishops assembled in the city of Ephesus, he went with father Abba Cyril, the Archbishop to the Council; and he overcame the infidel Nestorius and anathematized him and excommunicated him. And when they were coming back the sailors would not allow Abba Sinoda to travel in the ship with the Archbishop, and straightway he prayed and entreated God, and a cloud took him up. And as he was traveling on the cloud he looked down from above on Saint Abba Cyril, who was in the ship, and he saluted him, saying, “Peace be unto thee, O my Father, and unto those who are with thee”; and [Cyril] said unto him, “And on thee also, and on those who are with thee [be peace]; forget me [not] in thy prayer.” And they marveled at him exceedingly, and they glorified God Who giveth such grace unto those who fear Him. And he came to his monastery, and joined in the midnight prayer with his sons the monks. And out Lord Jesus Christ was wont to visit him often, and to converse with him, and he washed the feet of our Lord revealed unto him many mysteries, and he prophesied prophecies. And after this he grew old in his days and he lay down [sick] on the seventh day of the month Hamle. And our Lord Jesus Christ came and sat by him and comforted him, and Abba Sinoda said unto Him, “O my Lord and God, make Thou me as strong as I was formerly, so that I may go to the Council, for the Archbishop hath sent [saying] that they summon me because of the infidels, who blaspheme against the Holy Trinity and would take from Thee Thy Godhead.” And our Lord and God and Redeemer with great grace, and with a sweet voice, answered and said unto him, “O My chosen one Sinoda, dost thou wish for more days? Behold, thy days are one hundred and twenty years and two months! Thou didst put on the garb of the ascetic life when thy days were nine years, and from the time when thou didst put on the garb of the ascetic life until today is one hundred and eleven years and two months. The toil is sufficient for thee.” And when our Lord had said this He went up into heaven in great glory. And when it was the seventh day of the month Hamle, the Company of the Saints came to him, and he saw our Lord Jesus Christ. And he said unto his sons, “Hold me, so that I may worship my Lord Jesus Christ”; and they lifted him up and he worshipped Him. And then he said unto his sons, “I commit you to God. Behold, the Will of God hath reached me that my soul must be separated from my exhausted body, and I command you to submit yourselves to your father Wida, for he shall be your shepherd after me.” And having said this our Lord Jesus Christ said unto him, “Blessed art thou, O My chosen one Sinoda, and excellence shall be unto thee for My sake, because thou hast performed My good pleasure all the days of thy life. And now, come with Me so that I may make thee to rest in the joy which is for ever.” And when He had said this unto him, Sinoda delivered up his soul into the hand of God, and he died in peace. Salutation to Abba Sinoda, to whom was given the apparel of Elijah the prophet.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Makabis (Maccabaeus), who fought the fight in the desert of Hur and pleased God.

And on this day also became a martyr Saint Abba Ignatius, Archbishop of the city of Rome; he succeeded Peter in the days of the Emperor Tarabeyanos. When the emperor heard that this father was teaching all the people, and bringing them into the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that they were renouncing the worship of idols, he had Ignatius brought before him and he said unto him, “Sacrifice to the gods.” And [though] he would neither obey him, now submit to him, he promised him many things, and was not angry with him; but Ignatius would not accept his promised gifts, and he was not afraid of his wrath. And when there had been much speech between them, and Ignatius would not agree with the emperor in his infidelity, straightway the emperor gave him to the lions. And Saint Ignatius gave commands to the people, and made them strong in the True Faith. And one of the lions drew nigh to him, and seized him by the head, and the saint delivered up his soul into the hand of God; and after this the lion did not come near him at all. And they carried away his body in great honor, and laid it in the good place, which God had prepared for it. Salutation to Ignatius who inherited the throne of Peter. Salutation to him that became a pilgrim. Salutation to George the priest, whom the Virgin taught to pray. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 8 (July 15)

On this day died the holy father, Abba Besoy, possessor of a fair memorial, the star of the desert in the monastery of Saint Abba Macarius. This saint was from the city the name of which is Sanasa, in the country of Egypt, and he had six brethren. And his mother saw a vision, wherein it seemed that the angel of God said unto her, “Thus saith God: Give me one of thy seven sons to serve Me.” And she said unto him, “My lord, take whichever pleaseth thee, for they all belong to God.” And the angel stretched out his hand and touched the head of Saint Abba Besoy, the righteous man, and he said, “This is he whom the Son of God hath chosen, and who shall serve his Lord well”; now Saint Abba Besoy was thin and slight of body. And the mother of Abba Besoy said unto the angel, who had touched his head, “O my lord, do thou take of them one who is strong to serve God.” And the angel answered and said unto her, “This is he whom God hath chosen”; and after the angel had said this he disappeared from her. And having grown up, Abba Besoy longed to wear the garb of the ascetic life, and he went to the desert of Scete and became a monk with Saint Abba Bamoy, who arrayed him in the apparel of Saint Abba John the Short. And he fought an exceedingly great fight, and he fasted three times for forty days at a time, and ate nothing whatsoever until the end of the forty days [on each occasion]. And he read the Holy Books frequently, and he gave his soul to drink of the words of the Holy Spirit continually, and he fasted and kept vigil by day and by night; and he loved the word of God very much more than honey and sugar. And he was like unto a tree, which is planted by a spring of running water, and our Lord Jesus Christ made Himself visible to him and appeared unto him on many occasions. He washed His feet with water in a bowl, and drank one half of the water, and left the other half for his disciple to drink. And after our Lord had gone up from him into heaven, the saint said unto his disciple, “Rise up and drink that water in the bowl.” And the disciple said within himself, “Why doth he not give me to drink of the clean water which is in the water-pot?” And he neither rose up nor drank that water as Besoy had commanded. And again Abba Besoy said unto his disciple, “Rise up, O my son, and drink that water which is in the bowl.” And having urged him the disciple rose up and went to that bowl, and he found in it no water whatsoever; and the saint informed him how he had washed the feet of our Lord, and had drunk one half of the water himself and left the other half for him. Now the disciple did not know that it was the water from the feet of our Lord. And when the saint told him this, he was very sorry, and was greatly terrified and dismayed. And the saint sent his disciple to a certain righteous man in the city of ‘Akmim, pretending that he was mad, and that righteous man comforted him, and sent him back to his father Abba Besoy. And when his disciple became terrified a second time he sent him again to that righteous man, who had died [meanwhile]. And Abba Besoy said unto his disciple, “Place in his hand this staff, and say unto him, My father telleth thee to rise up, and to hold converse with me.” And when his disciple went, and laid the staff of Abba Besoy upon him, that righteous man rose up straightway, and comforted him, and admonished him, saying, “Hear and obey thy father, for this terror hath only come upon thee because thou didst transgress the word of the command of thy father, he having spoken to thee, saying, ‘Drink that water which is in the bowl’”; and when the righteous man had said these words he lay down again as before. One day one of the disciples of Abba Besoy came to him and, before he went into his presence, he heard Abba Besoy talking with another person, but when he entered into the place where the saint was he found that there was no one with him. And he asked Abba Besoy, and said unto him, “Who was he who was talking with thee?” And Saint Abba Besoy said unto him, “The Emperor Constantine came unto me in the spirit this day, and he said unto me, ‘Had I known how great was the glory which attendeth monks, I should have abandoned my kingdom and become a monk.’ And I said unto him, ‘Thou hast set up the horn of the True Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and hath destroyed the worship of idols, and hath not our Lord Jesus Christ given unto thee anything?’ And Constantine said unto Abba Besoy, ‘God hath given unto me many gifts, but none of them is like unto the glory which attendeth the monks, for I have seen among them a wing of fire as they were flying into the heavenly Jerusalem.’ And I said unto him, ‘Verily, God hath given unto them that glory because of their great toil. Thou hast a wife, and sons, and riches, and dost gain consolation there from, whereas the monks are poor, and hungry, and thirsty, and afflicted, and it is for this reason that God hath given them the glory they have.’” And one day God spoke unto Abba Besoy, saying, “I will make this desert like the habitation of doves, and I will fill it with monks.” And the saint said unto Him, “My Lord, if there be many people, where will they find food to eat?” And God said, “I will care for them, and will not allow them to want anything.” And it was said concerning a certain elder monk who lived in the desert of the city of Antinoe, and to whom many people gathered together because of their confidence in him, that he fell into serious error, and said, “There is no Holy Spirit.” and many men followed him. And when Abba Besoy heard this report about that desert monk, he was very sad, and he placed three ears on his place of hearing. And he came to the desert of Antinoe, and when he visited that desert monk he found many people with him, and he saluted the saint and asked him about the three ears which he had fixed on his place of hearing. And he said unto them, “I have a Holy Trinity, and everything I have is like the Trinity.” And he said unto him, “Doth the Holy Spirit exist?” And the saint began, and interpreted to the people the Books of the Old and the New Testaments, and he made manifest to them that the Holy Spirit is One of the Three Holy Beings; and those people returned to the True Faith, and that elder, who had fallen into error, and had led them into error, also returned to the True Faith. And Abba Besoy had a disciple who was a simple man, and when he went to sell what they had made with their hands, one of that multitude met him, and led him so far astray from the path of righteousness that he uttered the word of blasphemy against our Lord Jesus Christ. And when that disciple returned to Abba Besoy, the saint saw that the grace of the Holy Spirit [which had been upon him], through Christian baptism, was removed from him. And Abba Besoy said unto his disciple, “What hath come to thee, O my son?” And the disciple told him the man had led him into error. And the saint continued to pray for him for seven days, and at the end of that time the grace of the Holy Spirit of Christian baptism, in the form of a dove, descended upon his head, and entered his mouth. And the saint thanked our Lord Jesus Christ, and he commanded his disciple to keep the True Faith, and to take good heed to himself that from this time onwards he never uttered a word in simplicity without his knowledge. And when the Barbarians came to the desert of Scete, Abba Besoy went and took up his abode in the desert of Antinoe, and there he died. And when the time of tribulation was ended [the monks] brought the body of Abba Besoy, and the body of Abba Bula, of the city of Tamowa, to the monastery of Saint Abba Besoy, in the desert of Scete, and many signs and miracles took place through his holy body; and his body is “living,” and hath not suffered corruption until this day. And he dwelt in the desert of Scete seven and twenty years, and he fought the fight and devoted himself to God in the desert of Antinoe for ten years, and he lived in the world before he became a monk twenty years; and all the days of his life were seven and fifty years. Salutation to Abba Besoy.

And on this day also ‘Aberokh and ‘Atom, his brother, became holy martyrs. These saints were of the men of the city of Gamnudi, and their parents were believers, and God-fearing folk, who gave much alms; the name of their father was “John,” and that of their mother was “Mary.” When their parents died they were grown-up men, and the days of ‘Aberokh were thirty years, and the days of ‘Atom were seven and twenty years. They were devoted in their attendance in the church, and they were perfect in all excellences, and in the practice of righteousness. And at the time of the persecution, when many became martyrs, the saints rose up and departed to the city of Farima, in order to trade and gain money. And they found there the soldiers of the king, who had with them the body of a certain learned priest who had been martyred, and whose name was Anianus. And they gave the soldiers much money, and they took the body from the soldiers and brought it into their house, and they laid it in a fine stone coffer, and they hung up before it a lamp, which burned continually; and great signs and wonders took place through it. And the saints meditated upon the end of this fleeting world, and upon the happy life of the kingdom of the heavens, and they agreed together and departed to the city of Alexandria, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor of the city of Alexandria. And he commanded the soldiers to torture them, and to beat them, and they beat them with whips of bulls’ hide until their blood ran down upon the ground. Then they drove long sharp iron nails into their bodies, and lighted a fire under them, but God sent His angel who saved them from the fire. And after this the governor commanded the soldiers to hang them up upon a high tree, with their feet in the air and their heads towards the ground, and they hung them up and at length their blood ran out of their nostrils and mouths; and the angel of God descended and delivered them from crucifixion. And the governor commanded the soldiers to shut them up in prison, and after this he sent them to the city of Farma. And when they stood before the governor he marveled exceedingly at their strength, and at the goodliness of their appearance, and he said unto them, “Cast incense to the gods,” but they hearkened not to his command, and refused to do his will. And he mixed together salt, and dust of tiles, and pepper, and vinegar and poured them into their nostrils, and they endured patiently all this suffering. And after this they stripped them and laid them on a bed of iron, and lighted a fire under them, and plucked out the nails of their hands and feet; and they beat them severely with iron rods upon their mouths. Now at that time the wife of the governor died, and the king asked them to forgive him for the torture, which he had inflicted upon them, and to raise up for him his wife from the dead. And the saints besought our Lord Jesus Christ, and he sent away the saints, and they departed to their city Gamnudi. And they gave to the poor and needy what was left of their possessions, and they gave the body of Saint Anianus to a righteous man whose name was Sarabamon, and commanded him to keep the lamp burning continually before him as before; and then they went into the city of Sarabamon, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor. And he commanded the soldiers to beat them severely, and they dragged them all round the city, and their blood flowed upon the ground. And a certain deaf and dumb woman came and took some of their blood, and she smeared it on her mouth and ears, and she heard and talked straightway. And the governor commanded the soldiers to shut them up in prison, and they did so, and when he was tired of torturing them, he commanded them to cut off their heads, now Sarabamon was with them, and they cut off their heads and the saints received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And Sarabamon took the bodies of the saints, and there were with him two other men from the city of Gamnudi, and they wrapped them up in fine linen, and in costly cloths, and they anointed them with sweet-smelling unguents, and carried them to their city Gamnudi. And when they came to the outer part of the city the beasts that were drawing their bodies on a wagon stood still, and would not move, and although they beat them to make them go on they would not move. And they heard a voice, which said, “This is the place which God hath chosen for our bodies to rest in”; and they laid the bodies there until they had built a church, and then they placed them inside it, together with the body of Saint Anianus, the physician. And there they have remained until now in the city of Gamnudi, and many signs and wonders have appeared through them. And Saint ‘Aberokh was very ruddy of countenance, and tall of stature, and the pupils of his eyes were blue like nil. And Saint ‘Atom was tall of stature, and the color of the pupils of his eyes was like antimony, and his beard was black. And our Lord Jesus Christ promised them in the time of their tribulation that He would blot out the sins of everyone who should mention their names, or should celebrate their commemoration, to the best of his ability, and that he should never see the Judgment. Salutation to ‘Aberokh and to his brother ‘Atom.

And on this day also Saint Abba Belane, of the city of Bari, which was on the border of the city of Saka, in Lower Egypt, became a martyr. This saint was a priest, and when he heard of the tribulations of the believers, and the killing of the martyrs, he gave all his goods to the poor and needy, and went to the city of Antinoe, and confessed the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ before the governor. And the governor tortured him with divers kind of severe tortures for many days, and he delivered up his soul into the hand of God and received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to the blessed Bulana.

And on this day also died Abba Mesael, whom Abba Kiros (Cyrus), the beggar, buried. And this is his history: When Saint Abba Kiros (Cyrus) had by the commandment of God gone into the mountain of Basat. He arrived in the monastery of the monks, and saluted the church. And he saw therein a figure of our holy Lady, the two-fold Virgin, Mary, the God- bearer, and tears were flowing from her eyes. And he said unto her, “O my Lady, remember me in thy prayer.” And the figure spoke and said unto him, “O Kiros (Cyrus), thy path is fair, inhabit not this place. Go back to thy habitation to protect the bones of thy father”; and when Abba Kiros (Cyrus) heard this, he made seven hundred bowings at the feet of the figure, and he heard a voice which spoke unto him, in Hebrew, saying, “This is enough for thee, for thou art a pilgrim; thou shalt lay up treasure for thyself in the treasury of mercy.” And when he went out of that place, the monks saw how goodly his countenance was, and that his whole person was pleasant, and they said among themselves, “It would seem that this monk hath come from the country of Egypt, for his body is not emaciated by fasting and prayer”; and they hated him exceedingly, and they brought him to his abode. And he found there a poor beggar lying upon the ground, and he was sick with the masfares sickness, wherewith he had been stricken many days before, and he was nigh unto death. And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) saw Saint Michael by his head, and Saint Gabriel by his feet, and Saint Raphael on his right hand, and Saint Sadakyal (Zadakiel) on his left, and they were covering him with their wings, but none of the men saw them doing this with the exception of Saint Abba Kiros (Cyrus). And the angels saluted him, and said unto him, “Hail, strong man, who fearest not death by the slayers.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) marveled and said unto the holy angels, “What would ye do with me?” And they said unto him, “There is a command laid on us by God that we protect this beggar.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) said unto them, “Until when?” And they said unto him, “Until God commandeth us to take him up.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) went back, and said unto the monk, “How many years have thou dwelt in this place?” And the monk said unto him, “Five and twenty years.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) said unto him, “Can it be then that the abbot and the monks did not visit thee?” And the monk said unto him, “They did not; as thou seest me. For fifteen years I never saw their faces, nor ate of their food nor drank of their water.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) said unto him, “Tell me now; who was thy father, and who was thy mother?” And he said unto him, “My father was the King of Chalcedonia, and my mother was the daughter of Rakhrakha; I speak unto thee truly, O Abba Kiros (Cyrus). I was dressed in gold, and silver, and fine linen in my father’s house.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) said unto him, “Who then was it that brought thee into this city?” And the monk said unto him, “Two men, who were like unto thee, came to my father’s house, and they passed the night there. And at midnight a shining man came unto me, and called me, and he said unto me, ‘Misael, Misael, Misael, at dawn rise up, and depart with these saints. For this thing have I come, and I will be with thee if they do not what is good.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) said unto him, “Listen, for I will comfort thee. There is a certain monk whose name was Babnudi; he was exceedingly poor, and his place of abode was the desert. And the Hater of good deeds (i.e. Satan) came unto him and seduced him, and God gave the flesh of that poor man of whom I speak to the lions, and to the birds of the heavens. Now, that man was the son of King Kefaz, who was of honorable family, and ruled under the authority of the Emperor of Rome. And I also tell thee that there was a certain poor man, who was the son of the Emperor of Rome, who went forth from his father’s house suddenly, without taking anything whatsoever with him, except a staff. And I knew that man very well. And he traveled about from one desert to another, and from one monastery to another; whether he is dead I know not, or whether he is alive, I know not. And there was another poor man, the son of a king, and he kept vigil by day and by night, and dressed in sackcloth, and he ate and drank only on Sabbath days; and he continued to practice these things, and died in honor. And the angels of light took his soul, and placed it in the kingdom of the heavens. And now hearken, O my brother, unto what I shall say unto thee: pretend not that thou hast been harshly entreated before God, Thy Creator, for he whom He loveth, He chasteneth.” And the monk said unto Abba Kiros (Cyrus), “Rightly hath it happened to me that I have been punished according to my deserts”; and having said this he held his peace and passed that night [in silence]. And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) prayed to God that He would visit that sick man, and straightway our Lord Jesus Christ came, and with Him were thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands of angels, and they sang praises to Him, and glorified Him, saying, “Hallelujah to our God. Hallelujah to the King, the Bestower of favors on the righteous. Hallelujah to the Hope of the saints who have toiled on this earth. Let them rejoice.” When Abba Kiros (Cyrus) saw this he bowed low upon the ground, and he said unto Him, “O my Lord and God, what is it that hath brought Thee hither?” And our Lord said unto him, “I came unto thee because thou didst call Me.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) said unto Him, “Let this poor man die, for he is grievously afflicted.” And He said unto him, “Take thee and place in his hand a flower of ‘apilyanos.” And he said unto Him, “Lay Thy hand on the face of this poor man, so that Thy hosts of angels may see how greatly Thou hast loved him.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) did as He commanded him, and his soul departed quickly without pain or suffering. And our Lord took it into His hand, and kissed it, and laid it on the chariot with Him; and He took it up towards the Ocean, and placed it in the kingdom of heaven. And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) wept, and the matter was difficult for him, and he went to the abbot and told him that the monk was dead. And the Abbot said unto him, “What is that to me?” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) looked at him, and the abbot said, “This was not a man, but Satan.” And Abba Kiros (Cyrus) asked him that he might [be allowed] to bury his body, and grudgingly the abbot commanded seven saints [to help him]. And they brought censers, but Abba Kiros (Cyrus) adjured them in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, saying, “Bring not your unclean censers. Leave him in his place, for there are others who will cense him; bury ye him.” And these saints said among themselves, “Where doth this monk come from?” And they went into the church murmuring against him. And the four archangels rose up, and censed his body with myrrh, and stacte, and almonds, and juniper gum, and cumin, and tefah, and honey, and the whole place was filled with the smoke thereof. And the monks said, “Is he then acquainted with magic? Whence hath he this incense?” Now they did not see the angels. Then they took his body, and buried it in the tomb for pilgrims in the monastery, and a spring of clear water burst forth, and it became a means of healing for those who were sick and suffering. Salutation to Misael.

And on this day also became martyrs the company of Esdros (Isidore), and Peter, and his wife and son, and nine and forty of his servants.

And on this day also Abba Bima, for the city of Behensa in Upper Egypt, became a martyr. This saint was a rich man, and a very good one, and a lover of the poor; and he was set over the city. And he saw our Lord Jesus Christ in a vision, and He was shining with a light which was far brighter than that of the sun, and He embraced him and said unto him, “Rise up, and go to the governor, and confess My Name [before him], for behold a crown of joy is prepared for thee.” And when he awoke from his dream he rose up and gave all his goods to the poor and needy, and then he went forth from the city of Behensa, and confessed the Lord Jesus Christ before the governor. And when the governor knew that he was the prefect of the city, and the kenkelawos (i.e. Chancellor), he demanded from him the sacred moneys of the churches of his city, and said unto him, “Sacrifice to the gods.” And the saint answered and said unto him, “Of sacred moneys there is nothing whatsoever left, and as for the worship of unclean idols I will neither submit to thee, nor obey them, for I worship the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Creator of heaven and of earth and of everything which is in them.” And the governor was wroth with him, and commanded the soldiers to cut out his tongue with the sword, and they did so; but God restored to him his tongue whole and uninjured as it was at first. And then they crushed him with iron implements, and nailed him upon a bed of iron, and lighted a fire under him, but God delivered him from his torture, and raised him up whole and uninjured. Then the governor sent him to the city of Alexandria, and our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him and strengthened him. And the governor cast him into prison where the saint worked great signs and wonders. Now the sister of Julius, who was from the city of ‘Akfahas, was ridden by a devil, and the saint cast out the devil from her; and the report of the saint was heard in all the city, and many believed on our Lord Jesus Christ through him and became martyrs. And the governor was wroth, and tortured him with divers kinds of tortures, and [broke him] on the wheel, and they plucked out the nails of his hands and feet, and they dragged him about in iron chains which had been made red-hot, and they cast him into the furnace of the public baths; and after this they hung a large stone about his neck and cast him into the river. And God caused him to be delivered from all these tortures and raised him up sound and uninjured. And then they cast him into the fire, but he was saved from it, and stood up and prayed. And when the governor was tired of torturing him he sent him to Upper Egypt, where they tortured him and hung him up head downwards. And then they cast him into a cauldron, and lighted a fire under him, and God appeared unto him and delivered him, and promised him that He would write in the Book of Life the name of every man who celebrated his commemoration, or who wrote the history of his fight, or who had it read. And when the governor was tired of torturing him he commanded the soldiers to cut off his head, and they cut it off with the sword, and the saint received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And the servants of Julius, who were from the city of ‘Akfahas, took the body of Abba Bima, and carried it to his city, and laid it in a good place until the end of the days of persecution. And they built a fine church and a monastery and laid his body therein, and many signs and miracles took place through it. And his body healeth to this day all the sick that come to it, and salute it in faith. Salutation to Bayma.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Kiros, who dwelt in the desert of the West, near the Sa’id (Upper Egypt); he was the brother of Theodosius the Great. And when this saint saw the oppression which was in the world, he abandoned all his possessions, and went forth from his city, and our Lord Jesus Christ guided him and brought him to the Western Desert, wherein he lived by himself for many years; and during the whole of that period he never saw a man but only the wild beast of the desert. And there was in the desert of Scete a certain priest whose name was Abba Bawma, and it was he who prepared for burial the body of Saint Hilaria, the daughter of the Emperor Zeno. And that priest said: “Whilst I was in my church by myself I heard a voice from heaven which said unto me, ‘O Abba Bawma, rise up, and depart, and go into the Inner Desert so that thou mayest prepare for burial the body of a certain desert priest who hath performed My good pleasure more than many saints.’ And straightway I rose up rejoicing, and I journeyed into the desert for three days. I arrived at a habitation, and I knocked at the door, and an elder desert monk opened the door to me, and we saluted each other, and I asked him, saying, ‘O my father, is there any other desert monk in this desert?’ And he said unto me, ‘Yea.’ And I said unto him, ‘How long hast thou lived in this desert, and what is thy name?’ And he said unto me, ‘My name is Simon, and behold up to the present I have lived in this desert for seven years.’ And I went forth from him, and I journeyed for another three days into the desert, and I found another desert monk whose name was Abba ‘Ammon. And I saluted him, and said unto him, “Is there another desert monk in this desert?’ And he said unto me, ‘Yea.’ And I saluted him and I journeyed yet four days more into the desert, and I arrived at the habitation of this Saint Kiros. And I knocked at the door of his abode, and said, ‘Bless me, O holy father.’ And at that moment he spoke unto me saying, ‘Good is thy coming unto me this day, O Abba Bawma, thou saint of God! Enter in peace’; and I entered, and saluted him and was blessed by him. And I saw the grace of God in his face, and in the hair of his head, and his beard was white as snow. And when I had sat down he drew me to his breast, and embraced me, and he said unto me, ‘Behold, I have dwelt in this abode for six and fifty years waiting for this hour’; and straightway he fell sick, and lay down and was in a state of suffering during the whole night. And at the time of dawn a great light shone in his abode, and a shining man came in with a cross of light in his hands. And Abba Kiros sat down, and the shining man embraced him, and blessed him, and consoled him, and gave him the salutation of peace, and disappeared from him. And I was afraid of him, and I asked the saint, saying, ‘Who is this that is arrayed in such great glory, and who shineth so brightly?’ And he said unto me, ‘O my son, this is our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, and He is wont to come unto me daily and comfort me.’ And at the ninth hour of the day preceding the Sabbath, I heard a great cry, which reached to heaven, and the mountains and the hills quaked at the cry of them. And I said unto him, ‘O my father, what is this cry and whose are the voices which I hear?’ And he said unto me, ‘O my son, this is the cry of the sinners who are in Sheol, to whom God giveth rest from their punishment on the day of His holy Resurrection, from the ninth hour of the day preceding the Sabbath until the sun setteth on the First Day of the Week; and they praise God because it is He Who giveth them rest on the First Day of the Week.’ And I marveled exceedingly, and I praised God because He had given them rest. Now that day was the eighth day of the month of Hamle. And Saint Abba Kiros cried out, saying, ‘A great pillar hath fallen this day in Upper Egypt, that is to say Sinoda, the chief of the desert monks.’ And on that night, which was the First Day of the Week, Abba Kiros was greatly disturbed through the severity of his sickness, and behold, a great light shone in the dwelling, and our Lord Jesus Christ came and sat by the head of Abba Kiros. And he said unto the Redeemer, ‘My Lord and God, bless this man, for he hath come from a far country.’ And our Redeemer said unto me (?), ‘O Abba Bawma, My chosen one, be strong, and fear not; My peace and My blessing shall be with thee. And now, write the history of the strife of this Abba Kiros, whom thou hast heard and seen, and who is renowned.’ And again our Redeemer spoke unto Abba Kiros, saying, ‘O My chosen one, be not sorrowful, thou art going to die, but thy death is not death, but life everlasting. Every man who shall write the history of thy strife, or shall cause it to be read, or shall listen to it being read, or shall celebrate thy commemoration upon earth lovingly, I will make to sit at meat with Me at the Feast of a Hundred Years on Mount Zion, and I will number him with My saints. And whosoever giveth an offering, or alms, or lighteth a lamp for thy name’s sake, him will I reward with manifold gifts in My kingdom. Whosoever writeth the book of thy strife, I will destroy the register of his sins and write his name in the Book of Life. Whosoever shall show mercy to the poor and needy on the day of thy commemoration, which is the eighth day of the month of Hamle, I will make him to see that which hath never appeared to the eye, and which hath never been heard of by the ear, and which the heart of man hath never imagined. And I will bring unto them the Holy Mysteries in the church, and I will bless them, and I will bless their house, and I will make their children to grow up, and they shall lack nothing whatsoever of the good things of this world. And now, O My beloved Kiros, I will make thee into the place of heavenly light, in everlasting joy.’ And as our Redeemer was saying this, behold David the prophet came, and he had his harp with him, and he played upon it, saying, ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein’ (Psalm 118:24). And our Redeemer said unto Abba Kiros, ‘Behold David hath come, tell him what thou wishest him to sing unto thee.’ And David said unto him, ‘On what string doth thou wish me to play, and what style of singing (i.e. what tune) shall I employ, and what voice (i.e. tone)? Shall it be the first, or the second, and so on up to the tenth.’ And Abba Kiros said unto him, ‘I wish to hear [all] ten strings, and the tone of each and the sound of each.’ And David made ready his harp, and he played it and said, ‘Honorable is the death of the righteous man before God.’ ‘O Lord I my Thy servant and the son the Thine handmaiden’ (Psalm 116:15, 16). And again he said, ‘I have been young, and I am old, but the righteous man that is cast away I have never seen’ (Psalm xxxvii, 25). And David sang out loudly and he made his voice beautiful, and he played vigorously. And behold the soul of Abba Kiros remained in the breast of our Redeemer, and He took it, and kissed it, and gave it to Michael. And I, Bawma, buried the body of Abba Kiros, and when I came out from his cell I saw that the whole mountain was filled with hosts of light, and captains of the armies of the angels; and our Redeemer laid His Cross on the cell wherein was the saint’s body, and sealed it. And our Redeemer was in the midst of them rejoicing in the soul of Abba Kiros, and He took it up into the kingdom which is forever. And I, Bawma, was left by myself in that place, and I put myself into the cell of Abba Ammon. And after this I traveled for three days, and I came to the cell of Abba Simon; and I traveled for another three days and at length I arrived at my monastery in the desert of Scete, and I saluted all the monks, and I described to them the strife of Saint Abba Kiros, according to what I had seen and according to what I had heard, and according to what Abba Sinoda had prophesied concerning him. And when the monks heard this story they marveled exceedingly, and praised God Who giveth such grace to those who fear Him. And they wrote down the history of this Abba Kiros, and I sent it to all the churches and monasteries; and there is hope and comfort in the history of Abba Kiros for all who read it.” Salutation to Kiros.

And on this day also are commemorated the fifteen martyrs who suffered with Abba Nob. [In the Bodleian MS. this paragraph is given under the ninth day.] Salutation to Pawli, of the city of Tamwa. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 9 (July 16)

On this day Saint Simon Cleopas became a martyr. This saint was made Bishop of Jerusalem after James, the brother of our Lord. And he converted many of the Jews to the belief of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he performed many signs and miracles; and he healed the sick. And Eudrias the king heard that he was separating women from their husbands, and commanding them to be chaste, and he had him brought before him, and tortured him severely. Now at that time his days were one hundred and twenty years. And when Eudrias was tired of torturing him he cut off his head with the sword, and at the same time the head of a certain virgin whose name was Theona. [In the Bodleian MS. this section is given under the tenth day.] Salutation to Nathaniel.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Claudianus, the ninth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This saint sat upon the throne of Mark, the evangelist, fourteen years, and protected his flock; and he died in peace. Salutation to Claudianus.

And on this day also died Abba Besneda. This righteous man fought the fight standing by a deep well of water, and the angels used to visit him and lift him up in a chariot a space of nine cubits; and he died in peace. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 10 (July 17)

On this day Saint Theodore, Bishop of Five Cities (Pentapolis), became a martyr. This saint lived when Diocletian the infidel worshipped idols, and when he sent out an Edict into all countries and commanded his officers to torture the Christians, and to destroy them by every kind of torture. And he sent another governor, Falawes, to the city of Phrygia and the country round about. And Theodore having come there, and seen the whole city, the people laid information against this saint before Diocletian, and accused him of being a teacher of the Christians. Now this took place one year after Abba Theonas made him bishop. And the governor had the saint brought before him, and commanded him to worship idols. And the saint answered and said unto him, “It is not seemly for us to abandon God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and worship idols.” And the governor answered and said unto him, “Is there any other god besides Artemis, and Apollo, and ‘Ardamida, and the other gods? And are not these gods?” And the saint answered and said unto him, “These are not gods, and our Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator.” And the governor was wroth at the firmness of his answer, and he commanded the soldiers to torture him. And they continued to torture him for a space of forty (?) days, with beatings, and with crucifixions, and with the wheel, and with prison; but the saint feared not the torture nor was he obedient to the governor’s command. And straightway the governor commanded the soldiers to cut off his head, and they cut it off with the sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Theodore whom they tortured for forty days.

And on this day Saint Theodore, Bishop of the city of Corinth, and three women and the two governors, that is to say Lucianus and Dagnanius, who were torturing them, became martyrs. And certain men having laid information before these two governors that this saint, the Bishop of Corinth, was a Christian, the governors had him brought before them, and they questioned him concerning his Faith, and he confessed that he was a Christian. And they tortured him, and beat him with rods, and he stamped on the ground and kicked the throne of the idols and overturned them. And the two governors were wroth, and they tortured him severely, and they rubbed his wounds with hairy rags which had been dipped in vinegar and salt, and meanwhile he cursed the idols and the governors. And the governors commanded the soldiers and they cut out his tongue. When they had cut it out, one of the believing women who were there took it away, and when the soldiers put the saint in prison, he took his tongue from that woman and laid it upon his belly, and his tongue extended itself, and entered his mouth. And a white dove came and flew round the saint, and then a peacock flew up and alighted on the window. And the two governors saw them and marveled, and Lucianus believed on our Lord Jesus Christ. And straightway Dagnanius was wroth, and he slew the three women who were walking behind the saint. And when the saint delivered up his soul the dove and the peacock flew away, and departed straightway, and Dagnanius marveled exceedingly at this. And Saint Lucianus informed him, saying, “The Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ is the True Faith” (?)’ and Dagnanius himself also believed on our Lord Jesus Christ. And then they went by sea from the city of Corinth to the land of Cyprus, and there they found another governor who was torturing the Christians. And Saint Lucianus stood up before the governor without the knowledge of Dagnanius, and he overturned the throne of the idols, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ; and the soldiers cut off his head with the sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom. And Dagnanius took him and made him ready for burial and buried him. And after this Dagnanius stood up before the governor, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ, and his head was cut off with the sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Theodore, Bishop of Corinth, and to Lucianus and Dagnanius.

And on this day also died the holy father and fighter Abba Helyan (or, Golyan). The name of the father of this saint was Justus, and the name of his mother was Kalmona, and his district (or, home) was ‘Ain Dahay; in his youth he was a worker in gold and silver, and was praised for his handiwork. One day a woman from among the Arab handmaidens came to him, and asked him to make for her ornaments for her ears. When he had finished them for her, he asked for payment from her, and she bowed her head before him, and said unto him, “If thou wantest from me what men want from women, behold me here before thee; other money I have none.” When he heard this he said unto her, “Thou art the daughter of the governor of the Satans; get thee gone from me and never show me thy face again.” And then he tarried a little while in his house reminding himself about death, and punishment, and the resurrection, and then he distributed his goods among the poor and needy. And he made an agreement with his mother, and left her half of his money, and having taken food sufficient for three days he departed into the desert. And when God saw the purity of his mind, He mad to be near to him what was afar off, and he came to the Red Sea in one day. And whilst he was sleeping, there appeared unto him three men in white apparel, who held a cross which shone like the sun, and they woke him up and took him with them; and when they came to a garden they gave him a staff formed of a cross studded with gems. Whilst they were in the garden they prayed together, and when he rose up after prostrating himself, he could not find any one of them; and he wept because of their separation from him. And when his sojourn there had become long, he found that he was accustomed to the solitary life, and he fed himself upon green herbs, and drank water. When he wanted to go by night into caves and other dark places, the staff of the cross gave him light, and brought near to him what was afar off; and his clothing was the bark of the trees. And when Satan, the accursed, saw his spiritual fight, he went to certain evil men and spoke unto them, saying, “There is a treasure hidden in the desert, and if ye seize the man who guardeth it ye will find it”; and he took them and brought them to the passage across the river. And when they had come to the river, they lost their way to the place where they should cross over, and although they saw the river they were unable to come there to drink, and they were exceedingly thirsty. And again Satan transformed himself into a wild beast of terrifying aspect, and he went to Saint Helyan, and he said unto him, “Why dost thou not show compassion on thy companions who are thirsty, and why dost thou not give them water to drink?” And he thought that by this means they would be able to seize him. And the saint thought God was chiding him by the mouth of a wild beast, and he drew water for them and crossed the river, and gave them to drink. And when they saw his wretched condition, they had pity upon him, and wanted to give him their apparel, but he would not take it from them, and he returned to his abode. And Satan, having laid aside his cunning form of a wild beast, again transformed himself and took the form of a monk, and he came to the saint to lead him astray, but the saint made the sign of the Cross over him and Satan fled away ashamed. When the time for the departure of the saint drew nigh, the three men who had appeared unto him before came to him, and wrote his history for him; and when he died they buried him. Salutation to Helyan.

And on this day also are commemorated Mar Matra (MarMatra), and Andrew, Bishop of Kefala, and the consecration of a church to Sergius in Egypt.

And on this day also became martyrs Abba Esi and five and fifty men and four soldiers. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 11 (July 18)

On this day Saint John, and Saint Simon, the son of his father’s brother, from the city of Sarmalas, became martyrs. The mother of Saint John was barren, and his father asked our Lord Jesus Christ to give him a son, and he vowed that if He did so, he would make himself a servant of God all the days of his life. And John the Baptist appeared unto him in a vision, and told him that God would give him a son; and when this saint was born he called him John. And he built first of all a church in the name of Saint John the Baptist. And when the boy was grown up and his days were twelve years, his father gave him his flock to tend. And John used to give his food to the shepherds every day, and also to those who passed by on the road, and he fasted until the evening daily. And when his father heard this he went to him in the fields so that he might know if what people had told him about him [was true], and the young man Saint John was afraid lest his father should beat him, and he wanted to flee. And his father said unto him, “Show me thy food [for] this day”; and John answered and said unto him, “Go inside that thou mayest see it.” And when his father went inside, and [looked at] the place where things were put, he saw that it was full of hot bread, and he marveled exceedingly and told his mother what had happened to their son. And from that hour they knew that grace was on their son, and they no longer allowed him to tend the sheep. And the saint studied and learned by heart many of the Books of the Church. And his parents asked him to let them arrange a marriage for him, but he did not wish this. And when his days were eighteen years, he was made a priest, and Simon, the son of his father’s brother, left the sheep and became his disciple, and he it was who described his miracles. Now God made manifest through him great miracles, and the people used to bring unto him those who were sick with every sickness whatsoever, and he prayed over some olive oil, and anointed them therewith, and they were healed of their sickness. And he rebuked the sick, and said unto them, “Many ills come upon you because of your sins”; and this saint wrought so many miracles that they cannot be counted, and among them are the following: A soldier took and carried off some barley from a widow woman. And the widow came to the saint, and complained to him about the soldier, and the saint cursed him, and his horse died when he had eaten the barley. On one occasion the king’s general came to collect tribute, and he had with him a man, one of whose eyes was blind. And that man came to Saint John, and was blessed by him, and straightway his eye that was blind was opened, and he saw well with it. And this holy man could see by the Holy Spirit the deeds of all men, and their sins were revealed to him, and he rebuked them for their sins. And the report of this saint was heard of by a king whose name was Marianus, who had an only daughter, and a serpent entered her belly, and grew up therein, and she was nigh to die; and although her father had given much money to the physicians they were unable to cure her. And the general made known to him the history of Saint John, and how he had opened the eye of his blind servant, and the king commanded his soldiers to send and bring the saint. And Saint John knew by the Spirit that the king wanted to bring him to him, and he feared the fatigue of the journey and the sea. And straightway a cloud caught him up from the city of Sarmalas, and carried him along until it brought him to the city of Antioch, and set him upon the king’s bed; and when the king saw him he was troubled and was afraid. And the saint told the king, saying, “I am that poor man for whom thou didst wish to send and bring hither.” [And the king brought] his daughter to Saint John, and he prayed over her, and the serpent went forth from her belly without injuring her, or causing her pain. And the king and all the men of the house of the king were blessed by him, and they marveled exceedingly, and they glorified God Who gave such grace to those who love Him and who do His commands. And the king offered him much money and gifts, but he would take nothing whatsoever from him. And the king wished to make him dwell with him, but could not make him do so, and he laid hold upon his girdle so that he might [not] depart, and a cloud caught him up whilst the king was holding his girdle in his hand, and the girdle broke in the king’s hand, and Saint John arrived in his city that night. And the king built a church over that girdle, and it is called “the church of the girdle” to this day. When Saint John consecrated the Offering he could distinguish between the sinners and the good, and those who were fit to partake and those who were not. When Diocletian denied Christ, and worshipped idols, this saint took Simon, the son of his father’s brother, and went to the city of Alexandria, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor. And the soldiers tortured them severely, and after this they cut off their heads with their swords. And their souls entered into everlasting rest, and their bodies are to this day in the city of Gamnudi, where great miracles and healings take place through them. Salutation to John and to Simon.

And on this day also is commemorated the great saint Abba Isaiah the anchorite, of the desert of Scete. Salutation to Isaiah.

And on this day also died Saint Abba Gabriel, the seventy-eighth (sic) Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This saint had believing and blessed parents, and they walked in the way of God, and in His commandments, and according to His good pleasure. And having begotten him, they reared him in the fear of God. One day there came to him certain holy monks, and among them was a righteous elder whose spiritual fight was good. And he saw a beautiful vision, as it were many bishops surrounding the boy, and they laid their hands upon him, and blessed him, and they all said, “So be it, so be it.” When the elder woke up from his vision he meditated and said, “The boy shall become great.” And he said unto his father, “Teach him well, for assuredly he shall become the head and chief of many peoples; thou wilt not see him at all times.” And he told him what he had seen; and the father of the boy praised God, saying, “Shall anything happen to this boy?” And when his days were two (?) years his father died in the mercy of our Lord and God and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Now the boy had an uncle whose name was Peter, and he was Bishop of the city of Behna, and his spiritual fight was admirable, and he was learned in all the holy Books of God of the New and of the Old Testaments, and he took the boy and taught him. And all those who saw the boy marveled at the grace of God, which was upon him, and at his understanding and knowledge, and he was made a deacon. And when his days were twelve years he wanted to put on the garb of the ascetic life, and he renounced this fleeting world. And the Bishop Abba Peter gave him into the hands of the blessed monk Abba Peter the priest, and he became devoted to God, and a fighter, and a man of good piety. And he took the boy and taught him the spiritual fight, and the Rule of the monastic life in a few days, and signs and wonders and spiritual excellence appeared through him; and many men loved him because of his spiritual fight, and his devotion to God, and his humility. And after the death of his teacher, Peter the priest, he departed to the monastery of Saint Anthony, where he lived for many years, fighting the fight with fasting, and prayer, and vigils and unceasing prostrations; and after this he departed to the desert of Scete, to the monastery of Abba Macarius. And he became abbot of the church of our holy Lady, the two-fold Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, in the monastery of Marmos, and he toiled and restored the building thereof. And then he went to Jerusalem, and was blessed in the holy places, and there he was made priest of the church of the Holy Resurrection by the hand of the holy father Bishop Abba Michael. Thence he returned to the city of Mesr (Cairo), and dwelt in the church of Mu’Allakah of our holy Lady the Virgin Mary, copying the holy Books of the Holy Church. In those days the throne of Mark the evangelist remained without an archbishop for a few days, and all the bishops and priests agreed with one consent to make this saint archbishop. And Satan, the hater of what is good, brought certain men who were envious of him, and they did not wish him to be appointed, and they appointed archbishop the holy and spiritual father Abba Athanasius, who is know as “Son of the Crown.” And good works appeared from him, and he walked uprightly without blemish, like Abba Athanasius the apostle, and then he died. And again the bishops, and the elders, and the people gathered together, and they set their hands to a document and wished that Abba Gabriel should be appointed archbishop. And again the Enemy of what is good stirred up dissension among the people, and they agreed that the name of Gabriel and the names of others should be written on papers, and that they should be laid on the altar, and that they should pray over them for three days, and should celebrate the Offering, so that God should make known who was to hold this honorable position and reveal his name. And they did thus, and they brought a little child, who brought forth the paper whereon was the name of this father; and all the bishops assembled and made him prefect of the church of Mu’Allakah. And again his appointment was not completed, and Abba John, who is known as the “son of ‘Absadi,” was appointed. And at that time the church of Egypt suffered great tribulation. When Abba John was appointed, this father Abba Gabriel went to the monastery of Saint Abba Anthony, and he fought a great fight, and devoted himself to fasting, and prayer, and vigils, and to prostrations by day and by night; and in the strenuousness of his fight he was superior to many. And he lived thus one year (?). And many of the holy monks saw beautiful visions concerning him, and some of them said that they saw him in the city of Alexandria, dressed in archiepiscopal apparel, with many Christians and Gentiles surrounding him. And some of them saw him in the desert of Scete, where he was appointed head of the monastery of Saint Abba Macarius; and some of them saw a countless number of keys handed to him. Many times when he wished to come down from the monastery of Abba Macarius, he became sick, and was unable to come down. And then Saint Anthony appeared unto him, in a vision, and said unto him, “I do not wish thee to go down from the monastery except by the Will of God, and henceforward thou shalt not go down except at His time.” And when three years were ended, a certain holy elder of the monks of the monastery of Anthony saw the vision of a glorious angel, who said unto him, “Three years from this time they shall take Abba Gabriel and make him Archbishop of the city of Alexandria”; and that elder went out straightway and told Abba Gabriel what he had seen. One day the governor of the city of Tafih came to the monastery of Abba Anthony, and with him were the abbot, and many judges (or, officers), and a letter from the emperor ordering them to bring Abba Gabriel quickly, and to make him Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. And they took him against his will, and carried him with great honor to the city of Alexandria, and with him were the father bishops; and all the people rejoiced in him. And that day he and the bishops, and the priests and the deacons, appointed a bishop to Jerusalem, and after this he consecrated Myron (i.e. the holy oil) three times; and he remained thus for one year and on month. At that time Abba Anthony appeared, and said unto him, “Behold, thy departure draweth nigh, and after one year and a half thou shalt depart to God and shalt inherit everlasting life.” And at that time great tribulation came upon the Christians, and this father asked God to deliver them from it; and God accepted his petition and delivered them. Then the archbishop returned to his throne, and Abba Gabriel hid himself in a secret place, and no man knew where he was, except a certain believer. And through the excessive intensity of his spiritual fight, by night and by day, his appearance became changed, and his body dried up. And after this God revealed the matter of this father to a certain believer, who pleased God by his works, and he became zealous for him with a divine zeal, and he brought him out of that place, and established him in the church of the Apostles, and he lived there for many days devoting himself to prayer and to sacred duties. And he visited the sick, and provided them with what they needed, and he comforted the believers who came to him. One night Abba Athanasius, the archbishop, appeared unto him plainly, and said unto him, “Be not sad because of the labor and sorrow which hath come to thee, for God hath delivered thee from much toil and tribulation. And behold, there must come upon thee a sickness, so that God may perfect thy patient endurance; rejoice, however, for thou hast received the grace of God, which is great, and thou shalt receive everlasting life, and joy which is unending.” And straightway a severe sickness seized him, and he continued to be sick, and he was frightened and disturbed about the departure of his soul from his body, and about his standing before God. And there was before his face a picture of our holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, and to this he prayed continually; and at that time God Most High appeared unto him with a shining face, and comforted him, and strengthened him, and said unto him, “Fear not, but rejoice, for thou hast received the grace of the kingdom of the heavens. At the end of three days thou shalt depart from this fleeting world”; and after three days he died in peace, and was buried in the church of Saint Mercurius with great honor. Salutation to Gabriel the Archbishop. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 12 (July 19)

On this day is celebrated the commemorative festival of the glorious angel, the Archangel Michael, because of it God sent him to the army of Sanakrem, the King of Persia, and he slew eighteen ten-thousand thousands and fifty hundred men. And having besieged Jerusalem, Sanakrem (Sennacherib) sent messengers to Hezekiah the king, who reviled him and blasphemed the Lord God, and he said unto them (i.e. the Jews), “Who can deliver you out of my hand?” And Hezekiah, the King of Judah, was sad, and he put on hair sackcloth, and he entered the House of God, and prayed and bowed down before Him in the sanctuary, and entreated Him to save His people, and the city of Jerusalem. And God accepted his petition, and He sent Saint Michael the Archangel to the army of Sanakrem (Sennacherib), King of Persia, and he performed a great miracle upon him, and delivered Jerusalem and all the people of Judah. For this reason the Teachers of the Church have commanded the people to celebrate the festival of Saint Michael the Archangel this day. Salutation to Michael the Archangel.

And on this day also Saint Abba Hor became a martyr. This holy man was from the city of Seryas, and he had a sister whose father was a worker in metals; and he determined in his heart to become a martyr. And he went to the city of Sarma, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor, who tortured him severely. And after this that governor and his wife and sons believed because they saw and heard of the miracles which God performed by the hands of this saint, and they became martyrs by the hands of another governor. And the governor sent Abba Hor to the city of Antinoe, and the governor of that city tortured him with every kind of torture, and broke him on the wheel, and hung him up head downwards, and tortured him with red-hot irons. And when he was tired of torturing him he commanded the soldiers to cut off his head, [and they did so,] and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Abba Hor. Salutation to the company of Hor, one hundred and twenty-seven men and twenty women. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 13 (July 20)

On this day died Saint Abba Basendius, Bishop of the city of Keft (Coptos). This saint became a monk in his early years, and he devoted himself to the ascetic life, and fought a great fight, and learned many of the holy Books by heart, of their number being the Book of the Psalms of David, and the Twelve Minor Prophets. And when he used to read a prophecy of one of the prophets, the prophet who wrote it used to come and stay with him until he had finished reading the prophecy. And it is related of him that when he lifted up his hands whilst he was praying, his ten fingers used to shine like ten lighted lamps; and God wrought great sings and miracles by his hands. Now he never looked upon the face of a woman, and he bowed his head towards the ground [when he saw one]. And there was a certain woman who had a serious sickness in her belly, and one day she lay in wait for him by his cell, and came upon him suddenly; and he ran away and the woman ran after him. And when she was unable to catch him, she took a handful of the dust upon which his feet had trodden, and swallowed it, and straightway she was healed of her sickness. One day he saw three shining men, and they gave him some keys saying, “Thou must administer the Church of God,” and then God chose him and he was made Bishop of the city of Keft (Coptos). And when he was consecrating the Offering, he used to see our Lord and His angels on the altar. One day a certain priest was reciting the Liturgy before him, and when he was in the middle of it, he spat out spittle whilst he was standing before he altar. And when the priest had finished this father rebuked him, saying, “Art thou not afraid of God when thou standest at the altar? Dost thou not know that the spittle which thou didst spit out fell upon the wing of one of the Cherubim, who were standing before the altar?’ And great trembling and dismay came upon that priest, and they carried him to his house, and he fell sick and died. And this saint had a sweet voice, and a good delivery of speech, and no man became wearied of his admonition or teaching. And when the time of his death drew nigh, the saint knew about it a few days before, and he summoned his people, and he taught them and admonished them, and strengthened them in the True Faith, and gave them many commands; then he delivered up his soul into the hand of God. And God made manifest many miracles from his body. And his disciple took a small piece of his grave clothes, and it became a means of healing for every sick person who came to him in faith. Salutation to Basendius.

And on this day became a martyr Saint Ammon, who was from the city of Tuh, on the borders of Buna in the north of Egypt. The angel of God Saint Michael appeared to this saint and made known to him everything that would happen to him, that is to say, that he must go to the city of Antinoe, where they would torture him for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he departed to the city of Antinoe and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before Eugaius the governor, who at once tortured him severely with the wheel, and with the fire, and with the red-hot iron bed, and with whippings with whips made of ox-hide, and with the tribulation of the [furnace] of the bath; and they flayed off his scalp and laid coals of fire on his head. And God gave him strength under all these tortures, and raised him up sound and uninjured, and without pain. And after this our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him in the form of a young man on a chariot of the spirit, and He comforted him, and strengthened him, and promised to be with him, and He said unto him, “O My beloved Abba Ammon, whosoever shall call upon thy name in the time of his tribulation, I will come down and deliver him. Whosoever shall celebrate thy commemoration, or shall write the history of thy fight, I will remember in My kingdom, and I will blot out his sins; and I will protect thy city and thy church and thy body.” And this saint performed great miracles whilst he was in the body. And when the soldiers cut off his head with the sword, he received the crown of life. And Saint Julius who was there took his body, and wrapped it in costly cloths, and sent it with two of his servants into his city; and his body is to this day in Upper Egypt, and many miracles appear through it. Salutation to Ammon. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 14 (July 21)

On this day Saint ‘Abrokonyos, the soldier of our Lord Jesus Christ, became a martyr. This saint was born in the city of Jerusalem, and the name of his father was Christopher, which is, being interpreted, “Bearer of Christ,” and he was a Christian; and the name of his mother was Theodosia, and she was a worshipper of idols. When his father died his mother took him, and carrying with her much money and gifts, she departed to the city of Antioch; and she gave the money to Diocletian, and presented her son, this saint, to him, and asked him to make him a governor; and Diocletian took the money, and made her son governor of the city of Alexandria. And then he commanded him to torture the Christians, and he wrote an order to do so, and placed it in his hand. And when the saint had gone a little way from the city of Antioch, there came to him a terrifying voice from heaven, calling him by his name, and saying unto him, “If thou doest as Diocletian commanded thee, thou thyself shalt die an evil death, if thou darest to transgress the command which I have given thee.” And ‘Abrokonyos said unto Him, “Who art Thou, O my Lord? I beseech Thee to show me Thyself.” And straightway there appeared unto him a cross of light, and he heard a voice, which said unto him, “I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who was crucified in Jerusalem.” And when he heard this voice he was afraid, and trembled exceedingly, and he turned aside to the city of Bisan; and having made a cross of gold, they went to the city of Alexandria. And as they were going along, the pagan Balaw and his men rose up against him, and wanted to kill him, but he resisted them strongly by the might of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and conquered them. And his mother said unto him, “O my son, offer up sacrifice to the gods who helped thee in the fight, and delivered thee.” And the saint answered and said unto her, “I will sacrifice only to my Lord Jesus Christ, Who helped me by the life-giving Cross.” And when his mother heard these words she sent and informed the Emperor Diocletian that her son ‘Abrokonyos had become a Christian. And Diocletian sent to the governor of Caesarea, and ordered him to enquire concerning ‘Abrokonyos and to torture him. And when the governor had this saint brought before him, and ‘Abrokonyos confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before him, he beat him so severely that he well nigh died, and then he cast him into prison. And after this our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him that night with great light, and with Him were shining angels, and He embraced the saint and released him from his bonds, and He touched his body with His divine hand, and the saint was healed of all his wounds straightway. And on the following day the governor asked for news about the saint, whether he was dead or alive; now he thought that the saint was dead. And when he found that he was whole, and uninjured, he had him brought to the house of idols, where he used to go and pray; and when the saint came, and the governor saw that he was whole and uninjured, he marveled exceedingly. And when the people who were there saw him, they marveled exceedingly, and they all cried out, saying, “We are Christians openly, and we believe on the God of ‘Abrokonyos”; and among them were two noblemen and twelve women, and Theodosia, [the mother] of Saint ‘Abrokonyos. And the governor commanded the soldiers to cut off their heads with the sword, and they did so, and the saints received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens on the sixth day of the month of Hamle. Then the governor shut the saint up in prison until he could determine what to do with him, and the saint remained in prison for three days. Then they brought him out, and the governor said unto him, “Behold, I have waited three days for thy heart to turn, and thy soul to learn; offer up sacrifices to the gods.” And the saint answered and said unto him, “Nay, O governor, my heart will not turn. Behold, I know, and am well assured, that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Great God alone. And these idols which are made out of stone and wood by the hand of man, are graven images which can neither injure [men] nor benefit them.” Thereupon the governor was wroth, and he commanded the soldiers to cut his sides with swords. And the swordsman, whose name was Archelaus, stretched out his hand to cut the sides of the saint with his sword, whereupon his hand dried up, and he fell down and died. And the governor was wroth, and he commanded them to throw him down on the ground, and they threw the saint on the ground, and then they beat him severely, and gashed his body with knives, and poured vinegar on his wounds, and dragged him by his feet to the prison house, and cast him into it. And he remained in the prison house three days [whilst] the governor pondered what he should do with him. And after this they took him out of prison, and threw him into a pit, which was filled with fire; but our Lord Jesus Christ delivered him there from, and the fire did not touch him at all. And when the governor was tired of torturing him, he commanded the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword, [and they did so,] and he received the crown of martyrdom and departed to joy everlasting. Salutation to ‘Abrokonyos. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 15 (July 22)

On this day died Saint Abba Ephraim, the Syrian. This saint was a man from the city of Kawakebet, and his father was a priest of idols, and hated the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. And at that time Abba Ephraim departed to Saint Abba Jacob, Bishop of Nisibis, who admonished him, and taught him, and baptized him with Christian baptism; and he lived with him and fought a fight greater than that [usually] fought by men in his days; and he fasted frequently and prayed without ceasing. And the grace of the Holy Spirit descended upon him, and he disputed with the people, and overcame them in argument. And when the Council of the father Bishops, Three Hundred and Eighteen in number, assembled in the city of Nicea, this saint went with his teacher Abba Jacob to the Council of the Saints, and overcame Arius the infidel. That night Abba Ephraim saw a pillar of light standing upon the earth, and it reached up to heaven, and when he saw it he marveled. And a voice came to him from heaven, saying, “This pillar of light which thou seest is the blessed Basil, Bishop of the city of Caesarea”; and he longed to see him. And Abba Ephraim departed to the city of Caesarea, and went into the church, and stood in a corner of it. And he saw Saint Basil, as he went up to the throne to read the Holy Gospel, and he wore priestly vestments of gold, which were of great price, and he was in doubt about him; and God showed him a white dove on the head of this Saint Basil. And Saint Basil knew that Abba Ephraim was standing in the corner of the church, and he sent and called him by his name, and Ephraim went to him, and they saluted each other through an interpreter. And Abba Ephraim asked Abba Basil that they might talk together without an interpreter, and the grace of the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and each knew the language of the other. And then Basil made Abba Ephraim a deacon, and after a few days he was made a priest, and many virtues appeared in him; and he fought a great fight. And at that time there was a certain honorable woman of high rank who was ashamed to confess her sin openly to Saint Basil; and she wrote on paper a confession of all the sins which she had committed from her youth up to that day; and there remained one sin only which she did not set down in what she had written. And then she brought the paper to Saint Basil, and she asked him before the people, saying, “I am a sinful woman. And behold, I have written all my sins on this paper, and I ask thee to remit them so that they may be blotted out from this paper, it remaining sealed.” And he took the paper, and prayed for her, and the paper became blank in every place, and all her sins were blotted out with the exception of the one sin, which was a very grievous one; and when she saw it she wept, and entreated him to remit to her the one sin, which remained. And he said unto her, “Go thou to the desert, to Abba Ephraim, and he shall remit to thee this one remaining sin.” And straightway she went to Abba Ephraim, and told him what had befallen her, and he said unto her, “Get thee quickly to Abba Basil before his departure from this world, for he is the chief-priest, and he must remit to thee thy sin.” And the woman returned to Abba Basil, and she found that he had died whilst they were carrying him in his bed on the heads of the priests. And she wept and laid the paper on the body of Abba Basil, so that he might blot out for her the sin, which remained on the paper; and the saint blotted it out by his prayer. And Abba Ephraim performed many miracles. And in his days there appeared a certain wicked denier [of Christ] whose name was Walda Didan, and this father disputed with him, and overcame him; and this father composed very many Homilies, and it is found written in the books that the number of the works which he composed by the Holy Spirit was one thousand four hundred Homilies and Admonitions. And Abba Ephraim asked God, the Most High, saying, “O my Lord, take from me the waves of Thy grace.” And having finished his good fight, he departed to God, Whom he loved. Salutation to Ephraim.

And on this day also are commemorated Abba Kharayon of ‘Amsal, and Fere-Menatos, and five and forty martyrs, and the martyrdom of Cyriacus, (as it is written in the Synaxarium of Mesr), and Frumentius the monk and fighter, the pure man and worker of many miracles.

And on this day also Peter and Paul performed a miracle in the city of Rome. And it came to pass, after the departure of our holy Lady the two-fold Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, that [the cloud] took them up and set them down in the royal palace; and when the king saw them he was frightened and said unto them, “What are ye and what is your business?” And they said unto him, “We are the servants of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who destroyeth all kingdoms, and is able to deliver those who hear Him, and to punish those who hear Him not.” And the king said unto them, “How is it possible for me to know whether your words are true [or not]?” And then they told him about all the signs and wonders, which our Lord Jesus Christ had wrought. And the king said unto them, “I have a daughter whose right eye a bird plucked out, and if ye heal her by your prayers I will believe in your God.” And Peter and Paul said unto the king, “Bring thy daughter to us?” And straightway he brought her in haste. And the holy apostles lifted up their hands, and prayed much to God, and then they laid their hands upon her eyes, and healed her in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when the people saw this they bowed down at the feet of the holy apostles and believed. And thence the holy apostles departed to the country of Philippi, even as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded them. And Satan took the form of the king of ‘Endon, and he came to Pragmos, followed by a few soldiers, and he said unto him, “Why dost thou keep silence concerning the two magicians who, if we do not destroy them without [mercy], will speedily corrupt the country with their magic?” And the heart of Pragmos was persuaded, and he sent to him one thousand two hundred horsemen to bring the holy apostles to him, and they surrounded the city, and the men of the city were frightened, and they told the holy apostles. And the holy apostles went out of the city and stood up before the people, and prayed to God to send them help. And straightway the horses of the soldiers turned and faced the holy apostles, and they cried out in a thin voice like that of one who weepeth, “Make straight your feet, and kneel down on your knees.” And one of the horses lifted up his voice, which was like that of a man, and said unto the soldiers, “O ye foolish soldiers of Pragmos, why do ye seek Peter and Paul, the soldiers of Christ, and make them out to be magicians? They have only come to destroy the soldiers, and all the work of the devil. Do ye not see them with their King Jesus Christ, riding upon white horses, and making supplication on your behalf, that ye may become soldiers of Christ, and that they may write your names in the Book of Life? As for us beasts we will worship your God”; and having thus spoken the horse held his peace. And a voice was heard which said, “O apostles, neglect ye not my new plants”; and when all the people lifted up their eyes they saw our Lord going up into heaven in great glory. And when the twelve hundred soldiers saw this, they believed on our Lord Jesus Christ, and the submitted themselves to the holy apostles. And the holy apostles commanded them to abandon their military service, and to give back their horses to their king, and their weapons of war, and to believe boldly on our Lord Jesus Christ. And the soldiers went to Pragmos their king, and stood up before him, and he said unto them, “Where are the two magicians whom I sent you to bring?” And they said unto him, “Why dost thou seek to do evil in return for the good which they did thee in bestowing light upon thy daughter?” And then they unloosed their breastplates and girdles, and threw them in his face, saying, “Take thy property. We will find a better king than thyself. We believe on the God of Peter and Paul.” When the king heard [these words] he was dismayed, and he became furiously angry, and he commanded his soldiers to cast them into prison until he could kill them. And then he prepared to set out himself, and he made ready his weapons of war, and he commanded another fourteen hundred soldiers who were with him to set out for Pilpos, and to destroy the city down to its very foundations. And Saint Peter knows of this in his spirit, and he said unto Saint Paul, “O my brother, rise up and let us go to King Pragmos before he cometh to destroy the city.” Then they prayed a prayer, and mounted upon a cloud, and it [carried them away] and set them down in the royal palace. And they stood up before Pragmos, and said unto him," Do not destroy the city, and make us the pretext for doing so; behold, we are before thee”, and the king commanded his soldiers to return. And he said unto the holy apostles, “Are ye magicians who have bewitched the city?” And they said unto him, “Far be it from us [to do] this.” And the king said unto them, “Your sins have brought this upon you.” And he commanded his servants to make two iron helmets with iron pegs in them, and to fill them with poisons (or, drugs), and to heat them in the fire, and to put them on the heads of the holy apostles, and then to hang them up head downwards; and the soldiers did this to them. Then Saint Peter prayed, and said, “O Lord my God, make Thy glory to appear on Pragmos.” And straightway Pragmos and all his people were hung up head downwards in the air, and at that moment Pragmos cried out, saying, “O my Lord, deliver me from this torture. Cursed be the King of ‘Endon, for it is he who hath led me into error, and cursed be every man who speaketh against them.” And Saint Peter said unto him, “Thou shalt not come down from thy hanging until thou dost give the command to thy soldiers to release the soldiers who are in prison.” And Pragmos cried out to Loy, his daughter, and commanded her to release them, and she released them, for she was the only person who was left unhung. And Saint Peter said unto him, “And now, thou shalt not come down from thy hanging unless thou wilt write a statement with thine own hand, saying, ‘There is no other god except my Lord Jesus Christ, the King of all the world, and on all the earth there is no being so unclean as myself’; and thou shalt command it to be proclaimed in the city.” And the king cried out, and they brought to him paper and a pen, and he wrote theses words whilst he was hanging head downwards; and he sent the writing to the city, and the people read it there. And straightway the holy apostles took down Pragmos and his followers. And the king came and bowed down at the feet of the holy apostles, and said unto the, “Forgive me, O my lords, I believe on your God.” And all the people fell down at their feet saying the same thing, and the apostles baptized them all in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and they also baptized the soldiers, and thus they were all united in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the apostles built for them a church, and appointed priests and deacons from among their learned men, and they taught them the True Faith. And they remained with them, teaching them to understand every difficult matter, and they gave them all the Holy Scriptures whereby they might strengthen their hearts. And they said unto them, “Be ye strong in your faith which we have taught you until we return to you.” And after this they gave them the salutation of “Peace,” and departed to the city of Pilpesyus. Salutation to Peter and to Paul. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 16 (July 23)

On this day died John of the “Gospel of Gold.” This saint was from the city of Rome. His father was a rich man and his name was Trabius, and the name of his mother was Bedera. And Saint John was with a teacher learning the Holy Scriptures, and he asked his father to make him a Gospel of gold, and he made one as his son wished; and Saint John read in it always, and his father rejoiced when he read in it. And in those days there came a certain monk unto them, and he dwelt with them; now he was on his way to Jerusalem. And that monk held converse with Saint John, and he praised in his presence the garb of the monastic life, and at length John rejected this world, which became in his sight as nothing, and he longed for the life of the monk. And that monk went on to Jerusalem, and then came back, and he took up his abode in the house of Trabius, according to custom. And Saint John asked him to take him with him to his monastery, and the monk said, “I am afraid of thy father, and I cannot possibly take thee on my own responsibility.” Then Saint John asked him, and made him swear that he would take him, and he helped him to escape and took him with him; and they traveled on the sea (or, river), and embarked in a ship, and they went on until thy arrived at the monastery wherein the monk lived. And when the abbot of the monastery saw him, he marveled at his appearance and at his manner of speech, and John asked the abbot to array him in the garb of the monastic life. And the abbot said unto him, “O my son, know thou that the path of the ascetic life is very difficult.” And John bowed before him again, and asked the abbot to make him a monk. And John having urged him, the abbot shaved his head, and arrayed him in the holy garb of the monastic life. And John devoted himself to the ascetic life, and he fought many fights, and he fasted very long fasts, until his body dried up, and by reason of his excessive fasting, and prayer, and prostrations, and ceaseless vigils, his bones appeared from under his skin. And the abbot comforted him, and said unto him, “O my son, have pity on thyself, reduce thy toil and be kind to thyself, even as all the brethren [are to themselves].” And when he had been fighting a great fight for seven years, he saw in a vision as if one said unto him, “Depart to thy parents, so that thou mayest be blessed by them before thy death.” And when this had been said unto him, he saw the vision thrice, and he informed the abbot of what he had seen. And the abbot said unto him, “This vision is from God and it is meet for thee to depart.” And when he went out from the monastery he found a monk who was wearing ragged garments and he took them from him, and gave him his own monk’s garb. When he arrived at his father’s house, he took up his abode in his father’s courtyard, and he lived there for seven years, in a small hut, and ate the fragments from his father’s table, which the servants threw to him. And when his mother passed by his fetid smell, which was exceedingly nauseous, [reached her]. And when the time of his death drew nigh, the angel of God made it known unto him, saying, “After three days thou shalt depart from this world.” And Saint John sent and called his mother, and told her quickly that he was her son. And when she came to him to hear his request, he made her swear that she would bury him in that hut, and that she would not change the rags, which he was wearing. And after this he gave her the Gospel of gold, and said unto her, “Read this book continually and remember me.” And when his father came, she showed him the Gospel of gold, and he recognized it as the Gospel, which he had made for his son John. And the two of them, his father and his mother, rose up and came to Saint John, and asked him questions about that Gospel, and about their son. And he said unto them, “Swear ye to me that ye will not bury me in anything except the rags which I have worn as clothes in this hut” and then, forthwith. He said unto them, “I am your son John,” and they wept with a great weeping. And the princes of the city of Rome gathered together to them, and at the end of three days Saint John died. And his mother brought out the splendid apparel which she had prepared in years gone by for her own marriage, and she wrapped him up in them, and forgot her oath. Thereupon she fell sick. And his father remembered her oath, and he stripped off his son that rich apparel, and dressed him in his rags, and buried him in that little hut, and from his body great healing was obtained by everyone who was sick; and after this they built in his name a beautiful church, and laid his body in it, and many miracles took place there. Salutation to John of the Gospel of gold. Salutation to Sharda Hawaryat, who had the harmlessness of the dove, and the cunning of the serpent. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 17 (July 24)

On this day, the seventeenth day of the month of Hamle, Jonah went forth from the belly of the whale. On is day the holy and righteous woman Euphemia became a martyr. One of the governors of Diocletian, whose name was Barsiros, tortured this saint. He was passing down the road, and there were with him certain holy men with iron chains round their necks, and his soldiers were dragging them along like dogs. And when this saint saw him, her heart waxed hot, because of her love of God, and she was sorry for the men. And she cursed the Emperor Diocletian and his unclean idols, and she also cursed that governor, saying, “O thou whose heart is like a stone, and who art merciless, wilt thou not have compassion on these holy men? Art thou not afraid that their God will destroy thee?” When Diocletian heard of this he commanded his soldiers to fetch her, and he questioned her about her Faith, and she denied not, but confessed before him that she was a Christian. And he tortured her severely with every king of torture, with beatings, and with fire, and with hanging, and after this he threw her into a red-hot furnace, but no injury whatsoever came to her through these tortures. Thereupon she stood up before all the people, and she prayed, and made the sign of the Cross over all the people, and she delivered up her soul into the hand of God. Salutation to Euphemia.

And on this day also are commemorated Abba Bedel the martyr, and Zacharias the priest, and Aulenius, and Marat the bishop, and Isidore, and Ayna Sahay, and Neron the martyr, and Gida, and ‘Awa, and Aa, and also the finding of the bones of Justus, the martyr.

And on this day took place the death of the glorious and exalted father, the man of fair remembrance, whose deeds were excellent, Abba Andreas, Archimandrite of the great city Debre Libanos. This blessed man was reared from his childhood on the milk of wisdom, and he grew up in knowledge, and he assumed the garb of the monastic life under the direction of ‘Abuna Abba John Kama. And having walked well, and fought a very great spiritual fight, he was set upon the throne of ‘Abuna Abba Takla Haymanot; and in the number of the learned fathers he was the eighth. And when the day drew nigh wherein he must depart from this world, at the end his death took place with violence, so that his soul might be great before God. And many of [his] sayings are written in the book of his strife, which is read on the seventeenth day of the month of Hamle. Salutation to Andreas. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 18 (July 25)

On this day James the apostle and martyr became Bishop of the city of Jerusalem. This saint was the son of Joseph the carpenter, and he was the youngest of his sons; and he was a virgin, and chaste, and was called the “brother of our Lord” because he was brought up with our Lord when He was in the house of Joseph, even as Joseph was called his father. And the holy apostles made him Bishop of the city of Jerusalem, and he preached and taught in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he converted many to the True Faith, and baptized them with Christian baptism, and God performed great signs and wonders by his hands, among them being the following: There was a certain man from the countries, and the apostle found him on the road and wished to go into his house, and on the road he discovered that this man was possessed of a devil. And when the Satan saw Saint James, the apostle, he cried out and said, “What have I to do with thee, O Apostle of Christ? Hast thou come hither to destroy me?” And the holy apostle said unto him, “Stop thy mouth, O thou unclean spirit, and go forth from this man”; and because of this the Satan went forth from that man in the form of fire. When the old man saw this wonderful thing he fell down at the feet of Saint James the Apostle and said, “I am unworthy that thou shouldst enter my house, but tell me what I must do, so that I, and all the men of my house, may be saved?” And the holy apostle praised [God] because of that man, and he said, “In the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ I thank Thee, O Chief, that Thou hast made prosperous my way.” And he turned to the man and spoke to him the words of his salvation, and he taught him the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the old man brought him into his house, and all the men of his house gathered together, and the apostle taught them the Faith, and he baptized them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; and he made them heirs in the Holy Mysteries, the Body of our Lord and His honorable Blood. And when the people heard this they brought unto him every person who was sick, and he healed them all. And he appointed over them priests and deacons, and he made the old man their bishop; and he gave them the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and then he went forth to travel through the countries. And there was a certain woman who was barren, and she asked him to entreat God on her behalf, so that He might give her a son. And he prayed over her, and she conceived and brought forth a son, and she called his name James. And one day a great many Jews were gathered together about him, and they asked him to tell them about Jesus, and who He was, and they imagined that he would tell them that Jesus was his brother. And Saint James went up upon a throne, and began to explain to them the Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he told them that He was equal with God the Father. When they heard this they were wroth with him, and they dragged him down off the throne and beat him very severely. And a certain man of their number came with a wooden bar wherewith clothes were washed, and he beat the apostle on his head, and he delivered up his soul. And it is written concerning this saint that he never drank wine, that he never ate any flesh whatsoever wherein was its blood, that a razor never went up on his head, that he never washed in the [public] bath, that he never wore clothes, but always wore a linen loin-cloth, and that he stood up so long, and made so many prostrations, that his feet and knees, and hands became swelled. When he died they buried him by the side of the Sanctuary. Salutation to James.

And on this day also the blessed Athanasius, of the country of Clysma, became a martyr in the days of Diocletian and Maximianus. This blessed man was a kinsman of kings, and he was strong in the Faith of Christ. And when these wicked emperors commanded the people to worship idols, they appointed this Athanasius to be governor of the land of Egypt, and ordered him to destroy the churches. And when he arrived he went to the Archbishop, Abba Peter the martyr, and received his blessing, and told him that he was a Christian, and he rejoiced in him. When the emperor heard of this he sent an officer to seize Athanasius, and to enquire into his doings. And when the officer came he said unto him, “Why didst thou forsake the love of the gods?” And Athanasius said unto him, “From my youth up I have been a lover of Christ, and I have not forsaken my Faith.” And the officer said unto him, “If thou dost not turn from thy Faith thou wilt be tortured. Dost thou not know that all those who transgress the command of the emperor receive severe beatings and are tortured with cruel severity?” And Saint Athanasius said unto him, “O foolish man, wait a little until thou seest the punishment that is for ever which shall come upon thee, and upon thy emperor, and upon thy father Satan, the Enemy of God.” When the officer heard this he was exceedingly wroth, and he commanded his soldiers to cut off his head with the sword. And when Saint Athanasius heard this, he prayed to God that He would give his soul rest with His saints, and that He would remove tribulation and persecution from the Church, and that He would make strong the Empire of Rome, and the kingdom of ‘Aksum. And when he had finished his prayer, he knelt down on his knees, and a soldier cut off his head with the sword, and miracles without number took place through his body. Salutation to Athanasius.

And on this day also are commemorated Edrona (Endoran), and Tobia, and nine thousand soldiers of Antioch of the company of Isidore, and Andronicus, the governor, and his army. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 19 (July 26)

On this day the saints of the city of ‘Esna became martyrs, and the cause of their martyrdom was this: Arianus, the governor, came to the city of Esna thrice. The first time he killed the holy woman Dilaj and her four sons, whose names were Sares, and Harman, and Yanufa, and Sentonita, and they finished their testimony on the seventh day of Ginbot. The second time he killed four nobles whose names were Eusaphius, and Taman, and Harwag, and Bacchus; and their martyrdoms took place on the seventh day of the month of Sane. The third time he killed an old woman, who was lying on her bed inside her house. And the soldiers of Arianus asked that old woman about the holy martyrs of the city of ‘Esna, and she said unto them, “Behold, they are in the monastery which is called by the name of Agathon; for they heard of the arrival of Arianus the governor, and they knew that he would kill the Christians, and persecute them.” And after this the governor commanded his soldiers to kill everyone they found, and they ceased not to kill everyone they found, from the western [quarter] of the city, which is called “Sekyot Karim...” And they found many people on the road, and they slew them until they came to the monastery of the glorious father who is called “Isaac the solitary.” And at that time this good shepherd, who was called Ammonius, gave them strength, and he comforted them and said unto them, “Be strong and endure so that ye may enter into the kingdom of heaven.” And whilst he was exhorting them thus, the governor came to them, and when they saw him they all cried out with one voice, saying, “We are Christians.” And the governor commanded the soldiers to kill them with the sword like sheep, and his soldiers rose up and rushed upon them with swords and killed them. And the men of the cities of Alexandria and ‘Esna, from the least of them to the greatest, both man and woman, finished their good fight, on the nineteenth day of the month of Hamle; and the armies of the angels received their souls, and crowned them with crowns of light. And the governor went to the city of Aswan, and then returned to the city of ‘Esna, where he found three laborers coming from the fields and carrying the implements of their toil with them. As soon as they saw him they cried out boldly, saying, “We are Christians”; and when the governor heard this he commanded his soldiers to cut off their heads with the implements of their toil. Now their names were Surufas, and Antichius, and Mashadre, and they finished their martyrdom on the eleventh day of the month of Meskerem. And the governor bound in fetters this glorious father Abba Ammonius, the bishop, and he urged him to sacrifice to idols, and when he refused to do so he commanded the soldiers to cast him into the fire, and they did so, and he finished his martyrdom on the fourteenth day of the month of Tahsas. And certain believing men took him and wrapped him in cloths, and buried him in the place, which is called Bet-Hapes; and when the days of persecution were ended they built a church over him, and they consecrated it in his name. Salutation to the martyrs of ‘Esna.

And on this day also Saint Cyriacus (Qirkos) and Julitta (Iyalota) his mother became martyrs. When this saint was a child, and his days were three years, his mother took him and fled from the country of Rome to another country. And she found there the brother of the governor from whom she had fled, and certain men laid information against her before him, and he had her brought and questioned her about the worship of idols. And Saint Julitta answered and said unto him, “Ask the child whose days are three years to tell us what is right, and whether it is good for us to worship the gods or not.” And when the soldiers of the governor went to her house they found Saint Cyriacus (Qirkos) her son, and they brought him to the governor; and the governor questioned him about the worship of idols. And God gave the child strength, and he spoke and cursed the emperor and his gods, and at length he frightened all those who were there, and they marveled greatly at him. And the governor was ashamed, and he tortured the child severely with every kind of torture, the which even a grown up man could not endure, and he tortured Julitta (Iyalota), the mother of the child, even as he tortured her son, but God raised them up whole and uninjured. And because of this many people marveled, and believed on our Lord Jesus Christ, and became martyrs, and the grace of the Holy Spirit descended upon them. And the child Cyriacus (Qirkos) healed many sick folk, and performed great miracles. And when fear came over his mother, and her faith dwindled, he prayed to God on her behalf, and God lifted up her heart unto heaven, and she saw the habitation of the spirit, and she became strong under the torture, and gave thanks to God. And she said unto her son, “O my son, henceforward thou art my father, and I am thy blessed daughter; blessed be the hour wherein I bore thee.” And when the governor was tired of torturing them he commanded the soldiers to cut off their heads with the sword, and they did so, and the saints received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Cyriacus (Qirkos).

On this day the holy and honorable Matlan (Batlan), the physician, became a martyr. This saint was from a city, the name of which is Ta’madan, and his father, whose name was Asturius, was an infidel, and his mother, whose name was ‘Ulana, was a believer. When the child grew up, his father taught him writing and every kind of learning (or, philosophy), and he became a very great and famous physician. And a certain man who was a priest lived near their house, and when Batlan passed by, and he saw his comeliness and his knowledge, and his wisdom and skill, and his understanding, he was sorry for him, because he was a denier [of Christ]. And the priest entreated our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of Batlan, that He might guide him into the way of life, and bring him into the True Faith. And having multiplied his petitions to God on behalf of Batlan, a time came when God told the priest in a vision of the night that Batlan should believe through him, and the priest rejoiced. And the priest always spoke to Batlan whenever he passed before him, and saluted him, and through this custom friendship grew up between them; and Batlan used to go into the priest’s house to talk with him about the Faith. And the priest explained to him the uncleanness of idols, and the corruptness of heart of those who worshipped them, and he showed him the glory of the Faith of Christ, and the knowledge and understanding of those who serve Him; and then he made him to know that by the hands of all those who believe in Christ our Lord miracles are wrought; and great healings effected. And when Saint Batlan heard that all those who believe in Christ could perform miracles, he rejoiced exceedingly, and he longed to perform miracles for himself, and he fulfilled his desire with wisdom and worked miracles; for he believed in our Lord through that priest, who taught him at all times. And one day Saint Batlan was passing through the market place of the city, and he saw a man whom a serpent had bitten lying on the ground and the serpent was standing up before him. And he said within himself, “I will stand up that I may put to the test the words of the priest, my teacher, who saith unto me, ‘If thou dost belong to our Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt work miracles in His Name.’” And he drew nigh unto the man whom the snake had bitten, and he prayed a long prayer, and asked Christ to make manifest His power and heal the man, and kill the serpent, so that it might not do harm to any one else. And when he had finished his prayer the man rose up alive and whole, and without pain, and the serpent fell down and died straightway. And Batlan’s faith increased, and he went to the priest who baptized him with Christian baptism, and he used to visit him continually. One day a blind man came unto him that he might heal him, and when the father of the saint saw him he sent him away. And Batlan questioned his father about this, and he said unto him, “Who was the man that was enquiring for me?” And his father answered, and said unto him, “It was a blind man, and thou canst not heal him.” And the saint answered and said unto his father, “Thou shalt see [the power of] God.” And he called the blind man back, and said unto him, “If thou canst see wilt thou believe in the God Who shall heal thine eyes for thee?” And the blind man said unto him, “Yea, I will believe.” And the saint prayed over him for a long time, and then he laid his hand upon the eyes of the blind man, and said unto him, “In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ receive thy sight”; and straightway the blind man’s eyes were opened. And when the father of the saint saw this he believed, together with the man who was blind, on our Lord Jesus Christ, and Batlan took them to the priest, his teacher, who baptized them both with Christian baptism. And when the father of the saint died, Batlan set his slaves free, and gave the greater part (?) of his money to the poor. And he practiced medicine, and healed men without payment, but he required those whom he healed to believe on Christ. And the [other] physicians were jealous of him, and they laid information against him, and the priest, and the man who was blind, and many other believers, before the king. And the king was wroth with them, and he said unto them, “Sacrifice ye to the gods,” but they refused to obey him, and the soldiers cut off their heads with the sword and they received crowns of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And after this the king tortured Saint Batlan very severely, and many signs and wonders appeared through him, and many men believed through him, whilst he was under torture, and became martyrs. And the king was wroth with Saint Batlan, and cast him to the lions, but they would not injure him, and only licked his feet; and the king commanded the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword, and they did so, and thus he finished his fight, and received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Batlan. Salutation Isaac, the righteous man.

And on this day also are commemorated Abba Batrabo, and Macarius of Falga Halib, and Moses of Shoki. Salutation to Abel, the son of Takla Haymanot. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 20 (July 27)

On this day the holy and honorable Theodore the Great, the General, became a martyr. The name of the father of this saint was “John” and he was a man from the city of Sebt in Upper Egypt, and the governor took the father of this saint with his regiment and carried him to the city of Antioch. And John dwelt there, and married a certain noble lady of that city who was a worshipper of idols, (now she did not know whom her husband John worshipped) and he begot by her this Saint Theodore. And when his mother wanted to present him in the house of idols, and to teach him their worship, his father would not let her do so; and because of this she was angry with him, and drove him away from her, and the child Theodore was left with his mother. And his father John prayed, and entreated God to guide his son Theodore into the path of righteousness. And Saint Theodore grew up, and studied philosophy, and [other] learning, and Christ illumined the eyes of his heart; and he went to a righteous bishop, whose name was ‘Alakes, who baptized him with Christian baptism. And when his mother heard of this she sorrowed with a great sorrow. And after this he made enquiries concerning his father, as to whether he was alive or dead, and one of his servants told him the matter concerning his father privily, and how his mother had driven away his father, because he was a Christian. And Saint Theodore grew up, and was exceedingly strong in battle, and the king made him a general. And when the king went forth to fight against the men of Persia, this saint did valiantly, and he captured the son of the King of Persia, who was on his horse, and all his company with him. And after a few days the Barbarians rose up against the country of Rome, and destroyed many cities. And when the Emperor Diocletian heard of this he was exceedingly afraid, and he summoned Theodore and said unto him, “What shall we do? Take with thee all thy soldiers, and all thy weapons of war, and set out for the war.” And Saint Theodore answered and said unto him, “Take thy weapons of war and give them to thy slaves, for I have no need of weapons of war, because my trust is in the help of my Lord Jesus Christ. This spear, which is in my hand, and the horse, which I ride, are profitable to me through the might of my Lord Jesus Christ. I will set out alone for the war, and will not take a soldier with me, for my God will go forth with me to the war, and He, the Creator of the universe, will help me.” And the emperor said unto him, “Do what thou pleasest, but behold, our enemies have drawn nigh.” And on the following day the saint went forth to war, and the emperor said unto him, “What strength hast thou to fight against the Barbarians, who are a people many in number?” And the saint answered and said unto him, “Stand here with thy army, and I will go out against them alone, and thou shalt see what shall come upon them, and I believe, by God, that not one of them shall ever return to his house”; and the emperor and all those who were with him marveled. And then Saint Theodore went to the war by himself, and he left the emperor and went a long way off from him, namely a distance of three stadia. And when Saint Theodore arrived at the city (camp?) of the Barbarians, he said unto them, “Will ye fight, or will ye depart in peace?” And they said unto him, “Who are we to fight? We do not see any men to fight except thyself.” And Theodore said unto them, “I want no one, for I by myself in the might of my God will destroy you all.” And the Barbarians said unto him, “Peradventure thou hast come out to fight a dog? If thou wilt select the least among us, he shall come to thee, and fight thee.” And straightway Saint Theodore came down from his horse, and turned his face towards the East, and he prayed, saying, “O my Lord and God, Who didst strengthen Daniel the prophet, and enable him to destroy the idols, and to kill the serpent in the city of Babylon, do Thou be with me in the same manner this day, and strengthen me by Thy help so that I may praise Thy Name for ever and ever, Amen.” And when he had finished his prayer he took his spear in his hand, and made over it the sign of the Cross, and he leaped upon his horse, and cried out to the Barbarians, saying, “Come to me so that we may fight with you; I am the servant of my Lord Jesus Christ.” And straightway he charged in among them with his spear in his hand, and he destroyed all the Barbarians and not one of them escaped, either on his horse, or by running away on foot. And Saint Theodore cut off the heads of their officers and brought them to the emperor with him, and the emperor and all his army welcomed him; and all the men of the city of Antioch bowed down before him. And they laid waste all the country of the Barbarians. And there was in the city of ‘Eukitos a great serpent which the people used to worship, and they gave it each day two men to devour. And there was in that city a certain woman, who was a widow and a Christian, and she had two sons, and the people took them and set them before the serpent for it to devour them. And at that time Saint Theodore came to the city of ‘Eukitos, and the widow stood up before him weeping, and she told him all that had befallen her, and how they had taken her sons for the serpent. And when he learned that the woman was a Christian he said within himself, “They have wronged this woman, but God shall avenge her.” And he came down from his horse, and turned his face towards the East and prayed, and after he had finished his prayer he drew nigh the serpent; and all the people were watching him from the tops of the walls of the city. Now the length of the serpent was fourteen cubits, but God gave him power over it, and he speared it with his spear and killed it, and delivered the sons of the widow. After this he departed into Upper Egypt to search for his father, and he asked about him, and they brought his father to him, and he knew by a certain mark that Theodore was his son. And he lived with his father until he died, and then he returned to the city of Antioch. And he found that the Emperor Diocletian was denying Christ, and worshipping idols, and was bringing tribulation upon the Christian folk, who believed on the Name of Christ; and he stood up before him and confessed our Lord Christ. Now the priests of the idols of the men of the city of ‘Eukitos had already laid information against him before the emperor, saying, “The man who killed the serpent worships [Christ].” And on the morrow the emperor sent, and had Theodore brought before him, and he said unto him, “Who dost thou do this evil thing?” And Saint Theodore answered and said unto him, “Every evil work is from thee, O son of sin, who hast forsaken the God of heaven, and dost worship unclean idols; God shall destroy thy kingdom quickly.” And straightway the emperor was wroth, and he commanded a hundred soldiers and they threw Theodore upon the ground, and beat him with rods in relays. And they beat him and then rested, and at length his flesh was cut into strips and his blood flowed on the ground like water. And whilst he was under this torture Michael, and angel of God, came down and stood before him, and said unto him, “Be strong, O Theodore, behold the time of the hours of thy fight hath drawn nigh, and many signs and wonders shall appear in the place where thy body is laid. And behold, our Lord Jesus Christ promiseth thee a righteous promise, and saith unto thee. ‘All those who shall celebrate thy commemoration, or fill the hungry with good, or give alms on the day of thy commemoration, or give drink to the thirsty, or shall give an offering or incense, or a book to the church in thy name, I will erase their sins from the roll, and they shall never see punishment. Whosoever shall write a book of thy fight, or cause it to be read, or shall listen to it, or shall acquire it, I will write their names in the Book of Life.’” And when the angel had said this he went up to heaven in great glory. And straightway all the soldiers of the emperor and all the people gathered together, and they cried out and said unto him, “God shall destroy thee, O infidel, by the spirit of His mouth, and He shall do it in wrath because thou dost torture Saint Theodore, the mighty and strong man, who hath delivered us out of the hand of our enemies.” And they believed on our Lord Jesus Christ, and on that day many of the people and of the soldiers of the emperor became martyrs. And after this Diocletian, the infidel, commanded the soldiers and they brought an iron bed and laid the saint upon it, and lighted a fire beneath it, and the flames of the fire soared upwards. And Saint Theodore said, “O my Lord, deliver Thou me as Thou didst deliver the Three Children from the fiery furnace”; and straightway the fire was extinguished, and it became cold as dew at the time of dawn. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, “O thou to whom power hath been given by our Lord Christ, be strong!” And straightway the saint stood up before the emperor and said unto him, “O infidel, be ashamed, for our Lord Jesus Christ hath delivered me from all torture.” And when the general of the emperor saw this he believed in our Lord Christ, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “There is no god but the God of Saint Theodore”; and he became a martyr. And when the emperor was tired of torturing him, he commanded the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword, and to burn his body in the fire, and by the Will of God they carried him to the door of his mother’s house, and there they cut off his head, and blood and milk flowed out. And they lighted a large fire, and cast his body into it, but the fire neither touched it nor burnt a hair of his head. And his mother gave much money to the soldiers, and took his body and wrapped it up in rich cloths, and hid it in her house until the end of the days of persecution. And they built for him a church and many monasteries, and they laid his body in the monastery of his father’s city Sebt in Upper Egypt, and many signs and wonders and great healings took place through it. The end of his martyrdom took place on the twentieth day of the month of Hamle, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Theodore. Salutation to the purification of Hanna, the mother of Mary.

And on this day also are commemorated Saint Theocytus, and Saint Timothy, Archbishop of Alexandria, and Moses, and Julitta, and the four hundred and forty martyrs who were with Cyriacus. Salutation to Gabra Iyasus and to Thekla. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 21 (July 28)

On this day is celebrated a festival in honor of our Lady, Saint Mary the Virgin, the God- bearer. Salutation to thee, O Mary.

And on this day also died Saint Susenius, the eunuch. This saint was one of the officers of the Emperor Theodosius, and grace and wisdom were upon him, and his compassion was great, and his acquaintance could be made by all men. He visited all those who were sick, and comforted them, and he enquired into their tribulations and helped them. And when one hundred bishops assembled for the Second Council of Ephesus because of Nestorius, Abba Cyril, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, came, and this saint ministered unto him and all his bishops, and provided for them. At that time he fell sick of a grievous sickness, and he saw a vision as it were of some one calling him to the Great Marriage Feast, and he told Saint Abba Cyril what he had seen. And Abba Cyril said unto him, “Dost thou wish me to ask my Lord Jesus Christ to heal thee of thy sickness?” And he answered and said unto him, “Yea, until I can give my possessions to the poor.” And Abba Cyril prayed for him, and he recovered from his sickness, and he rose up and gave all his possessions to the poor and needy, and then he lay down and died in peace. And Saint Abba Cyril prayed over him, and he prepared him for burial, and buried him, and commanded the people to celebrate a festival of commemoration on the day of his death, which is the twenty-first day of the month of Hamle. Salutation to Susenius. Salutation to the birth of Eustathius.

And on this day also died the blessed Lawa-Christos. This saint was a man in the world, and when he married a wife he lived with her in virginity, and served God with fasting, and with prayer; and at nighttime they put on sackcloth, and each slept alone. In the daytime he used to go about in the desert watching sheep, and she used to prepare a table for strangers and pilgrims; and in the evening he washed their feet, and she ministered to them at table and brought their food. And then they asked God to reveal to certain perfect monks what manner of work theirs was, and a voice came unto them from heaven, saying, [to the monks] “Your fight hath not been as great as that of Lawa-Christos and his wife.” And when those monks had gone to them, they enquired into their works, and with great difficulty the saint told them; and the monks departed wondering. And leading this life of fighting Lawa-Christos and his wife died. Salutation to Lawa-Christos and his wife.

And on this day is celebrated also the festival of the angel Urael, and on this day also are commemorated the Abuna Betselote Mikael, and ‘Oyoranos (Yoranos), the officer who was present when our Lord was pierced with a spear on the Cross. Salutation to Urael. Salutation to Betselote Mikael. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 22 (July 29)

On this day Saint Macarius, the son of Saint Basilides, the general and martyr, became a martyr. When information had been laid before Diocletian that this saint would not worship idols, the emperor wrote and ordered the governor to send him to the city of Alexandria. And Macarius embraced his parents, and commanded them to take care of the poor and the needy, and went forth with the letter of the emperor. And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him in a vision and gave him strength to endure, and He informed him what should happen into him. And when he arrived in the city of Alexandria, and stood up before Hermanus the governor, Hermanus knew that he was the son of Basilides the general, and he persuaded him earnestly, and besought him to turn from his counsel; but he would neither submit, nor turn from his good counsel, and the governor tortured him severely, with divers kinds of tortures. And whilst Macarius was undergoing torture his soul (or, mind) was caught up, and God showed him the habitation of the saints, and the habitation of his father and brother. And after this the governor sent him to the city of Nikyos, and there the governor tortured him severely. And they cut out his tongue, and hacked off his arms, and they thrust red-hot iron goads into his sides; but God gave him the strength to endure this, and He raised him up whole and uninjured. And God performed many signs and wonders by his hands, and among them are the following: Certain men passed before him carrying a dead man whom they were going to bury, and whilst all the people were watching him Saint Macarius made entreaty to our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of the dead man, and prayed Him to make manifest His praise on him; and then he prayed and the dead man rose up and told the people what he had seen. And he said unto them, “Christ is the Lord of the Universe,” and when they heard this many of the people believed on our Lord Jesus Christ; and the soldiers cut off their heads with the sword, and they received the crown of martyrdom. Now Arianus, the governor of Antinoe, dwelt there, and when he returned he took Saint Macarius with him. And when they arrived at the city of Setnuf the ship stood still (i.e. ran aground), and could not be moved; and when they arrived at the city of Antinoe our Lord appeared unto Saint Macarius in a vision and said unto him, “In this place thy fight shall finish, and in it shall thy body lie.” And the governor commanded the soldiers to put Saint Macarius upon the rack, and they did so, and then they cut off his head, and he finished his fight, and received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom on the heavens. And when Constantine reigned there was appointed by him a governor, whose name was Eulogius, a believer, and he commanded them to open the churches, and to build up those that were ruined, and to destroy the houses of idols. And Saint Macarius appeared unto him in the night and informed him concerning the place wherein was his body. Then Eulogius rose up, and came to that place, and found the body of the saint; and he took it away from there, and they built a church for it and laid it therein, and great signs and miracles took place through it. Salutation to Macarius.

And on this day also the holy and honorable Leontius became a martyr. This saint became a Christian through his father, who was a soldier in the army of the infidel emperor, and was a man of the city of Trablos. He was exceedingly godly in appearance, and was perfect in his fight, and he read the Divine Books continually, and learned many of them by heart, specially the Psalms of David, which he used to recite frequently, and for this reason he knew them by heart. He admonished his fellow-soldiers constantly, and he taught them the fear of God, and he encouraged them and said unto them, “Waste not your years in the service of idols.” And there were some who submitted to his words, and turned away from their infidelity, and forsook their error, and the unclean iniquity wherein they had been living hitherto; and there were others into whom Satan entered, and they went to their general, and said unto him, “Leontius holdeth idols in contempt, and he teacheth and saith that Christ is God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and of all that is therein.” And the governor had Leontius brought, and he questioned him, concerning this matter, and Leontius confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor, even as Paul the apostle saith, “Who shall separate me from the love of Christ my God, Whom I have served, and worshipped, from my youth up?” (Romans viii, 35). And the governor was wroth, and commanded the soldiers to bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the prison house; and they did even as the governor commanded. And on the following day the governor had him brought before him, and he said unto him, “By what power dost thou presume to transgress the edict of the emperor and dost turn men from the worship of the gods?” And the saint answered and said unto him, “In truth I would that all men would enter into the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. If thou wilt forsake thine error, and the service of idols, and wilt worship our Lord and God and Redeemer Jesus Christ, thou shalt inherit an everlasting kingdom”; and then he cursed the gods of the governor and his unclean idols. And the soldiers beat him severely, until his blood ran down upon the ground, and all the while they were torturing him he glorified God and sang his praises. And one of the soldiers was sorry for him, and he whispered in his ear, and said unto him, “I am sorry for thee. Have pity on thy youth and speak only one word, and tell the governor that thou wilt sacrifice to the gods, and I will undertake to set thee free.” And the saint cursed him, and thrust him away from him, saying, “Get thee from me, Satan!” And when the governor saw his endurance, and his fortitude, he doubled his torture; and at length his body was cut into strips and his blood poured on the ground. Then the governor commanded them to drown him in the river, or to drag him by the feet and cast him into prison until he could decide what to do with him; and when they had done these things to him he died in prison. And a certain woman who was a believer came and gave the keepers of the prison house and the soldiers much money, and she took the saint and wrapped him up in new and costly cloths, and she made a covering worked with gold to spread over his bier, and she laid him in a coffin in the house, and had a picture of him painted upon it; and she hung before it a lamp which burned continually. Salutation to Leontius, the lamp of Trablos.

And on this day also is commemorated Saint Markolos (Marcellus). Salutation to Longinus. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 23 (July 30)

On this day the holy woman Marina became a martyr. The name of the father of this saint was Decius, high priest of the gods of the city of Antioch; now at that time Decius was emperor. And when Saint Marina was five years old her mother died, and her father committed her to a nurse so that she might live outside the city; now this nurse was a Christian, and she taught Marina all the Faith of Christ. And when Marina reached the age of fifteen years, her father died. One day she heard her nurse talking about the labors and fights of the martyrs, and the love of Christ entered her heart, and she went about seeking to become a martyr. And a wicked governor came to this city, and as soon as he saw her he commanded the soldiers to bring her before him, and he said unto her, “Whence art thou? What is thy name?” And she said, “I am one of the people of Jesus Christ, and my name is Marina.” When the governor saw her grace and her beauty, he could not restrain himself, and he persuaded her with many words to consent to his wish. When she cursed him, and reviled his gods, he commanded the soldiers to beat her with iron rods, and to cut off her limbs, and to scrape her body until her blood flowed like water, and he also commanded them to scrape her members with an iron scraper, [and they did so]; but when Saint Marina prayed to God, Michael the Archangel came and healed her. And the governor commanded them to take her into a prison house, which was filled with darkness, and whilst she was praying the Archangel Michael came, and lighted up the prison house, and took her up into heaven, where he showed her the dwelling of the saints and the righteous, and then he brought her back to her place. And on the following day the governor commanded the soldiers to scrape her with an iron scraper, and to slit her body with butchers’ knives, and to cast her into prison; and Saint Michael came and healed her. And whilst she was standing up praying, a huge and most terrifying serpent came forth from this prison, and when she saw it she was frightened and her whole body trembled, and she could not speak. And the serpent swallowed her up, her hands being extended in the form of a cross, and she was praying in her heart. Thereupon the belly of the serpent was split open, and Marina went forth from him uninjured, and she gave thanks to God. And when she turned towards the prison house, she saw Satan seated, and he was in the form of a black man, with his hands clutching his knees. And having made the sign of the Cross over her face, she seized him by the hair of his head, and beat him with a rod severely. And then there was revealed unto her the wood of the Cross of Jesus Christ, and a white dove was sitting upon it, and it spoke, saying, “Rejoice, O Marina, for there is committed to thee the pledge of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” And on the following day the governor commanded the soldiers to strip her naked, and to hang her up, head downwards, and to burn her body with fire, and to cast her into a cauldron of boiling water; [and they did so]. And as she was standing up in the cauldron and praying, a dove came down from heaven, and he had in his beak a crown of gold, and he loosed her fetters, and dipped her in the water thrice, in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; and she went forth from the water praising God. And when the governor saw that she was still alive he commanded them to cut off her head with the sword. And when she had come into the place of martyrdom she prayed to God that He would receive her soul in peace. And our Lord Jesus Christ came unto her, and gave her a promise that He would forgive the sins of everyone who should call upon her name, or write the history of her strife, or have it read, or should hear it read; and then the soldiers cut off her head with the sword. And many miracles became manifest [through her], the blind saw, the lame walked, the deaf heard, and the dumb spoke; and countless folk believed on our Lord Jesus Christ. Salutation to Marina.

And on this day also Saint Longinus became a martyr. This saint came from the country of Cappadocia, but by race he was a Greek. And when Tiberius Caesar reigned, he appointed Pilate governor of the land of Judah, and he gave this Saint Longinus to him among his other soldiers. And when the time arrived, and the Lord wished to suffer for the salvation of His people, He permitted the wicked Jews to perform this thing. When they had made themselves ready for this deed, this Longinus was one of the soldiers whom Pilate commanded to crucify our Lord. And because of this the Jews gave him much money, and he worked and did the will of the Jews, and he pierced our Lord with a spear after He had delivered up His soul, and blood and water flowed from His side. And when this saint saw this he marveled exceedingly. And when, at the time of the Crucifixion, he saw that the sun became dark, and that the moon became like blood, and that the curtain of the Temple was rent, and that the rocks were split open, and that the dead rose up, his wonder was greatly increased; now he had heard and seen the miracles which our Lord performed from His Birth to His Crucifixion. And when the righteous Joseph took the body of our Lord and Redeemer, and laid it in the cave, this saint was standing there with the guards when they sealed the tomb. And when our Lord rose, the tomb being sealed, this Longinus was dismayed, and he asked God to explain to him this mystery. And our Lord sent unto him the Apostle Peter, and he found him on the day of the Resurrection of our Lord. And Longinus asked the Apostle Peter, and adjured him to tell him the whole history of the Redeemer; and the Apostle Peter told him everything, which had been prophesied concerning our Redeemer, and how He was the Son of the Living God. And this saint believed through the Apostle Peter, and he abandoned the service of an earthly king, and departed to the country of Cappadocia, and he preached therein in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, like the Apostles. When Pilate heard about this he was exceedingly wroth, and sent and reported him to Tiberius, and the emperor had him brought and tortured him and cut off his head with the sword; and the saint received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Longinus.

And on this day also Saint ‘Abtlemanos (Ptolemy), of Shoka, became a martyr. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 24 (July 31)

On this day Saint Abba Nob, of the city of Nekhisa, on the borders of the lower land in the north of Egypt, became a martyr. The parents of this saint were holy and pure, and instructed folk; and having gotten this Saint Abba Nob, they reared him in the fear of God. And when his days were twelve years he loved the Church, and he loved to listen to the Scriptures and to doctrine. And when Diocletian brought tribulation upon the Christian folk, this Nob determined in his heart to shed his blood for the Name of our Lord Christ. And at that time he went into a church and heard the priest teaching the believers and strengthened them in the True Faith, and he said unto them, “Keep yourselves from the worship of idols, and it shall be good for you to deliver yourselves over to death for the Name of Christ.” And this saint returned to his house, sad and sorrowful, and he set before him everything which his father had left him, gold, and silver, and apparel, and he said, “Behold it is written, ‘The world shall pass away and the desire thereof’ (cf. Matthew v, 18).” And straightway he rose up, and gave all his money to the poor and needy, and he departed to the city of Gamnudi, walking thither on his feet along the river bank, and he found the governor Lucius, and he confessed before him the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the angel of God appeared unto him there, and encouraged him and told him everything, which should happen to him; and the governor tortured him very severely. And when the governor went to the south he took the saint with him, and he hung him up upon the mast of the ship. And the governor sat down to eat and to drink, and immediately he did so the vessel which was in his hand stood still like a stone, and the eyes of the soldiers were blinded. And the angel of God came down from heaven, and released the saint from his hanging position, and he wiped up the blood, which had run down from his nose and mouth, and then the wind blew and they came to the city of Athribis. And the governor of Athribis knew what had happened to the governor of Gamnudi, and when the soldiers saw it they unfastened their belts, and cast them before the governor, and they confessed our Lord Christ and became martyrs. And they tortured Saint Abba Nob very severely in Athribis. They laid him on an iron bed, and lighted a fire beneath it, and Abba Nob prayed whilst he was on the iron bed, and God delivered him. And after this the soldiers sawed him asunder with a saw, and they cut off his limbs, and the angel of God came down from heaven and delivered him, and raised him up whole and unharmed. And then they took the saint to the city of Alexandria, and they tortured him there severely, and they heaped on him deadly serpents, but they neither approached him nor harmed him. And one of the serpents went and coiled itself round the neck of the governor, who asked Abba Nob to have mercy upon him. And the saint commanded the serpent to leave the governor, and it came down off his back, and the governor commanded the pagan priests and the magicians to burn it with fire. And Julius, who was from the city of ‘Akfahas, came to Abba Nob, and asked him about his fight, and the name of his city, and he wrote down all [the story of] his fight. And when the governor was tired of torturing him, he commanded the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword; and our Lord Christ appeared unto him, and comforted him and told him great healing should be derived from his body wherever it might be laid. And He said that God would deliver from his tribulation everyone who should ask this from Him in the name of Abba Nob, and that God would forgive the sins of every one who celebrated his commemoration, or who satisfied the hungry with food, or who gave drink to him that was parched, or who gave incense or an offering [to the church], or who wrote a copy of the book of his fight. And then the soldiers cut off his head, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And Julius took the body of Abba Nob, and sent it with his servants to the city of Nekhisa, and when the days of persecution were ended, they built a church in his name, and many signs and miracles took place in it. And the body of the saint is in the town of Gamnudi to this day. Salutation to Nob.

And on this day also Abba Takla ‘Adonaya, of Debre Libanos, and Tewolde Medhin, and their companions, became martyrs.

And on this day also fourteen thousand and eighty-four companions of Abba Nob (var. nineteen thousand and eighty-four) became martyrs.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Simon, the forty-second Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This saint came from the East, and his parents brought him to the monastery of the west of the city of Alexandria, wherein is the body of Saint Severus; and he became a monk there, and he learned to read and to write, and he learned by heart the Books of the Church. And Abba Agathon made him a priest, and after this God chose him to become archbishop; and when he was appointed priest he served his spiritual father in the administration of the archiepiscopate. And he lived by himself, fasting, and praying, and reading the Scriptures, and he ate only bread, and salt, and cumin, and uncooked herbs. And he fought a perfect fight, and his devotion was sincere, and he made the soul of lust, which was in him to be subject to his rational and understanding soul. And God wrought great signs and miracles by his hands, among which were the following: Certain men of the priests of the city of Alexandria were envious of him, and they went to some magicians and gave them much money, and they prepared a deadly poison for them, and gave it to them. And those evil priests took that poison, and mixed it with some drink, and poured it into a glass, and gave it to the archbishop and then they asked him to drink, and to give them his blessing. And the archbishop drank that drink after he had received the Holy Mysteries, and no harm whatsoever came to him. And after this they mixed that poison [with other things], and gave it to him a second and a third time, and it did him no harm, and the priests marveled at his escape. Then they went to the market and found new figs there, and they bought some and worked up some of that poison in some of the figs; and the wicked priests arranged together to give him the poisoned [figs] before he received the Holy Mysteries and was fasting. And the magicians said unto them, “If ye can make him swallow it, his belly will split open straightway.” And those deniers [of Christ] went to him with deceit, and they asked the archbishop to eat of the figs, and they pressed him, and against his will they thrust the figs into his mouth; now he did not wish to swallow them before he received the Holy Mysteries. And having swallowed them, his belly was moved that night, and he remained sick for four days. And the angel of God appeared unto him in a vision by night, and made known to him the cause of his sickness, and he revealed unto him the names of those who had prepared the poison for him. And in those days ‘Abd Al-aziz, Khalifah of Egypt, came to the city of Alexandria, and Abba Simon, the archbishop, went out to welcome him. And the Khalifah saw the traces of his illness on the face of this father, and he asked the scribes, saying, “What hath happened to the archbishop that his appearance is thus?” And they told him what had happened, and how they had prepared poison for him; and the Khalifah was wroth, and commanded [his soldiers] to burn the priests and the magicians in the fire. And the archbishop bowed down to the ground and wept, and besought the Khalifah to have mercy on them, and the Khalifah said unto him, “Assuredly not, nay they shall burn them in the fire as they deserve.” And the father said unto him, “If thou dost burn them, I shall have neither priests nor archiepiscopate”; and the Khalifah marveled at his gentleness and compassion. And the Khalifah commanded, and the soldiers drove into exile the priests, and burned the magicians in the fire by Karos. And the Khalifah loved this holy father greatly, and paid him much honor, and he commanded him to build churches and monasteries; and the archbishop built churches, and he built [one] by the city of Al-Wah to the south of Egypt, and very many other churches. And God made manifest great miracles by his hands, among them being the following: By his prayer he raised up to life a certain priest called Minas, after he was dead and had been made ready for burial; and the description of his raising up is thus. This father Simon had appointed Minas to be the administrator of all the property of the Church, and he had to take car of the sacred moneys and endowments, and the sacred vestments were laid up in his charge. And this father used to charge him always, saying, “Do not let any of the money and property of the Church be laid up in thy house.” And it fell out that a sickness came upon him suddenly, and his tongue stuck fast in his throat, and his heart failed him. When the archbishop heard of it he was exceedingly sorry, and he kept vigil all that night, and prayed to God on behalf of that priest, and asked Him to raise up that priest from the dead, because of the property of the Church. And at midnight this father heard that the priest was nigh to die, and he sent his disciple to the wife of the priest, and commanded him to ask her about the property of the Church; and when his disciple drew near to the house of the priest he heard the outcries of the people thereof, who were weeping for the priest. And he went in and found that he was dead, and that they were dressing him in the vestments of the priesthood and laying him on the bier; and there were many men round about him weeping for him. And the disciple bowed his head in salutation to the priest, and straightway the dead man rose and sat up, and he embraced the disciple with his arms and hands, and he said unto him, “God is the God of the honorable father, Abba Simon.” And the disciple said unto him, “Be strong, O priest, and fear not.” And the priest said unto him, “Verily, I am strong through the prayer of my lord father, the archbishop, and God hath given me life again, and hath raised me up from the dead.” And the disciple called the priests who were struck with dismay at the death of that priest, and he said unto them, “Be not dismayed, behold the priest Minas hath risen from the dead.” And when the priests and the people came to him, the priest said unto them, “Know ye that I was dead, and they set me before the throne of my Lord Christ. And I saw all the archbishops of the city of Alexandria, from Mark the apostle, to Abba Isaac, and they were standing before our Lord Christ. And they rebuked me, saying, ‘Why hast thou hidden the property of the Church from our brother Simon the archbishop?’ And our Lord Christ commanded them, saying, ‘Cast him into the Outer Darkness.’ And when they dragged me along to cast me out, the archbishops bowed down before our Lord Christ, and asked Him, saying, ‘Have mercy upon us this time. Our brother Simon, the archbishop, is at this moment standing up and praying for him, and for the property of the Church which was laid up with him.’ And God accepted their petition, and He commanded and [the angels] put back my soul into my body. And God said unto me, ‘Behold, I have had compassion on thee for the sake of My chosen ones, and for the sake of their brother Simon, the archbishop. And if thou dost not speak of thine own free will, and reveal unto him where the property of the Church is, thou shalt not return hither, and I will not accept their petition on thy behalf, according to what the Lord telleth Me, and I will not make thee to live after thy death.’” And when all the people who were there heard these words, and saw this miracle, they marveled exceedingly, and they praised God the Most High; and straightway their sorrow and weeping were turned into joy. And after that priest was restored to life he remained many days, and he used to relate this miracle to every man. And this father Abba Simon continued to fight the fight and to devote himself to God, and to teach his flock, and to admonish them and to encourage them in the True Faith, and after this he died in peace. Salutation to Simon the archbishop. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 25 (August 1)

On this day took place the dedication of the Church of Saint Mercurius, the martyr, in the city of Mesr (Cairo), wherein his miracles appeared. Salutation to the consecration of thy church, O Mercurius.

And on this day also the ascension into heaven of Enoch, the righteous scribe, took place.

And on this day also Abba Ze-Iyesus, of Debre Libanos, became a martyr by the hand of the pagans. Salutation to Ze-Iyesus.

And on this day also the apostolic woman Saint Thecla died. This saint lived in the days of Saint Paul, the apostle. And when Saint Paul, the apostle, went forth from the city of Antioch he departed to the city of Nicomedia; and there was in that place a certain believer, whose name was Sefaros, who took Saint Paul, and set him in his house. And a great many people gathered together to him, and they heard his teaching. And when this virgin Thecla heard Saint Paul, the apostle, teaching, she looked out from the window of her house that she might hear his doctrine, and she did this for three days and three nights. And she was so eager to hear his doctrine, that she neither ate nor drank; and the word of his teaching entered into her heart. And her parents and her servants were very sorry, and they used to beseech her to turn from her counsel, and not to follow Saint Paul. And her father went to Demas and Remoganos, the magistrates, and complained to them about what had happened to his daughter, and they urged him, and at length he went to the emperor. And he cried out and laid information against Saint Paul, and the emperor had him brought into the hall of the emperor, and he questioned him about his work and his Faith, but found no cause of complaint [against him]; and the emperor commanded and the soldiers shut Saint Paul up in prison. And Saint Thecla put off her ornamental attire, and came to saint Paul in the prison house, and she bowed down at his feet. And her parents sought for her, and could not find her, and [her handmaiden] told them that she was with Saint Paul the apostle; and the governor commanded the soldiers to burn her in the fire. And her mother cried out, saying, “Burn her in the fire, so that all the numerous women of noble families who believe in the teaching of Paul the apostle may be admonished.” And they brought Thecla out from Saint Paul to burn her, and they brought Saint Paul out also. And her heart was bold, and she saw Saint Paul praying, and he went up into heaven whilst in his body; and when he had made the sign of the Cross over her face and her body, she threw herself into the fire; and the women wept for her. And at that moment God sent very much rain, and lightning and hail, and the red-hot furnace became like unto cool dew. And she escaped from the fire, and ran and came to saint Paul in the place wherein he dwelt secretly; and she asked him to shave off the hair of her head, so that she might follow him; and he did this for her. And when she went to the city of Antioch, a certain nobleman saw her, and wanted to marry her, for she was very beautiful in her appearance, but she made bold and cursed him, and he informed the governor of the city about her. And the governor commanded the soldiers to cast her to the lions, and she was with the lions for two days and two nights, but the lions only licked her feet. And after this they tied her between two oxen and dragged her through all the city, but she suffered no pain whatsoever. Then the governor sent her away, and she went to saint Paul, and he comforted her, and strengthened her, and commanded her to depart, and preach the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And she went to the city of Konia, and preached in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then she went to her own city and converted her father and her mother, and brought them into the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And having finished her fight she died in peace and received the crown of the preachers and confessors in the kingdom of the heavens. Now her body resteth at the present time in the city of Sengar [near Damietta] in Lower Egypt, and many signs and wonders have appeared through it. Salutation to the apostolic woman Thecla.

And on this day also Saint ‘Adonin (Andonina) became a martyr. This young man was a native of the city of Bana, and his parents were among the elders of the city; and they were believers, and were excellent and merciful. And this saint went to the city of Antinoe and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor, who commanded the soldiers to shoot him to death with arrows; and they did as he commanded, but the arrows did the saint no harm. Then the governor had him bound, and sent him to the city of Alexandria, and with him were Saint Abba Bimakos, and two other martyrs; and the governor of the city of Alexandria shut them up in prison. And they hung up Saint ‘Adonin, head downwards, until much blood flowed from his mouth down upon the ground, and then he tortured him severely; and when the governor was tired of torturing him, he sent him to the city of Farma, where the saint found Saint Minas in prison; and he rejoiced in him, and they comforted each other. And the governor of the city of Farma tortured him with every kind of torture, and they cut his flesh into strips with red-hot saws, and after that he boiled him in a cauldron over a fire, but God raised him up whole and uninjured. And when he was tired of torturing him he commanded the soldiers to cut off his head, and they cut off his head with a sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And great miracles took place through his body, which healed all those who were sick. Salutation to ‘Adonina the martyr.

And on this day also Saint Abba Isaac became a martyr. This saint was a man of the city of Samama (Samma), and he was a gardener, and he was an excellent man, gentle, and devoted to God. He ate no flesh, he drank no wine, he fasted two days at a time, he ate herbs, and he visited the poor and needy, and gave them what was left of his wages. And our Lord appeared unto him in a vision, and commanded him to go to the governor, and confess His Name before him. And our Lord promised him many things, and told him of the crowns which were prepared for him, and the saint rejoiced exceedingly. And he rose up and gave what was left in his house to the poor and needy, and then he prayed and asked God to help him. And he came to the governor, and confessed God the Most High before him, and the governor tortured him severely, and burned him with fire, and hacked off his limbs, and hanged him, and broke him on the wheel; but God gave him strength to endure under all this torture, and He raised him up sound and uninjured. When he was tired of torturing him the governor commanded the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword, and thus he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And men of the city of Samama came and took his body, and wrapped it in splendid cloths, and laid him in a fair place until the end of the days of persecution. [Then] they built a beautiful church for him, and laid his body therein, and great signs and miracles appeared through it, and healings for many sick folk. Salutation to Isaac, the gardener.

And on this day also Liyarya (Hilaria) became a martyr. This saint was a native of the city of Lemdeya (Demyal), which is nigh unto the city of Demera, and her parents were believers and were excellent folk; and she herself was chaste both in mind and in body, and she fasted and prayed continually. When her days were eleven years, and she was living and doing her work, our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to her a great light, and the Archangel Fanuel appeared, and said unto her, “Why sittest thou here doing nothing but fighting the spiritual fight whilst the crowns which are prepared for those who fight for the Name of Christ, our Lord, [are waiting for thee]?” And when she heard this she rose up, and gave all her goods to the poor and needy, and departed to Tuw, and thence to the city of Sarsana, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor. And there was a certain holy man, whose name was Abba Sinoda, and our Lord Jesus Christ had appeared unto him, and informed him concerning this holy woman, and what would become of her; and when he saw her he rejoiced in her, and comforted her and strengthened her heart. And the governor tortured her severely, and he made gashes in all her body, and drove red-hot iron pegs into her; and after this he bound her with seven thousand, six hundred martyrs. Then he took her with him in a ship and departed. And whilst they were on the ship, a fish rose up and snatched away a child from his mother, and she had no other child, and she wept and lamented for her son exceedingly. And the saint had compassion upon her, and prayed to God on her behalf, and then our Lord commanded the fish to give back the child, and the fish gave him back to his mother, alive, and no harm had befallen him. And when the governor arrived in the city of Tuw, he commanded the soldiers to put the saint in the furnace of the public baths, and they did as he commanded, but no harm came to her. And then they hacked off her limbs, and cast her into the fire, and they plucked out the nails of her hands and feet, and cut out her tongue, and drove iron pegs through her feet; after this, they made her to lie on an iron bed, and lighted a fire under her. And when he was tired of torturing her, he commanded the soldiers to cut off her head, and thus she received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Telyarya (Hilaria), and salutation to those who were martyred with her.

And on this day also Thecla and Mugi, from the city of Kayrakus, on the border of Bahyara (Bahraya) by the city of Alexandria, became martyrs. These saints were brought up by a God-fearing teaching woman in the city of Karakus, and as they were sailing on the river one showed them the governor torturing Christian folk, and they marveled at his hard-heartedness; these saints were those who endured his torture. And the angel of God appeared unto the saints, and showed them the glory of the saints, and strengthened them, and the angel sailed with them on the ship to the city of Alexandria. And our holy Lady, the two-fold Virgin, Mary, the God-bearer, and Elisabeth, appeared unto her in the forms of two women, and they wept with them. And when they came unto the city of Alexandria, they confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor, who tortured them severely. And they cut off the head of Saint Mugi with the sword, and she received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens; and the governor sent Saint Thecla to the city of Demow, where she became a martyr. Salutation to Thecla and Mugi.

And on this day also Saint Abba Karazun became a martyr. This saint was a man from the city of Banwan, and he was formerly a thief, and there were with him two other young men who were thieves. And they went to the cell of a certain monk in the desert of Scete to steal his goods, and they found him keeping vigil and standing up in prayer; so they waited until he had finished his prayer and had lain down. Now that monk never slept, and their hearts were afraid and dismayed. And when the time of dawn came, the elder monk went out to the thieves, and when they saw him they bowed down at his feet, and cast down their swords before him, and became monks under his direction. And this saint fought a very great fight, and devoted himself to the ascetic life, both soul and body, and a certain elder monk prophesied and informed him that he would, assuredly, become a martyr for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when seven years had passed by, Satan brought tribulation on the churches and on the Christian people. And this saint embraced his spiritual father, and received his blessing, and departed to the city of Nakyos, where he found the Emperor Maximianus; and he confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor. And the governor tortured him severely, and sawed his body with iron saws, and rubbed into his wounds vinegar mixed with salt; and then he took him to the city of Alexandria, and hung him up on the mast of the ship five times; and the ropes broke. And then he cast him into a vessel made of hide, and threw him into the sea (or, river), but the angel of God brought him out of the sea, and commanded him to go to the city of Gamnudi. And he departed and came to the city of Benwani, and the people asked him about Abba Karazun, for they did not recognize him. And they said unto him, “Abuna Abba Karazun departed many days ago, and we do not know where he is, and we have had no news of him.” And a certain maiden recognized him and knew him, and by reason of her great fear she fell down and broke her water jar. And she said unto the people, “This man is Abba Karazun himself,” and all the men of the city made haste to go to him, and they were blessed by him. And every man who was sick came to him, and the saint besought God and prayed over some oil, and anointed him therewith, and they were healed. And then he went to the city of Gamnudi, and he said unto a soldier, “I am a Christian, bind me and drag me into this city”; and the soldier did as the saint commanded him. And when he had brought him thither, the governor hanged him on a tree, head downwards, for ten days; and the blood flowed down from his mouth and nose upon the ground. And Abba Karazun cursed the daughter of the general, and she died and remained in her grave for eighteen days, and the people came and besought the saint on her behalf. And he prayed and entreated our Lord Jesus Christ, and He raised up the maiden from the dead, and she told them what she had seen of the Judgment in hell. And Justus the general, and his wife, believed on our Lord Jesus Christ, and all his soldiers, and they became martyrs; and they were in number nine hundred, and thirty, and five souls. And after this the governor sent Abba Karazun to the city of Alexandria, and when he arrived there they tortured him very severely. And he also sent him to the city of Gamnudi, where they beat him with bars of wood and broke his back; and when he was tired of torturing him he sent him to the city of Alexandria. And when the saint came to the Hill of Barmuda, our Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, appeared unto him, and comforted him, and told him that he should finish his fight there, and He promised him that He would grant to every man any request, which he should make in his name. And when the governor was tired of torturing him he commanded the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword, and thus the saint finished his martyrdom, and received the crown thereof in the kingdom of the heavens. And the angel of God appeared unto a certain priest of the men of the city of Manuf, and told him where the place was wherein the body of Saint Abba Karazun lay, and commanded him to take it away. And that priest went and took the body of the saint, and wrapped it up in beautiful cloths, [and kept it] until the end of the days of persecution. And they built a beautiful church for him in the city of Benwan and laid his body therein, and many miracles and wonders took place through it. Salutation to Abba Karazun. Salutation to the nine hundred and thirty-five people who were martyred with Abba Karazun.

And on this day also is celebrated the commemoration of seven thousand, three hundred martyrs. [In the Bodleian MS. seventy-six thousand.]

And on this day also Saint Ladimadyos, the Syrian, became a martyr. This saint was brought up with the Persians, and learned from them the knowledge of the stars; and he wished to become a Christian. And he found a certain Persian priest in the bazaar, whose name was ‘Engalius, and he taught him the Law of God and rejoiced in him exceedingly; and he began to teach the men of his house to turn to God and to believe in Him. And then he went to a certain city between Syria and Rome, and was there baptized with Christian baptism. He became a monk, and fought a great, and superhuman fight; and the brethren were jealous of him when they saw his fight; and they wished to drive him away from the mountains. When he knew this he went forth from that place and departed to a city on the borders of [the city of] Theodosius, and he came to the monastery of Saint Sergius; where he lived with an elder anchorite for a year, and fought the fight. And he ate neither beans, nor any food with fat therein. And the elder anchorite urged the abbot to make Ladimadyos a deacon, so that he might minister with him in the sanctuary; and being unable to resist him, he was made a deacon, and ministered with him in the sanctuary. And when the elder went into the altar at the consecration of the Offering, during the consecration, he saw a white dove of most beautiful appearance, and it came near and descended upon the altar. And Ladimadyos, thinking that it was a dove of flesh, was afraid lest the chalice should be overturned, and he made a motion with his hand, and drove the dove off; now the elder anchorite did not see the dove. And after the Service was ended, the anchorite asked him, saying, “What happened to disturb thee at the time of the Offering, when thou didst stretch out thine hand over the altar?” And Ladimadyos told him how he had seen the dove. And the anchorite said unto him, “In future when thou seest the dove tell me.” And when the elder went up to the altar to receive the Offering, and the time for seeing the dove came, Ladimadyos said unto him, “That dove hath come”; and the elder did not see it, and again he was exceedingly sorry. And he bowed low before God, and he prayed continually, and entreated Him with tears by night and by day, until he saw that dove; and he knew that it was the grace of the Holy Spirit; but he told Saint Ladimadyos nothing, so that he might not be puffed up in his heart. And after this the anchorite went to the bishop, and asked him to make Ladimadyos a priest, now Ladimadyos himself knew nothing about this, until he took him and made him a priest against his will. And when the Archbishop of that country heard the story of his fight, he took some people with him, and wanted to go with them to him, and to receive a blessing from him. And Saint Ladimadyos knew of this by the Holy Ghost, and he fled secretly, and came to the church of Saint Mark, the martyr, and then he departed and dwelt in the desert, where he lived on grass, and God, the Most High, performed great miracles [by his hands]. And then he fled from the vain praise of man to the seashore. And one day he took the water-pot, and went down to the river to draw water, and he saw women there drawing water, and they laughed at him, and made a mock of him; and he went back without having drawn water, and with sorrow in his heart. And he asked God to dry up that river, and God, the Most High, heard his petition, and He made the river a road whereon men could travel. And when the people knew that it was Saint Ladimadyos who had dried up the river, they all went up to him with their wives, and their children, and they entreated him with many tears, until he prayed to our Lord Jesus Christ Who gave them back the river, and it became as it was formerly. And when he saw the people wishing to honor him, he fled from that place and went to another desert, and he lived therein a year, fighting the fight, and enduring the cold of winter, and the heat of summer, under the sky without a roof. And with great difficulty the people forced him to let them build him an abode, and he dwelt therein, and God, the Most High, performed many signs and miracles by his hands, and among them was the following: There was a certain man who was blind in one eye, and when he was being blessed by him the hand of the saint rested upon the blind eye of that man, and his eye was opened straightway, and he saw. And another man, a paralytic, they brought to him, and he prayed over some oil and water, and anointed him therewith, and the man recovered. Another man, one who was dumb, when they brought him to him, the saint knew that this sickness had come upon the man because of the sin which he had committed; and then he prayed to God, the Most High, and He healed him by his hands. And again, a certain rich man came to him with his wife, who was barren, and the saint prayed to our Lord Jesus Christ, and He gave them children, whom they brought to him, and he blessed them. And this Saint Abba Ladimadyos performed countless miracles. And it came to pass in his days that the Emperor Walitos, the infidel and idolater, came to the city of Antioch, and he pulled down the churches which Constantine had builded. And then he heard that the Persians had come to fight against him, and when they (the Romans) had departed thither, they passed by the habitation of Saint Ladimadyos, and one told the emperor about him. And the soldiers stoned him, and his disciple, with stones, until a great heap of stones stood over their cave. And thus died Ladimadyos and his disciple. And after one year God revealed his body to a certain man, who was a merchant, and was traveling that way, now he had a laden camel with him, and the camel fell down, and sank into a pit in the ground. And when the men came to take up the camel, God showed him the cave, and he and his men knew that it was the cave of Saint Ladimadyos; and they dug and took up the body of the saint, and that of his disciple, with great honor. On the fifteenth day of the month of Hamle, on the day whereon he died, they built a church for Saint Ladimadyos, and they laid therein his body, and that of his disciple; and God made manifest many signs and miracles there from. Salutation to Ladimadyos. Salutation to ‘Atrabius, who took the place of Pachomius.

And on this day also are commemorated the Seven Thousand Martyrs of Athribis, and Amon and Mary. Salutation to the Seven Thousand Martyrs of Athribis. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 26 (August 2)

On this day died at a good old age the righteous man Joseph, the carpenter, who was worthy to be called the father of Christ in the flesh, and concerning whom the Holy Gospel beareth witness that he was a righteous man, and that, because of this, our Lady Saint Mary was in safe keeping with him. And he finished his fight, and his course, and his toil, and his journey, together with our Lady Mary and our Lord Jesus Christ, in his coming to Bethlehem, and [his] flight to the country of Egypt. On his return from the country of Egypt there came [upon him] tribulation from the Jews. And when the time came for him to depart from this transient world to the world of the Living, [he called to him] his other sons, that is to say, Justus, and Judah, and Josa, and Jacob, and his three daughters, and he gave them commandments and embraced them, and stretched out his hands and delivered up his soul into the hand of God, and inherited everlasting life. And all the days of his life were one hundred and fourteen years; he lived before his marriage forty years, and after his marriage fifty-two years, and after his wife died, nineteen years, and three years before the Incarnation of our Redeemer. And our Lord Jesus Christ came to him at the time of his death, and laid His hand upon his eyes and wept over him, and He bestowed upon his body the gracious gift of never growing old, and upon his bones the gift of incorruptibility. And they laid him in the grave of Jacob, his father, in the tenth year of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Salutation to Joseph and Mary.

And on this day also died the holy father, Abba Timothy, the twenty-second Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This saint was the brother of the Archbishop Saint Peter his predecessor, and having been appointed he shepherded the rational flock of Christ and guarded them from the wolves Arius, and Macedonius, and Sabelius. In the sixth year of the archiepiscopate of this saint the Emperor Theodosius the Great [began to] reign over the Christian people. In that year also took place the General Council whereat One hundred and Fifty bishops gathered together in the city of Constantinople on account of Macedonius, who had denied the Holy Spirit; and this father was president of the Council. Now Saint Damalius, Archbishop of the city of Rome, did not come to the Council because of his illness, but he sent priests in his place. And this holy father Timothy disputed with Macedonius, who denied the Holy Ghost, and with Sabelius and with Apollinarius, and he overcame them, and put them to shame. And behold, we have described their denial, and how this saint disputed with them, [in the section of this work] relating to the days of the assembling of this Council, which is the first day of the month of Yekatit. And during the archiepiscopate of this saint, he took great care concerning the buildings of the churches, and he built many churches in the city of Alexandria and outside it, and he repaired and restored many of them; and he built many cells for the churches (?), and for the pilgrims. And he was teaching his flock much doctrine continually, and by means of his great knowledge he strengthened them in the True Faith, and by the sweetness of his voice and his reading. And he converted many of the followers of Arius and Macedonius, and brought them into the True Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he sat upon the throne of Mark the evangelist for nine years and a half, and he died in peace. Salutation to Timothy the archbishop, brother of Peter the archbishop.

And on this day also died Abba Selama, the Revealer of the Light, the Bishop of Ethiopia; now his history is as follows: A certain man from the country of the Greeks, a master of learning, whose name was Merpes, came wishing to see the country of Ethiopia, and he had with him two youths of his family, and the name of one was Fremnatos (Frumentius), and that of the other was “Adesyos (Aedesius)”; now there are some who call him “Sidrakos.” And he arrived in a ship at the shore of the Sea of Ethiopia, and he saw all the beautiful things, which his heart desired, and as he was wishing to return to his country, enemies rose up against him and killed him, and all those who were with him. And these two youths were left [alive], and the men of the city made them captives, and taught them the work of war, and took them as a present to the King of ‘Aksum whose name was “Alameda.” And the king made Adyos director of his household, and Fremnatos, keeper of the Laws and Archives of “Aksum; and after a few days the king died, and left a little son with his mother, and the ‘Azgaga reigned with him. And ‘Adesyos and Fremnatos brought up the children, and taught them little by little the Faith of Christ, and they built for them a place of prayer, and they gathered together to it the children and they taught them psalms and hymns. And when they had brought the boy to the stage of early manhood, they asked him to dismiss them to their native country; and Adyoses departed to the country of Tyre to see his kinsfolk, and Fremnatos departed to Alexandria, to the Archbishop Athanasius, and he found that he had been restored to his office. And he related everything, which had happened unto him because of their Faith in the country of Ethiopia, and how the people believed on Christ, but had neither bishops nor priests. And then Abba Athanasius appointed Fremnatos Bishop of the country of Ethiopia, and sent him away with great honor. And he arrived in the country of Ethiopia during the reign of ‘Abreha and ‘Asbeha, and he preached the peace of Christ in all the regions thereof, and because of this he was called “Abba Selama.” And after he had saluted the men of Ethiopia he died in peace. Salutation, salutation, I say, with joyful voice to Abba Selama.

And on this day also is commemorated the blessed Saint Abba Roys. Salutation to Samuel and Zacharias. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 27 (August 3)

On this day Saint Abba Ammon, of the city of Tarnut, became a martyr. This saint came to Upper Egypt, and he saw the tortures, which were being inflicted upon the holy martyrs, and he went to Arianus, the governor of Antinoe, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before him. And Arianus tortured him severely, and beat him, and hanged him, and cut gashes in all his body, and drove long, sharp nails through his body; and our Lord Jesus Christ gave him strength, and healed his wounds, and raised him up from the punishment, whole and uninjured. And after this Arianus sent him to the city of Alexandria. And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him, and strengthened him, and promised him, saying, “Whosoever shall celebrate thy commemoration, or shall write [a copy of] the book of thy fight, or shall cause it to be read, or shall give bread and water to the poor on the day of thy commemoration, I will blot out their sins and write their names in the Book of Life in the kingdom of the heavens”; and having said this unto him our Lord Jesus Christ went up into heaven with glory. And Saint Abba Ammon rejoiced with great joy. And then the governor tortured him very severely, and very many men believed through him and became martyrs. And among them was a certain young woman, a virgin, whose name was Theophila, and she came and stood up before the governor, and cursed him and his idols, and she confessed our Lord Jesus Christ. And the governor commanded the soldiers to cast her into the fire, but God delivered her from the fire; and they cut off her head with the sword, and she received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Then the governor tortured Abba Ammon with great severity, and he mutilated him, and after this he commanded the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword; [and they did so,] and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And many signs and miracles, and great healings of the sick, took place through his body. Salutation to Ammon.

And on this day also are commemorated the vision which Ezekiel the prophet saw; and the dedication of the church of Saint John the evangelist in the city of Alexandria, and the honorable father Abba Simon, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, that is to say, the translation of his body to the monastery of Abba Macarius of the desert of Scete; and the death of Seth, the son of Adam. Salutation to the translation of thy body, O Simon. Salutation to the vision of Ezekiel. Salutation to Bifamon. Salutation to the holy woman Meskel Kibra. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 28 (August 4)

And on this day also are commemorated Andronicus and his wife Athanasia, the lovers of God. They came from the city of Antioch. They were rich in gold and in silver, and they gave one half of the profit, which they made on their money to the poor; and after a few days they produced two children, a boy and a girl, and they called their names John and Mary. And then Andronicus and Athanasia took counsel together, and agreed to cease to live together as man and wife, and they began to devote their money and themselves to ministering to the sick and needy, that is to say, he ministered to the men, and she ministered to the women; and they continued to do this for twelve years. And then their children fell ill of the plague, and they both died on one day. And when Andronicus saw [this] he fell upon the ground, and he cast himself before the picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, and wept, saying, “Naked was I when I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I be when I go to God; God gave, God took away, blessed be the Name of God for ever.” And their mother, in the intensity of her grief, wanted to kill herself, and weeping she came into the sanctuary to the place where her children were buried. And during the night she saw, as it were, a monk who said unto her, “Weep not for the death of thy children, but weep for thyself, for thy children are rejoicing in the kingdom of the heavens.” And when she heard this she went and told her husband, and they decided to renounce the world. And they distributed their money among the poor and needy, and went forth by night, and came to Alexandria, and Andronicus left his wife there and departed to the desert of Scete, and became a monk with Abba Daniel; then he went back and took his wife to Upper Egypt, and placed her in a house of virgins and left her there. And when Andronicus had lived with Abba Daniel for twelve years, he asked that he might go to Jerusalem so that he might be blessed in the holy places. And whilst he was on the road thither, behold, by the Will of God, his wife met him, for she also wished to receive a blessing in the holy places. Now, by reason of her labor and vigil her face had become so changed that he did not know her, but she knew him because his face had not changed. And having visited the holy places they returned to the city of Alexandria. And Abba Daniel had knowledge by the Holy Spirit, and he said unto Andronicus, “Dwell in a place with that monk who hath been thy companion, for he is holy”; and they dwelt [there] twelve years, and there was none who knew that the companion of Andronicus was a woman, but they called her “Athanasia.” And Abba Daniel visited them on one occasion, and spoke to them concerning the profit of their souls. And Athanasia having fallen sick, Andronicus went to Abba Daniel and said unto him, “My companion is going to die, come and visit him.” When Abba Daniel arrived he found that she was very ill, and she said unto him, “Abba, I want thee to administer unto me the Offering.” and Abba Daniel devoted himself to the matter, and administered unto her the Holy Mysteries, and she died straightway; and there rose up a sweet odor and filled the place. And when Andronicus want to wrap her up for burial, he discovered by her hair that she was a woman; and they found on the body a paper whereon her history was written, and a token which she left to her husband. And when Andronicus had read the paper, and knew that she was his wife, his mind became obscured, and he began to beat his face and to lament. And after a few days, now, he had become sick, the elders came and received his blessing, and having received the Offering, he died and entered into the kingdom of heaven. Salutation to Andronicus. Salutation to Athanasia. Salutation to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the elders of Israel. Salutation to Meskel Kibra.

And on this day also died the blessed man, the fighter, and the worker of wonders, Abba Philip, father of the Council of the holy city of Debre Libanos. Of this holy man it was reported that he used to work signs and wonders. And by the Will of God he came to his native place in the interior of the desert, in the days when Abuna Takla Haymanot lived there, to be his son, and that saint received him joyfully and he knew, by the spirit, that he was to be a chosen vessel. And after he had tried him with spiritual exercises of all kinds, he arrayed him in the garb of the monk. And Abba Philip fought the fight, and made himself to be like unto Takla Haymanot. And when Abba Takla Haymanot died, Philip was set upon the throne of Abba Elisha. After a little [time] one of the sons of the Abuna died, and when they wanted to wrap him up in cloths for burial, he moved himself and spoke, saying, “Abuna Takla Haymanot, Elisha shall come to me, and Philip shall sit upon thy throne”; and having said this he died. And then they appointed Philip to be the Abuna. And he followed a right course, like his father, and he received beatings and tribulations, as he ministered for righteousness’ sake; and he died under persecution (or, in exile), and he departed to God, bearing the crown of praise. Salutation to Philip. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 29 (August 5)

On this day is celebrated the festival of the Birth of our Lord, and God, and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Salutation to Thy Birth, O our Redeemer.

And on this day also is celebrated the festival of the translation of the body of Saint Thaddeus, the apostle, from the country of Syria to the city of Constantinople. The righteous and Christ-loving Emperor Constantine had it translated, and he built a beautiful church, and consecrated it, as it were this day, and laid Thaddeus within it; and many signs and miracles appeared through his body. Salutation to the translation of thy body, O Thaddeus.

And on this day also Saint Warestefa became a martyr. This saint was a learned, and orthodox, and kindly ascetic. The people wanted to make him a bishop but he fled from them, and having come to a certain city he dwelt with two Christ-loving brethren. And the angel of God appeared unto him, and commanded him to confess our Lord Jesus Christ, and to receive the crown of martyrdom. When he awoke from his sleep he told the brethren what he had seen, and they all agreed together and went to the governor and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before him. And the governor tortured them severely, and then cast them into prison until he went to the city of Senhur, when he took them with him, and again tortured them there severely. And at the time when he was torturing them the angel of God appeared unto them, and strengthened them, and enabled them to endure, and healed their wounds; and after this the governor took them to the city of Dha and tortured them there. And then the governor gathered together many confessors, and had read to them the roll containing the Edict of the emperor in respect of the worship of idols; and this Saint Warestefa seized the roll, and tore it in pieces. And the governor was exceedingly wroth, and he commanded the soldiers to heat a furnace red-hot and to cast the saint therein, and they did as the governor commanded, and thus he finished his martyrdom in the furnace, And as for the other two brethren the soldiers cut off their heads with the sword and the saints received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Waresnos. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Hamle 30 (August 6)

On this day Mercurius and Ephraim, the holy Galileans, became martyrs. These saints were loving brethren in the spirit, and kinsmen in the flesh, and they were of the men of the city of ‘Akmim. They made an agreement together in the spirit, and they became monks in the same monastery in Upper Egypt, and they lived therein fighting the fight with fasting, and prayer, and prostrations and vigils, for a period of twenty years. And Satan, the Enemy, brought tribulation upon the churches, through the followers of Arius, who denied [Christ]; and they came, by the commandment of the Emperor Constantine, to administer the temples of the Orthodox. And these saints rose up and came into the church and cast aside the bread which the wicked Arians, the deniers of Christ, had laid there, and they said unto the people, “He who hath not been baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity is only fit to offer up an offering on the altar of idols.” And the Arians seized the saints and beat them very severely, and the soldiers threw them down upon the ground and trampled upon them with their feet until their members and their bones were broken. And they delivered their souls into the hand of our Lord Jesus Christ and received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And certain believing men came, and they took the bodies of the saints, and wrapped them up in cloths, and laid them in a fair place. Salutation to Mercurius and Ephraim.

And on this day also took place the translation of the body of Abba Timothy, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, from Mesr (Cairo) to the monastery of Abba Macarius in the desert of Scete.

And on this day also died the blessed Paul, the monk. It is related of this renouncer of the world that he enjoyed in this world honor and high rank, and that he had a wife, who was a saint, and blessed children, and that he was exceedingly rich. And he wanted to become a monk. And he called his wife and his children, and said unto them, “Behold, I want to sell you for Christ’s sake”; and they said unto him, “Thou art our god, do what thou wishest.” And he took his wife, and his sons, and his possessions, and distributed all his money among the poor, and he came to a house for women, and he sought out the abbess and said unto her, “I want to sell thee this woman”; and she agreed to what he wanted. And he wrote the bill of the sale, and handed her over to the abbess, together with what was with her; and she became a nun. And he took his sons to another religious house, and he did with them even as he had done with their mother, and he sold them to the archimandrite, and handed them over to him; and then he went to another religious house and sold himself to the abbot. And he said unto him, “I want to go into the church by myself,” and the abbot gave him permission to do so. And he went into the church, and shut the door, and he stood up and stretched out his hands towards heaven, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, “O my Lord, Thou knowest that I have come unto Thee with all my heart.” And a voice came unto him, which said, “Behold, I know this, and I have accepted thee with all My mind.” And then he continued to perform all the hard work which had to be done in the monastery, and he made himself the most menial of all the monks; but God exalted him because of his humility, and many miracles appeared through him, and he died in peace. Salutation to Paul who sold his wife, and his children, and himself for the sake of Christ.

And on this day also is commemorated the dedication of the church of Suriel the angel. Salutation to the dedication of thine house, which the believers built in Constantinople.

And on this day Andrew the apostle performed many miracles, and some of them took place when he was in the city of the Greeks. And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him, saying, “Rise up and depart to Mathias (Matthew) in the Cannibal City, so that thou mayest bring him out of prison, for the men of that city will in three days bring him out to eat him.” And Andrew said unto our Lord, “If this will happen in three days I cannot get there [in time to save him], therefore send an angel to bring him out of prison.” And our Lord answered and said unto Andrew, “Hearken. If I say unto the city ‘Come to Me,’ it, and all those who dwell therein, shall come [to Me]. And as for thee and thy disciple, when the morrow cometh, rise up, and thou shalt find a ship which is ready to sail; embark in it, and it shall bring thee [thither].” And He gave him the salutation “Peace” and went up into heaven in glory. And Andrew rose up, as He had commanded him, and he came to the seashore. And God prepared for him a beautiful ship, and He stayed with him in the form of the captain, and there were two angels there in the forms of sailors. And Andrew went to the ship and found our Lord, Who was disguised as the captain thereof, and he said unto Him, “Peace be unto thee, O Captain”; and our Lord said unto him, “The peace of God be with thee.” And Andrew said unto Him, “Whither goest thou in this ship?” And our Lord said unto him, “To the Cannibal City.” And Andrew said unto Him, “Every man fleeth there from and do Ye travel thither?” And the Captain said unto him, “It is necessary for us to go thither”; and Andrew said unto Him, “I ask Thee to take me”; and the Captain said unto him, “I agree,” and He made them to embark. And as they were traveling on the ship with our Lord as Captain, He asked Andrew many things, and Andrew told Him of many of the miracles of our Lord, not knowing that He was our Lord. And after this the Captain slept, and Andrew and his disciples slept, and at that moment our Lord commanded His angels to take up Andrew, and his two disciples, and to set them down by the seashore. And when Andrew woke up from his dream, and looked at the seashore, and did not find the ship, he marveled greatly; and he said unto his disciples, “O my sons, we were in the ship with our Lord, and did not know it!” And Andrew rose up and prayed, and our Lord appeared unto him coming out of the city in the form of a young man with a noble countenance (or, goodly person), and He said unto him, “Andrew, My beloved, fear not! I did this because thou didst say, ‘We cannot arrive at the city in three days,’ and because I wished thee to know that I have power over everything, and that there is nothing too hard for Me [to do]. Rise up, come into the city, and bring out Matthew from prison, and all those who are with him.” And having said these words He went up into heaven with [great] glory. And Andrew and his two disciples rose up, and came into the city, and no one saw them. When they came to the door of the prison house wherein was Matthew, as soon as they touched the door it opened, and they went in and found Matthew sitting down singing; and Andrew embraced him. And Andrew said unto Matthew, “Thou sayest that after two days they will take thee out, and slay thee like a beast, and eat thy body; but thou hast forgotten those mysteries which we saw with our Lord, and that when we spoke there, the heavens quaked.” And Matthew said unto him, “Behold, I know this, O my brother, but I say that if it be the Will of our Lord, I shall come to an end in this city. Hast thou not heard in the Holy Gospel the words, which say, ‘I send you forth like sheep among wolves?’ But as for me, when they cast me into the prison house I cried unto God, and He revealed Himself unto me, and He said unto me, ‘Fear not: at the end of three days I will send unto you Andrew, and he shall bring thee out from the prison house, thee and all those who are with thee.’ And behold thou hast come; consider what thou wilt do.” And Andrew looked at the men who were in the prison house and were fettered like beasts, and he began to speak and cursed Satan and all his hosts. And Andrew and Matthew made entreaty to God, and He heard their prayer, and they laid their hands on the men who were in the prison house, and they opened their eyes, and their senses returned to them, and they commanded the apostles to go out from the city. And Andrew and Matthew went out on the city road, and they sat down until they knew what would happen. And the men of the city came to the prison house to roast those who were bound therein, and to devour them according to their custom, and they found the gates of the prison house open, and the prisoners not there. And they said, “Woe be unto us! What hath come upon us?” And Satan took the form of a man and spoke unto the men of the city, and the people ran with eagerness and seized Andrew and Matthew, and dragged them along the road of the city, until their blood ran out of them like water, and then they cast them into prison. And the apostles prayed to God, and when they had finished their prayer they drew nigh unto a pillar on which was an image, and they said unto it, “Be afraid of the sign of the Cross which we make over thee, and pour out from beneath thee water in a vast quantity, like unto a flood, upon this city and upon all those who dwell therein.” And there sprang up from beneath it a vast quantity of water, which was exceedingly bitter and like salt, and it threatened to sweep away the city, and all those who were in it. And the men of the city took up their children, and their parents, and wanted to flee there from, but the pillar poured forth more and more water until it reached the necks of the people, and was about to drown them. And they wept, saying, “Woe be unto us! This wrath hath come upon us because of the two excellent men who are servants of God; we will believe in their God.” And Andrew said unto the pillar, “Hold, enough! Behold, the time of the flood hath passed, and the time for sowing seed in the hearts of the men of this city hath come. It is the truth, which I speak unto thee. When I have built a church in this city, I will set thee in it, and they shall decorate thee”; and the water which was flowing from under the image stood (i.e. ceased). And when the men of the city saw that the water had stopped, they went to the apostles and walked with them, and the water receded before them. And the apostles stretched out their hands, and prayed to God, and the earth opened and swallowed up the men who were in the habit of slaying people; and when the multitude saw this they were afraid. And the apostles said unto them, “Fear not, but believe in God, we will not forsake you until we have given you life.” And the apostles prayed again, and they raised from the dead those who had died in the water, and those whom the earth had swallowed up, and they baptized in that water all the men of the city, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. And they administered unto them the Holy Mysteries, and built them a church, and said unto them, “Observe the commandments which we give you until the end of your days, and teach them unto you children who shall come after you, and entreat God to remove from you the laxity which is caused by eating the flesh of men, and to give you understanding so that ye may eat the food of men.” And the apostles performed many miracles and wonders, and they healed many sick folk, and then departed from that city. And Andrew departed to the country of the Greeks with his two disciples. Salutation to Andrew and Matthew. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.