The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian church/Yekatit

by Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Yekatit

Yekatit 1 (February 8)

On this day took place and General Council of One Hundred and Fifty holy fathers and bishops, who assembled in the city of Constantinople, in the day of the Emperor Theodosius the Great. The assembling of them took place because of Macedonius, Archbishop of the city of Constantinople, and his denial [of the existence] of the Holy Spirit, for he said in the wickedness of his heart, “The Holy Spirit is a created thing, like all other created things.” And another reason for the assembling of the Council was Basilius, Bishop of the city of Benya, who said, “The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One Person, and One Being”; and another reason was Apollinarius, the infidel, who said, “The only flesh which the Son took was the flesh which appertaineth absolutely to the animal, and which is without a rational and understanding soul, and His Godhead was to Him instead of soul and heart (understanding).” And these three having made this shameful denial, the fathers gathered together to the emperor, and asked him to convene a Council to consider the denial of these three infidels, and he assented to their words. And straightway he sent a letter to Damalis, Archbishop of the city of Rome, and Meliton, Archbishop of the city of Antioch, and to Cyril, Bishop of the city of Jerusalem, and he commanded them to bring with them the bishops who were associated with them in their countries. And these fathers, namely One Hundred and Fifty bishops, came and their assembly took place in the city of Constantinople. Now the Archbishop of the city of Rome did not come, but certain learned men came in his stead, and they brought with them a letter written with his own hand. The head and chief of this Council was Timothy, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, and he called Macedonius, and commanded him to expound his unclean Faith. And that infidel said, “The Holy Spirit is a created thing, like all other created things.” And Timothy answered him and said, “With us the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, and is uncreated, and we do not consider the life of God to be a created thing; he who saith this hath no life in him. And thou sayest that He is created. Now, it is better for thee to turn from this shameful denial, before thou art punished in Gahannum and everlasting fire.” But Macedonius would neither hearken nor repent, and Timothy anathematized him and excommunicated him, and he cut him off from his office, and drove him forth. Then Timothy said unto Basilius, “Declare thy opinion, O evil and unclean man!” And he said, “The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One Person, and One Being.” And Abba Timothy answered and said unto him, “If it be that the Three Holy Ones are One Being, as thou sayest in thy madness, behold the mention of the Three is destroyed, and thy Christian baptism is destroyed, for thou wast baptized in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and thou hast denied the Holy Three, as thou sayest in thy madness. Did the Holy Three become incarnate, and suffer and die? Are the words which are in the Holy Gospel to have no effect which say, The Son stood in the Jordan, and the Spirit descended upon Him overshadowing Him, and the Father cried out from heaven, saying, This is My Son, Whom I love, hear ye Him? It is best for thee to repent of thy evil denial. Arius denieth the Son, and Macedonius denieth the Holy Spirit, and thou art a partner with them, for thou deniest both the Son and the Holy Spirit.” But Sables would not repent, neither would he hearken unto him, and Timothy anathematized him and excommunicated him, and cut him off [from his office], and drove him forth. Then Timothy said unto Apollinarius, “Expound thy evil and shameful opinion.” And he said in his madness, “The only flesh which the Son took was the flesh which appertaineth absolutely to the animal, and which is without a rational and understanding soul, and [His Godhead] was to Him in the place of a heart and soul [understanding].” And Timothy answered and said unto him, “God the Word took flesh of our nature, and He became one with us, so that He might deliver us; and if it be that the only flesh He took was that which appertaineth absolutely to the animal, and is without a rational and understanding soul, then it followeth that He cannot save the children of men, but only animals, according to what thou sayest in thy madness. For the children of men shall not rise up in the day of the resurrection, except as rational and understanding souls, and with them shall rise their bodies, according to their deeds, whether it be for punishment, or whether it be for joy. And, according to thy madness, shall the operation of His wisdom, and His Incarnation, be destroyed? And how did He say concerning Himself, that He was not one with a rational and understanding soul? It is better for thee to repent of this evil counsel, and this polluted infidelity.” But Apollinarius would not turn, and he would not hearken, and Timothy anathematized him and excommunicated him, and cut him off [from his office], with these three (sic) others. And he excommunicated these three infidels by the mouths of all the One Hundred and Fifty holy bishops of the Council, and he excommunicated those who followed them, and those who believed their words. And then they added to the prayer of the Faith the words, “We believe in the Holy Spirit,” on to the end. Now the Three Hundred and Eighteen fathers had drawn up [the prayer of the Faith] without [these words], as far as the place where it saith, “And there is no end of His kingdom.” And at the place where they made the prayer of the Faith to end, these One Hundred and Fifty fathers added the words “And there is no end of His kingdom.” Then they drew up at this General Council a Canon, and subscribed it with their hands, and to this day all Christian peoples observe their Law. Now the assembling of these One Hundred and Fifty fathers and bishops took place in the five thousand eight hundred and eighty-second year since the creation of the world. Salutation to the General Council of Constantinople.

And on this day also is celebrated the festival of the consecration of the church which was built in the name of Saint Peter, the archbishop, who excommunicated Arius. Now he became a martyr in the city of Alexandria, at the end of the reign of Diocletian, the infidel. When Constantine began to reign he destroyed the houses of idols, and built churches, and the believers built a church to the west of the city of Alexandria in the name of Saint Peter; and it was consecrated as it were this day; and many signs and miracles took place therein. And the church existed until the Muslims ruled in the land of Egypt. After they had ruled for many days, the church of the west [of the city] became well known, and then it was pulled down and laid in ruins; but the church of the blessed Peter, which is in the heavens, is strong, and no injury shall ever come upon it. Salutation to the consecration of thy church, O Peter.

And on this day also are commemorated the deaths of ‘Askenafer and his wife. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 2 (February 9)

On this day died Saint Abba Longinus, abbot of the monastery of Zegag, which is outside the city of Alexandria. This saint was a man of Cilicia where he became a monk, and his teacher, who loved Christ, was a righteous monk, who fled from the approbation of men. At that time the abbot of their monastery died, and [the monks] wanted to appoint as abbot the elder Abba Lucianus, his teacher. And Abba Lucianus took his disciple Longinus, and they went forth from Cilicia, and came to a city of Syria, and they took up their abode in a church. And our Lord Christ did not wish that their righteousness should be hidden, for a city which is set upon a hill shall not be hidden; and God wrought many signs and wonders by their hands, and they received praise and honor from men. And Saint Longinus went forth from his teacher, by his advice, and came to the country of Egypt, and when he arrived at the monastery of Zegag, the monks welcomed him with joy, and he dwelt in that monastery until its abbot died. When the monks knew of the spiritual fight of the saint, and his good qualities, and virtues, and righteousness, they appointed him abbot of the monastery of Zegag. A few days later his teacher, the monk Abba Lucianus, arrived. And they used to make roofs of boats (awnings?), and they lived on the work of their hands; and they dwelt together, single-heartedly, for many days, and God performed many signs and miracles by their hands. And then Abba Lucianus died. Now the assembling of the Council of Chalcedon took place in the days of Marcianus, the infidel, and he sent messengers into all the countries with the Book of the unclean Faith, which attributed to Christ two Natures. And three of his envoys having come to the monastery of Zegag, and given a copy of that Book to Abba Longinus, they said unto him, “The Emperor Marcianus hath commanded that ye shall believe what is written in this Book.” And Saint Longinus said, “I can do nothing without the advice of the holy fathers; come with me that we may take counsel [with them].” And he brought the messengers of the emperor into the cave wherein were the bodies of the holy elders, and he laid that Book upon them, and he said unto them, “O my fathers, say ye not that ye have lain down in death, and are at peace. Behold, they have brought this Book wherein is written the unclean Faith, which assigneth to Christ two Natures. Do ye command me to subscribe thereto, and to believe its words, or not? If ye do not tell me what I shall do, as God liveth, I will cast out your bones from this place.” And a voice came forth from their bodies, and all the men heard it, saying, “Forsake thou not the True Faith of our fathers the Apostles, and of our fathers the Three Hundred and Eighteen; and follow not the unclean Book, and remove it from our bodies.” And when the envoys of the emperor heard these words they marveled exceedingly, and fear and great trembling fell upon them, and they did not return to the emperor, but they shaved the hair of their heads, and became monks in that monastery; and they lived there for many years and died there. And Saint Longinus having finished his good fight, at a ripe old age, and pleased God, died in peace, and received a crown of martyrdom.

And on this day also died Abba Pawli (Paul) who was the greatest of all the desert monks, and the equal of the angels who keep vigil. This saint was a native of the city of Alexandria, and his name was Pawli (Paul), and he had a brother whose name was Peter, and their father was a rich man. And the multitude of his possessions, of gold, and silver, and costly apparel, was countless. And when their parents died, and the days of their mourning for them were ended, the two brothers began to divide their inheritance from their father; and Pawli’s (Paul’s) brother Peter took the larger share, and assigned to Pawli (Paul) the lesser share. And the heart of Pawli (Paul) was sad about this, and he said unto his brother, “Why dost thou not give me my share of the inheritance of my father?” And Peter answered and said unto him, “Thou art a young man, and will squander thy money, and I will take care of it for thee until thou art grown up.” Thereupon Pawli (Paul) became wroth, and the two brothers quarreled together, and they went to the governor, so that he might do justice to each. And as they were going along, they met a dead man, and he was ready for the tomb, and men were carrying him on a bier, and many men were following him and making lamentation for him. And straightway Saint Pawli (Paul) called to one of those who were following the dead man, and said unto him, “Who is this that hath died this day?” And the man said unto him, “He is a very well-known man, my son. He who died this day was a rich man, and he lived delicately, and possessed gold and silver, and behold, he hath left all this, and he goeth naked to the grave, in a sea of sins, by the road on which he shall never return. And now, O my son, it is meet for us to fight for the salvation of our souls, for we know not when we shall die. But, blessed is the man who hath dominion and money in this world! And let him abandon riches if he would received great honor in the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of all the saints.” When Abba Pawli (Paul) heard these words he cried out in his heart, saying, “What have I to do with the possessions of this fleeting world, which after a few days I must leave, and depart naked?” Then he turned to his brother, and said unto him, “Let us go back together to our house, for from this time onward I will never speak again about money.” Then he fled from his brother, and went outside the city, and he went into a grave and sat down inside it, and for three days and three nights he prayed and entreated God to guide him into the [right] way. And his brother passed many days in going round about through all the villages seeking for him, but he found him not; and he sorrowed for him with a very great sorrow. And whilst Saint Pawli (Paul) was sitting in that tomb for three days, he did not remember food and drink, and fear and terror did not assail him, for the might of God overshadowed him. And on the fourth day God sent His angel to him, and he caught him up from the grave, and carried him into the Inner Desert, towards the east, and he set him down in that place by the side of a well of water; and then the angel embraced him, and went up into [heaven]. And Saint Abba Pawli (Paul) found a cave wherein wild beasts lived, and he entered therein. And he made himself garments of palm fiber, and put them on, and he prayed, saying, “O my Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, keep me, and deliver me from the hand of the Enemy, who is merciless. And let Thy mercy come upon me, and strengthen Thou me, so that I may finish my fight, through Thy good pleasure, O King of all the generations of men, for to Thee belong power and glory for ever.” And he lived in that cave for eighty years, and he never saw a man. And his apparel was [made of] cloth made of palm fiber. And God used to send unto him daily at eventide, a raven, which had with him half a loaf of bread, and he would give it to Pawli (Paul). And when God wished to make manifest the holiness and righteousness of Pawli (Paul), He sent an angel to the great father Abba Anthony, who thought in his heart that he was the first who dwelt in the desert. And the angel came to Abba Anthony and said unto him, “In the Inner Desert, distant from thee two days’ journey, there is a man for whose feet the men of the world are not meet to be a footstool. Through his prayers the world is kept in a right course, and the earth giveth its fruit. Through him the dew falleth on the earth, and the sun riseth upon all the sinners of the earth, and because of his goodness God beareth all the creation of the children of men.” And when Abba Anthony heard these words he rose up, and went into the Inner Desert, believing that God was with him, and that He would make straight his road. And he found the footprints of a man, and the footprints of many wild beasts, and sheep, and cattle, about the footprints of the man, [and he followed them] till he arrived at his cave; and he heard the holy man singing in his cave. And Abba Anthony took up a stone, and knocked at the door of the cave therewith. And when Saint Pawli (Paul) heard him knocking, he thought that it was some work of Satan, and he took up a large stone, and set it against the end of the bolt, which fastened the door of his cave. When Anthony heard [this] he cried out, and said, “I have sought and it was given unto me to find, I have asked and I have received, I have knocked and it hath been opened to me.” And straightway Abba Pawli (Paul) opened the door to him, and brought him in, and each embraced the other with a spiritual embrace, and they prayed together and sat down. And Anthony said unto him, “What is thy name, O my father?” And the blessed elder Abba Pawli (Paul) answered, and said unto him, “If thou dost not know my name, why hast thou journeyed [to] this place?” And at that moment God opened the heart of Anthony, and he said unto him, “Blessed am I that I was held worthy to see the second Pawli (Paul).” And whilst they were talking together about the greatness of God, behold a raven came at eventide, and dropped down to the saint a whole bread cake. And Abba Pawli (Paul) said unto Abba Anthony, “Now do I know that thou art a man of God. Behold, I have been living in this desert until to-day eighty years, and each day God hath sent unto me half a bread-cake, and behold to-day He hath sent thy food.” And after this they rose up together, and prayed until the star in the west appeared, when they sat down and ate. And after they had eaten they rose up and prayed and glorified God until the dawn broke. And when they saw the light of the dawn and that the sun had risen, they embraced each other. And Anthony said unto Pawli (Paul), “O my father, where hast thou received the Holy Mysteries during all the days wherein thou hast been living in this desert?” And Saint Abba Pawli (Paul) answered and said unto him, “God sent to me His angel, and he administered to me the Holy Mysteries each day preceding the Sabbath, and on the First Day of the week, and then he went up to heaven; and he worketh for me each day.” And Anthony said unto him, “I want thee to inform me about the garb of the monks--will it increase on earth, or not?” And the blessed man smiled, and uttered a cry of grief. And Anthony said unto him, “When I see thee smiling, I smile also, and rejoice thereat; but when thou utterest a cry of grief I feel sad.” And Saint Pawli (Paul) answered and said unto him, “These mountains and deserts shall become like the habitation of doves, and God shall gather together into them His chosen ones from among all the monks; and this name of ‘chosen one’ shall change, and their name shall be ‘monks.’ And they shall rejoice many days, and God shall remove them before [the coming of] wrath. After them there shall rise up a generation of men who will neither hear nor submit to their teachers, and who will not keep vigil at night for their soul’s sake. Then shall God be wroth with the mountains and deserts, and He will despoil them of the wicked folk who have neither heart nor Law; and the mountains and the deserts shall be waste for many days. But the memorial of the saints shall not perish. And God shall pour compassion into the hearts of other men, and they shall go to the mountains and deserts, and dwell in them, [and they shall be inhabited] a second time. And Satan shall go into the mountains (or, monasteries), and cause war in their midst, and they shall cast aside the garb of the monk, and shall go down into the world, for they shall not find the strength of the love of God, and they shall not endure therein; for it is written, ‘By patience ye shall make yourselves to possess your souls’ (Isaiah xxx,15).” And Anthony said unto him, “Blessed be the day, O my father, wherein I was held worthy to see thy face, O blessed Abba Pawli (Paul).” And Saint Abba Pawli (Paul) said unto him, “Rise up now and depart to thy habitation, and bring with thee the garment which Constantine gave unto Athanasius, the Archbishop, and which Abba Athanasius put upon thee, so that thou mayest bury my body therein.” And Anthony marveled at his words and his mention of the garment of the archbishop, and he believed all the prophecies, which he had prophesied to him. And Saint Abba Pawli (Paul) said unto him, “Make haste, and stand not, for the time of my going forth is nigh, as unto all men.” When Anthony heard this he was greatly frightened, and he wept; and he went out from him, and journeyed for two days and two nights, until he came to his abode. And he took the garment and went back, and as he was on the road he saw Abba Bula (Pawli) (Paul) and the company of the angels singing praises in the air, and they said, “Glory be to God.” And they said also, “Peace be unto thee, O thou chosen one of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, thou blessed father, Abba Pawli (Paul), thou man of God; the angels rejoice with thee, for thou shalt rejoice in the kingdom of the heavens. Darkness hath left thee and they shall take thee to the country of light; sorrow hath left thee, and they shall take thee to the joy, which is forever. Blessed art thou in thy generation, O thou Pawli (Paul), the desert monk, thou man of God, thou Pawli (Paul), the desert monk.” And when they had said these words of praise they disappeared. And the blessed Anthony said, “This is the soul of my father Abba Pawli (Paul) kneeling on his knees with his face [to the ground], and his hands were spread out like a cross. And he took him up and he seemed to be alive, and he covered him over, and wept over him, saying, “Remember me, O my father, in the habitations of heaven wherein thou wilt dwell.” Then Saint Anthony took him, and wrapped his body up in that garment, and he took the Book and fulfilled over him the Canon of the Law of the Church, and he prayed over him three times, and read over him the Four Gospels. And he took up his garment made of the hair of a mule, and he wondered what he should do with it, for he had no digging tool with him. and straightway there came unto him two lions, and they bowed low before the body of Saint Pawli (Paul), and they saluted him. And Abba Anthony was dismayed and was afraid when he saw the lions, and the lions bent their heads to Anthony, as if they were asking him a question, and they licked his feet as if they had known him before, and they made signs to him as if they would say unto him, “Where shall we dig a grave for him?” And Abba Anthony understood their signs, and he measured out for them a space as long as the body of Pawli (Paul), and he showed them how deep the pit was to be, and the two lions dug, one towards the head and the other towards the feet, for a space of four cubits. And Anthony made a sign to them and said unto them, “This is enough for you”; and the lions came up out of the grave, and they crouched before Abba Anthony as if they would say, “Forgive us, and remember us, and bless us.” And he blessed them, and they went away from him, and Saint Anthony wrapped up the body of Saint Abba Pawli (Paul) and buried him. And after this he took the head-cloth, and the pallet, of Abba Pawli (Paul), and his garment made of mule’s hair, like a son who inheriteth the possessions of his father. And he set a mark on the place where his grave was, and he journeyed on foot and departed from the east until he arrived at the city of Alexandria, facing the west. And he went into the presence of Abba Athanasius the Archbishop, and he told him what had happened to Saint Abba Pawli (Paul). And when the archbishop heard the story of the saint he rejoiced and took the garment of the blessed Abba Pawli (Paul), and laid it up by him; and he wore it three times a year, namely on the festival of the Epiphany, on the festival of the Resurrection of the Redeemer, and on the festival of the Great Ascension. And the archbishop sent priests, and deacons, and men, with Abba Anthony, and carts with them to fetch the body of Saint Abba Pawli (Paul). And they went round about in the mountains for many days without finding the grave of the saint, for it was hidden from them [by the sand]. And Saint Abba Pawli (Paul) appeared unto the Archbishop Abba Athanasius, and said unto him, “Send a messenger to bring back the men, and let them not labor [in vain], for God doth not wish any man to see me until the appearance of the Lord Christ”; and the archbishop sent a messenger and brought back the men. And one day God willed to make manifest the glory of the Abba Pawli’s (Paul’s) cloak of mule’s hair. And at that time a certain young man of the city of Alexandria, who was a Christian, died. “Now believe me, O Christian folk, I, your father Atanasius, took this garment of mule’s hair which belonged to the blessed Abba Pawli (Paul), and laid it upon the dead man, and he rose up straightway. I, Athanasius, who have been appointed chief in the Church, saw this with my own eyes. And I, Isidore the bishop, was a witness of this thing. And I, Anthony, who was first appointed a priest by the hand of Abba Athanasius, am a witness of this thing, and I have subscribed this statement.” And two or three other men testified that this was true. And the story of this miracle was noised about throughout all the countries of Egypt, and in the city of Alexandria, and all men marveled, and glorified God, Who worketh miracles by His saints. Salutation to Abba Pawli (Paul).

And on this day Thomas made manifest a miracle when he went forth to preach where our Lord commanded him to go. And when he drew nigh thereto, and had come within two stadia of the city, he turned aside from the road and saw by chance a dead young man, and his appearance was very godly. And the apostle said, “My Lord, was it that I might experience this trial that Thou didst bring me hither? But Thy Will be done.” And having said this he prayed much for the dead man, and straightway there came forth from the side of a stone a great serpent which lashed the ground with its tail, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, “What have I to do with thee, O apostle of Christ, thou hast come to annul my work?” And the apostle said unto him, “Yea, speak.” And the serpent said, “There was a beautiful woman [who came] from the vineyard, and I saw her and loved her. Then I found this young man kissing her, and consorting with her on the day of the Sabbath; but it is unnecessary for me to describe before thee all the wickedness, which he committed. I knew that he was an associate of Christ, and therefore I killed him.” And the Satan who ruled over the serpent told the apostle all the evil, which he used to do to the children of men. Then the apostle anathematized him in the Name of Jesus Christ, and commanded him to withdraw the poison from the [dead] man. And straightway the serpent blew himself out, and burst asunder and died, and the young man leaped up and embraced the feet of the apostle and recovered. And in this place the apostle made the people to believe, and he built them a church. Then the apostle went into the city with the young man whom he had raised from the dead, and as they were standing and talking to the people of that place, a young ass came and stood before him, and he opened his mouth and said, “O associate of Christ, and apostle of the Most High, who knoweth the things which are hidden, thou companion of the Son of God, come return thou to Him that sent thee, God. Get up, and mount upon my back, and rest until thou enterest the city.” And when the apostle heard him he marveled exceedingly, and he praised God, and said unto the ass, “To what race dost thou belong that thou speaketh such deep mysteries?” And the ass said unto him, “I am a descendant of the offspring of the ass which was in the service of Balaam, and the ass whereon thy Lord and Teacher rode was descended from him, and was my father. Now as for me, I have been sent to give thee rest and for thee to mount upon”; and the apostle refused to mount upon him. And when the ass had made many entreaties to him, the apostle mounted upon him, and he came to the gates of the city with many people following him; and he alighted from the ass, and said unto him, “Depart, and take heed whither thou departest,” and straightway the ass fell down and died. And those who saw this were dismayed, and they said unto the apostle, “Make him to live and raise him up.” And the apostle said unto them, “I could raise him up by the power of my God, but it is better for him so”; and he commanded them to dig a hole in the ground, and to bury him, and then he gave them the salutation of peace and departed from them. Salutation to Thomas. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 3 (February 10)

On this day died the holy father and ascetic, the blessed Jacob, the monk. He rejected the world in his youth, and went and lived in a cave for fifteen yeas, and he fought the fight, with long fasting, and prayer, and vigil by night, and prostrations without ceasing; and he never went out from his cell, or entered a city, for a period of fifteen years, and he never looked upon the face of a woman. And certain evil men who were among the followers of Diabolus made a plan against him, and they caused a certain harlot to go to the saint, and she went into his cell to him, and she made lewd gestures before him, and invited him to work sin with her. And the saint warned her about the fire of Gahannum, and the punishment, which is forever, and through him she repented, and fought the spiritual fight and pleased God. And after this Satan made a plot against him, and he entered into the heart of a daughter of a certain nobleman of the city, and he cast her down on the ground, and rolled her over, and Satan put into the heart of her father [the idea] that no one could heal her except Jacob the monk in the cell. And her father took her, and brought her to the saint, and he asked him to heal her by his prayers; and the saint prayed over her, and she was healed straightway, but her father was afraid to take her away at once, saying that the Satan might come back to her. And the father left her with the saint, and her brother who was a little boy with her, and departed. Then Satan took up war against the saint by night and by day, and at length he made him to fall into sin with her. And having fallen into sin with her he became afraid lest the sin should be made manifest, and that the people would kill him because of it, and he killed the woman and her brother. Thereupon Satan cast despair in his heart, and he went forth from his cell to go into the world. And He Who desireth not the death of a sinner had compassion upon him, and He sent a righteous monk unto him, and the holy man found him on the road as he was journeying along, and he welcomed him and embraced him. When he saw that Jacob was sad and sorry, he asked him, saying, “What hath happened to thee? What maketh thee sad?” And Jacob told him everything, which had happened, how he had fallen through that maiden, and how he had killed her and her brother. And that righteous monk said unto him, “Fear not, be strong, and cut not off hope, for God is compassionate and merciful”; and then he laid upon him fasting, and prayer, and prostrations. And Jacob went back and entered his cell, and shut himself in, and he endured great toil and tribulation; and he fasted frequently and prayed, and kept vigil and made many prostrations. And he always ate grass, and the herbs of the earth, and he sorrowed in his heart, and was sad, and said, “Will God accept me and forgive me my sin?” And he continued to fight, and repented deeply for forty years. And God willed to reveal to him that He had accepted his repentance, and He brought a great famine upon the city that year, and said unto the Bishop of that city, “The famine will only pass away through the prayer of Jacob, the monk who is in a pit.” And the bishop rose up straightway, and took with him the priests and people of the city, and they came to Saint Jacob, and asked him to pray on their behalf, that God would have mercy upon them and bring down rain. And he refused, saying, “I am a sinner and a wrongdoer, and I have provoked God to wrath with my sins”; and the bishop told him what God had said concerning him. And straightway he submitted to the bishop, and he went out with the people and he prayed, and wept, saying, “They think that Jacob is a man,” and his prayer was with tears. And he said unto God, “How can I show my unclean face before Thy holiness, O God? How can I lift up my face which is blackened with much sin to the heaven of Thy holiness?” And he prayed a long time, and before he finished his prayer much rain fell, and he knew that God had accepted his prayer and his repentance, and had forgiven him his sin. And after this he doubled his fasting, and his prayers, and vigils, and prostrations, and he admonished himself, saying, “Fight and take care that thou dost not fall a second time.” And he ended his days at a good old age, and he pleased God and died in peace. Salutation to Jacob.

And on this day also took place the translation of the body of Abba Ephraim, the Syrian. Salutation to the translation of thy body, O Ephraim.

And on this day also took place the death of Abba Ebelo, the chief of the anchorites, through whose virtues flourished the fruit of the Faith. When Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, returned, Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, came to him, and the two of them passed the night in the church of ‘Abukir. And as they were talking together about the saints who were in the religious houses of Egypt, the father archbishop said, “Abba Pachomius [is the greatest saint],” and Basil said, “Abba Anthony, and Abba Amoni [are the greatest saints].” And whilst they were talking thus, and wishing to know rightly [who was the greatest saint], Abba Athanasius saw a vision on the fifth day of Yakatit, at midnight, of a great tree, [the roots of] which reached as far as the river, and the branches of which reached to heaven; and many men sheltered themselves under the branches thereof; and in the midst thereof was a Tabot (altar). And whilst he was rendered silent by the vision, Michael came down from heaven, and said unto him, “Tell this vision to Basil.” And Basil saw even as Athanasius saw, the tree and the altar and the angels. And Michael interpreted the matter to them, saying, “The tree which ye saw is the monastery of Abba Ebelo, which is built on the border of Egypt, and the branches thereof are the monks. And the altar is the church, which the angels visit, and it is the similitude of Peter because it destroyeth [evil] spirits. And a certain prefect of the city of Alexandria heard the story of Abba Ebelo, and he entreated the archbishop to send him to him so that he might receive a blessing from him. And the father archbishop sent him with seven monks, that is to say, Isidore, and John the Less, and Abba Besoy, and Abba Amoni, and Victor, and Agrinicus, and Abba Kalnas. And Abba Ebelo rose up and went, and met them with joy, and the prefect who had come with the brethren, who was one-eyed, embraced Abba Ebelo, and showed [him] his eye, and cried out, saying, “O bright star in the world!” Then the prefect said unto Abba Ebelo, “My wife labored with leprosy; she is under thy garb (i.e. she is a nun), and may the grace which hath found me find her.” And Abba Ebelo said unto her, “Healing shall be to her!” And she found health. One day Abba Ebelo stood up among the monks, and said unto them, “Let each one of you be certain that our Redeemer will come with His disciples to make us to know where the site of the church is to be.” And when it became daylight [on the morrow], Jesus Christ came, and His disciples and His angels were with Him, and He showed them where to lay the foundations of the building of the church. And Abba Ebelo exhorted his sons to be perfect in every good work, and to dwell in love; and whilst he was exhorting them his face changed, and his whole body burned, and light beamed forth from his face, as from that of an angel of God. And when his sons were afraid he said unto them, “Fear ye not, I am saying farewell unto you.” And having said this his soul was caught up, and a beautiful perfume spread itself about, and straightway his eye were opened, and he said, “O my Lord Jesus Christ, help me, and receive my soul to Thee”; and having said this he delivered up his soul into the hand of God.

And on this day also died Zenon, the worker of wonders. This saint having gone into the sanctuary (i.e. the temple) of Jerusalem to pray, came out and went to Imahus (Emmaus), to a holy elder, and after they had saluted each other they sat down and began to tell stories of the great deeds of God until the sixth hour. And there was in that city a certain believer, who used to visit the elder [and take him] bread and water. One day when he was carrying his food to him, one told him that his son was dead, and he took him and wrapped him up in cloth and laid him in a coffer, on the top of which he placed the elder’s food; and his wife followed him. When he came to the elder he found Abba Zenon with him, and he set the coffer before them, and asked them to pray. And they talked together, and one said, “Do thou pray,” and the other said, “Do thou pray”; and the elder made Abba Zenon to pray. And he began his prayer thus: “O Lord, Sustainer of the Universe, compassionate and merciful, these are the things which Thy servants the poor offer unto Thee as their First-fruits.” And with the end of these words the dead child rose up, and wept in the coffer. Then the father of the child cast himself down at the feet of Abba Zenon, and he said unto him, “Forgive me, O my father, for speaking unto thee, but this my son, who was dead, hath risen up through thy prayer.” And Abba Zenon feared the adulation of men, and he said unto him, “O my son, reveal this thing to no man whatsoever until I die.” And he fled from that place without eating, and returned to his own habitation, and after fighting many spiritual fights he died. Salutation to Zenon. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 4 (February 11)

On this day the holy apostle Agabus became a martyr. The Lord chose this disciple among the Seventy-two disciples whom He chose and sent forth to preach before His Passion. And this man was filled with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, for he was with the Twelve Apostles in the upper room of Zion. And God gave him the gift of prophecy, even as it saith concerning him in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, that he took the girdle of Paul and bound his own feet therewith, and said, “Thus saith the Holy Spirit: The Jews shall take the man who is the owner of this girdle, and shall bind him thus in Jerusalem” (Acts xxi, II); and this prophecy was fulfilled. Then he preached with the Apostles the preaching of the holy, and life-giving Gospel, and he went into many cities preaching, and teaching, and pointing out the way of God; and he converted many Jews and Greeks to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he purified them with life-giving, Christian baptism. And the Jews seized him in Jerusalem, when he was alone, and they beat him severely and made him suffer. Then they put a rope about his neck and dragged him outside the city, and stoned him with stones until he delivered up his soul. And straightway there descended upon him a light which appeared to be like a pillar, and reached from his body to heaven, and all the people were looking upon him. And God opened the heart of a Jewish woman wherein there was no evil, or enmity, or deceit, or jealousy, as [is usual] with the cursed Jews, and she kept the Law of the Torah, and she said, “This is a righteous man, and for this reason light hath descended upon him, and God hath magnified him.” And she cried out, saying, “I am a Christian, and I believe in the God of this saint.” And her also they stoned with stones, and she died and was buried with the saint in one grave. Salutation to Agabus.

And on this day died Abba Zachariah, whose works were excellent, and whose spiritual fights were very great. When the soul of this man was about to go forth from his body, Abba Moses said unto him, “What dost thou see?” And he said unto him, “It is better for me that I keep silence.” And when his soul went forth Abba Isidore saw the heavens opened, and [the angels] said, “Rejoice, O my son Zachariah, for behold the gates of the kingdom of heaven are opened unto thee”; and thus he died. Salutation to Zachariah. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 5 (February 12)

On this day died the holy father, Abba Akrepinu (Akrepos), the tenth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This father was a God-fearing man, and he was holy and pure; and he was a priest in the city of Alexandria. And when father Claudian, the archbishop who preceded him, died, the people of the city of Alexandria chose this father and made him archbishop. And having been set over the Church of God on the throne of Mark the evangelist, he followed a good course of life like the Apostles, and he preached and taught the Christian Faith, and the life-giving Law, and he watched the people with his eyes, and shepherded his flock and helped them. He took no trouble to become possessed of one silver dirham, or one dinar, and he only ate because he was hungry, and he dressed only to protect his body against cold and heat. And he read the Scriptures frequently to his people, and he taught them, both great and small, and he kept vigil and prayed for them all; and he continued this strife for twelve years and he pleased God and died in peace. Salutation to ‘Akrepinu (‘Akrepos), who succeeded Claudian.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Besoy, who was called “Peter.” This holy man came from Upper Egypt, from the city of ‘Akhim (Akhmim). In the days of his early manhood he used to do works of abomination, and to eat and drink luxuriously. When God chose him He brought upon him a severe illness, and he well-nigh died and delivered up his spirit, and He showed him the places of punishment, and the great deep pits of hell, and he saw men clothed in shining apparel, and in their hands they had the body of a man which they tore into four pieces. And they said unto Besoy, “Thus will they do unto every man who stealeth the possessions of men.” When he heard this word he was sorrowful in his heart, and he wept a bitter weeping, and his soul returned to his body, and he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “O my Lord and God, if Thou wilt heal me of this sickness, I will repent of this my sin, and I will worship Thee with all my heart, and from this time forward I will never look at a woman again.” And straightway God healed him of his sickness, and he rose up and went to Dabra Banwayet, and the monks counseled him, and they arrayed him in the garb of the monk. And he fought a great fight with fasting, and prayer, and vigils for many years, until his fame was heard of throughout Egypt; and he excelled among many saints, and he composed many Homilies and Admonitions, and Teachings for the monks and for the laity. And he fasted a month at a time, and neither ate bread nor drank water; and continued to fight the fight in this manner for a period of five and thirty years. And he used to stand up all night in prayer. And the works of men were manifest before him, whether righteous or sinners; and after this he became a little sick and he died in peace. Salutation to Besoy who was called Peter.

And on this day died the holy father Nob, the owner of the fan (?) of gold. Salutation to Nob with his fan (?) of gold, the driver away of wild beasts.

And on this day also died Abba Eblo, who was like unto an angel of God. And behold we have written his history in the section for the twenty-fifth day of the month of Tekemt. Salutation to Abba ‘Eblo.

And on this day also took place the translation of the bodies of the forty-nine elders (monks) who became martyrs in the desert of Scete, in the monastery of Abba Macarius. Salutation to the translation of the holy bones to the cave, which was built for them under the care of Benyami.

And on this day also died Saint ‘Abulidis, Archbishop of the city of Rome. And behold his history is written in the section for the sixth day of this (sic) month. Salutation to ‘Abulidis.

And on this day also the holy father Abba ‘Ebelo, the shepherd, became [a martyr]. This saint was shepherd of sheep, and he gave himself to Satan in his youth. He used to commit fornication, and steal, and commit murder, and there was no kind of sin which he did not commit, for he committed them all, up to the age of forty years, and performed every kind of work of Satan. One day whilst he was sitting in the desert at mid-day, and wanting to cut the hair of his sheep, Satan cast a thought into his heart, and he said, “Behold, I have sinned from my youth up until now. I have fulfilled everything, which Satan commanded me to do. I have left no sin whatsoever in this world uncommitted. There is, however, one sinful deed left me to do, for I want to rip open the belly of a woman who is with child, so that I may see how the child lieth in her womb.” And as he was thinking this thought in his heart, behold a woman who was with child, and was very near her time for bringing forth her child, was walking in the desert during the hot period of the day. When he saw her he rose up straightway, and without mercy seized the hair of her head, and threw her on the ground, and took a knife and ripped up her belly, and saw how the child was lying in her womb. And after this the child died, and his mother died in great agony. And when the shepherd saw the great sin which he had committed, he was exceedingly sorry, and he rent his garments forthwith and cast dust upon his head, and he cried out and wept bitterly and said, “Woe to me, for I have committed the great and unforgivable sin.” And straightway he left his flocks scattered about, and he took a rod in his hand, and he walked about, weeping bitterly, until he came to the desert of Scete. And he did not mingle with the elder monks, and he did not tell them what he had done, but he went into the Inner Desert, a very long way from them, a distance of ten stadia. He had no bread with him to eat, and he had no abode wherein to dwell, but he ate with the beasts and he drank with them. And he used to cry out by night and by day unceasingly, saying, “I have sinned, I am a sinner, I have done evil. Forgive me, Thou art God, the good Father, for there is no man without sin; and God is not without mercy.” And he continued to fight in this way for forty years, and his body became dried up and black through the dew of heaven, and the heat of the summer. And when he entered upon the fortieth year of his abode in the desert, he heard a voice, saying, “Be strong and of good courage, for behold thy sin is forgiven thee, and the murder of the woman is forgiven thee; but the murder of the child is not forgiven thee up to this present.” And God in His mercy said unto him so that he might not become apathetic, and might not fall into sin a second time. And having heard these words he increased his bitter weeping, and his fighting until that year was ended. And towards the end of the fortieth year, when only three days remained from its end, the angel of God appeared unto a desert monk who lived far from him, in the desert, a distance of twelve stadia, and who had dwelt there in the desert for seventy years without seeing a man. And the angel of God said unto him, “Get thee outside thy desert, and thou shalt find an old man, and when he hath confessed to thee everything which he hath done, comfort him, and say unto him, ‘Behold, all thy sin is forgiven thee, and also the murder of the child; thy sin is forgiven thee.’” And the desert monk rose up and departed, and he went to the old man and talked to him, and they embraced each other, and Abba ‘Ebelo wept unceasingly. And the desert monk said unto him, “Tell me what thou hast done, and why thou didst come hither”; and he told him everything, which had happened to him, and how he had ripped up the belly of the woman. And the desert monk said unto him, “Fear not, for thy sin is remitted to thee.” And the desert monk said unto him, “Whence dost thou receive the Offering?” And the shepherd said unto him, “O my holy father, as God liveth, during the whole of the forty years which I have been living in this desert I have seen no man save thyself.” And the desert monk said unto him, “O my beloved father, rejoice, for tomorrow the angel of God shall come unto thee, and shall administer the Offering unto thee, at dawn.” And when the morning of the day preceding the Sabbath had come there arose the smell of a perfume which was exceedingly sweet, the like whereof had never been smelt before, and Abba ‘Ebelo said unto the desert monk, “O my father, my soul craveth to depart through fear.” And when he had said this, he saw the angel of God standing by him in the form of a monk, and his face was shining very brightly, and he sang a psalm, saying, “I was afflicted and God delivered me. Return, my soul, to thy rest; God hath helped thee. For he hath delivered my soul from death, and mine eyes from tears, and my feet from slipping, as God was well-pleased in the country of the living” (Psalm cxvi, 6 ff.). When Abba ‘Ebelo the shepherd heard this, he fell down upon the ground, and was as one dead through fear. Then the angel, in the form of a monk, put forth his hand, and lifted him up, and the shepherd saw that the angel in the form of a man was strong of heart, and he received the Holy and Divine Mysteries which had come down from heaven from the hand of the shining angel, with great reverence, and with fear and trembling. And the angel of God ascended into heaven. And when Abba ‘Ebelo had received the Offering from the hand of the angel, his body became white like snow, and he and the desert monk rejoiced, and glorified God until the evening. And the shepherd Abba Ebeloy did not cease to pray as of old, saying, “I have sinned seventy times seven; I have done evil, forgive me, for Thou art God, and the Good Father; there is no man without sin, and God is not without mercy.” And they passed that day, which was the First Day of the week, in glorifying God, and they did so until night, and then an exceeding sweet smell of a fragrant perfume made itself apparent, and it was stronger than before. And the desert monk said unto Abba ‘Ebelo, “O my brother, wash in a little water, for this is the hour wherein thou wilt receive for my sake [the reward of thy] toil. Rejoice, my brother, for thou shalt rest now”; and straightway the angel of God administered unto them the Holy Mysteries; and Abba ‘Ebelo the shepherd died forthwith. And the angels took up his soul and flew up with it into the heights, and the desert monk wept for him, saying, “What shall I do? I am an old man, and I cannot carry thy body, and I have nothing wherewith to dig [a grave for thee].” And straightway two lions came and crouched by the body of Abba ‘Ebelo, and they made signs with their heads to the desert monk, as much as to say unto him, “What shall we do?” And he made a sign to them, and they dug a grave for him, and they carried Abba ‘Ebelo to it, and buried him as men would have done; and the desert monk was sorry, and he said, “Father, let me find someone to bury my body!” And a voice came unto him saying, “I will bury thy body. There are left only three days before thou shalt have peace. Behold, I will send unto thee three men; tell them all the story of the fight of Abba ‘Ebelo, the shepherd, so that they may tell it unto others, that those who have fallen into sin must not despair of the mercy of God.” And on the following day three men came unto him, and he told them the history of the fight of Abba ‘Ebelo, the shepherd, and they marveled exceedingly, and they wrote down everything and they remained with him until the third day. And then the desert monk prayed and delivered his soul into the hand of God. And the two lions came and dug a grave for him near that of Abba ‘Ebelo, and they buried him as if they had been man, and then departed. And the three men followed them until they brought them to the monastery of Abba Macarius, of the desert of Scete; and they told the monks everything, which had happened. And the monks marveled exceedingly and they wrote down the story of the fight of Abba ‘Ebelo, the shepherd, and they used to read it aloud each Sunday; now his death took place on the fifth day of Yakatit. Salutation to Abba Ebeloy, whom Satan tripped up. Salutation to Abba ‘Ebelo, the teacher of the Law.

And on this day also took place the deaths of Banwa, and Bula, and ‘Amoni and ‘Esia, the father and mother of Abba ‘Ebelo. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 6 (February 13)

And on this day they raised up the body of the holy and honorable Abulidis, Archbishop of the city of Rome, the teacher of all the ends of the world. This saint was a nobleman by birth, and a perfect, and learned man, and God chose him to be Archbishop of the city of Rome, after Abba Eucheius, in the first year of the archiepiscopate of Claudian, in the city of Alexandria. And this father used to teach his people and protect them against the opinions of the pagans, and strengthen them in the Faith of God. And the fame of him was heard of by the Emperor Claudius, the infidel, and he seized Saint Abulidis and beat him very severely. When he was weary of torturing him, he tied a heavy stone to this feet, and cast him into the Red Sea on the fifth day of Yakatit. And on the following day, that is to say the sixth day of Yakatit, as it were today, the body of the saint was found floating on the water, and there was a stone on his feet. And one of the believers took it up out of the water, and brought it into the house, and he wrapped it up in wrappings of great price; and this story was noised abroad in all the city of Rome and the district round about it. And the emperor sought to burn the body in the fire, but the man with whom it was hid did not reveal it. And this saint composed many homilies, some on the True Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and some on the Incarnation of the Son of God in the nature of man, and some of them dealt with Doctrine (or Dogma), and some contained Admonitions to do the good pleasure of God. And he drew up eight and thirty Canons on the Law of the Church, and these are to be found in our own churches, and in all the churches of all Christian peoples. Salutation to the bringing up of the body of Abba Abulidis from out of the sea.

And on this day also became martyrs the following saints: ‘Abukir, and John, and three virgins, and their mother, whose names were Theodora, which is, being interpreted, “Gift of God,” and Theophana, which is being interpreted, “Faith of God,” and Theodosia, which is, being interpreted, “Praise of God,” and Athanasia, which is, being interpreted, “Life which dieth not.” And Saint ‘Abukir was a monk, and he was devoted to God, and was a fighter from his youth up, and John was a soldier in the Imperial Army, and they were men of the city of Alexandria. And then they dwelt in the city of Antioch and, together with their mother and the virgins who were with them, they confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the Emperor Diocletian, who asked them whence they came. And they said unto him, “From the city of Alexandria,” and he commanded that they should be taken thither. And when they came to the city of Alexandria, and stood up before the governor, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ, he tortured them severely; and when he was tired of torturing them, he commanded the soldiers to cut off their heads with the sword. And Saint Athanasia encouraged her virgin daughters, and she urged them to endure, and she told them that they were to become brides of Christ, the True Emperor, and martyrs for His Name’s sake. And Saint ‘Abukir likewise explained [this] to them, and reminded them of the tribulation which fell upon the apostolic woman Thecla. And the soldiers brought the virgins to the swordsman, one after the other, and their mother, and they became martyrs; and afterwards ‘Abukir and John became martyrs. Then the emperor commanded the soldiers to cast their bodies to the wild beasts of the desert, and to the fowl of the heavens, but there were certain believers there who took away their bodies secretly, and they swathed them and laid them in coffers until the days of persecution should be ended. And at length a church was built for them, and the believers laid their bodies in it, and very many signs and miracles took place through them.

And on this day also died Mary, the sinner, who anointed our Lord with unguent. This blessed woman was first of all a sinner, and she acquired all her possessions by fornication, and she used to decorate herself with divers dresses and ornaments in order to lead young men astray. One day she put on her ornamental apparel according to her wont, and she anointed herself, and perfumed her body, and she looked at herself in a mirror and she admired the ruddiness of her cheeks, and the beauty of her eyes for a very long time, that is to say, for an hour, as she was seated. And then a good thought came upon her, and she remembered death, and the fleeting character of the world. And she heard that our Lord Jesus Christ accepted sinners, and that He would pardon her sins, and she took all her money, and bought an alabastron of scented unguent. And she went to Him whilst He was sitting at meat in the house of Simon, and she prostrated herself at His feet, and she anointed Him with the unguent, and washed Him with her tears and dried Him with the hair of her head. And when our Lord saw the greatness of her love, He remitted her sins to her, and commanded [the disciples] to make mention of her when they preached the Gospel. And from that time she ministered unto Him with the holy women. Salutation to Mary. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 7 (February 14)

On this day died the holy father Abba Alexander, the forty-third Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This saint was a monk in Debra Bataron, which is, being interpreted, “Monastery of the Fathers,” and, by the Will of God, he was appointed Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. He was righteous, and pure, and was a learned man, but great tribulation came during the days of his office. For the King of Egypt, who was reigning at that time, appointed his son to rule over the kingdom, and he plundered the monasteries of the monks of the desert of Scete. Here is an example of his excessive infidelity and wickedness: He went into a monastery to the south of Mesr (Cairo), and saw a picture of our Lady Mary; now it was decorated, and upon it was a dress of beautiful silk. And he said, “What is this?” And the priest said unto him, “This is a picture of our Lady Mary, the mother of Christ.” And the king’s son abused it, and spat in its face, and said, “If I live I will destroy the Christians and blot them out”; and forthwith he reviled our Lord Christ. When the night came he saw a most terrifying and horrible vision, and in the morning he told his father, saying, “Last night great tribulation and intense pain came upon me from the Satans, and I saw a man sitting upon a great throne, and he was exceedingly horrible, and frightful, and terrifying, and his face shone brighter than the sun, and thousands of thousands [of angels] were going round about him carrying weapons of war, and I and thou were bound behind him. And I asked them [saying], ‘What is this?’ And they said unto me, ‘This is Christ, the King of the Christians, Whom thou didst mock yesterday.’ And then one of those who were carrying weapons of war came to me, and pierced my side with his spear, and none took the spear out, and at length I died.” When his father heard this he was exceedingly sorry, and straightway the young man fell ill, and his tongue became dumb, and he died that night; and after forty days his father died also, and another king was appointed in his stead. And he afflicted the Christians greatly, and he seized Abba Alexander and tortured him until he asked the people for three thousand dinars of gold, and gave them to him. And God blotted out that king quickly, and after him was appointed another king, who was worse then he. And he seized the captain of the troops of this father, and demanded from him three thousand dinars of gold as before. And this father said unto him, “Some I must beg for from the believers, and some I must borrow”; but he would not accept these words from him. And the saint said unto the king, “Wait until I can ask some other people”; and he waited for him. And this father went up into Upper Egypt to beg. And there was a certain desert monk, who was in charge of a monastery, and he had with him two disciples, and the desert man commanded his disciples to clear out a place in the monastery, and they found there five water jars filled with gold; and the disciples stole one jar and hid it, and they brought to the desert monk, their teacher, four water pots filled with gold, and the desert monk sent them to the archbishop to help him. And when the two disciples of the desert monk [had carried] them to the archbishop, they took the water-pot of gold which they had stolen, and went into the world, and they cast aside their monks’ garb, and they acquired with that gold menservants and maidservants, and cattle. And the governor of that city commanded the soldiers to beat them, and the two disciples confessed that they had found five water-pots full of gold; and the governor sent the captain of his soldiers to the king and he reported this matter to him. And the king sent the captain of his troops, and he plundered the house of the archbishop, and carried off all the sacred vessels and furniture of the churches. And then he had this father brought, and he bound him with fetters and put him in prison, and treated him with contumely, and said unto him, “Bring me the four water-pots which were full of gold [and contained] thirty hundred dinars.” And the archbishop said unto him, “I have no possessions whatsoever of this fleeting world,” but the king would not release him from prison until the archbishop had sent to all the people, and they had brought to him thirty hundred gold dinars and given them to him. And then God blotted out this wicked king, and another king worse then he was appointed in his place, and he compelled all the Christian people to brand on their hands, instead of the honorable Cross, the name of the unclean and lying prophet, [Muhammad,] that is the mark of the beast, concerning which John the Evangelist and Theologian prophesied (Revelation xvi, 2). And that wicked king sent to all the cities, and commanded the people to do this, and he commanded the archbishop to do this. And the archbishop entreated him with many petitions to have mercy upon him, but he refused; and the archbishop asked him to wait for three days. And the archbishop prayed to God fervently, and with many entreaties, not to cast him away from Him, and not to let him come into this unclean affair; and God heard his prayer, and visited him with a slight illness. And the archbishop asked the king to allow him to go to his house in the city of Alexandria, but he refused him, and he thought that he was making an excuse to avoid the branding of the hand. And after three days the angel of God appeared unto the archbishop, and said unto him, “On the second day (i.e. to-morrow) thou shalt die.” And the archbishop said unto his disciples, “Prepare a ship for me, for tomorrow God will visit me”; and he died in peace. And they carried his body in a ship, and buried it with the bodies of the fathers, archbishops. In the days of this father the Melchites of the country of Egypt had a holy archbishop whose name was Anastasius, and his people rose up against him, and acted hostilely towards him, because of his love for the believing Jacobites. And he meditated on the matter and betook himself to safety, and he would not associate with his own people in their enmity against the Jacobite believers. And he forsook his people and came to this father Alexander, and he submitted to his authority. And this father honored him greatly, and asked him to occupy an episcopal throne, and rule over the believers of his flock, and to let him dwell in a monastery like a monk. And Abba Anastasius was not pleased with these words, and he said unto him, “If I had wanted the archiepiscopate, behold I am already archbishop, but I want to become thy disciple.” And after many entreaties, and much argument, which took place between them, Anastasius was pleased to become a bishop; and this father made him bishop over a certain district in Egypt, and he shepherded well the flock over which he was placed. And as for Abba Alexander he sat upon the throne of Mark the Evangelist for four and twenty years and a half, and he pleased God and died in peace. Salutation to Abba Alexander.

And on this day also died the holy father, Abba Theodore, the forty-fifth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This saint was a monk in the monastery of the city of Mareotis, now the name of the city (monastery?) was Tanbura, and he was the disciple of a certain righteous and perfect elder, who saw by the Holy Spirit that his disciple Theodore would be appointed Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, and he told the people this. And this father was strictly devoted to God, and he fought a great spiritual fight. He was a man of goodly appearance, and he wore sackcloth made of hair next to his skin, and over that garments made of iron; and he was perfect in his humility, and in his meekness. By the Will of God, Who chose him, he was made Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, and he protected the flock of Christ with a good protection, and he taught them continually, and read to them the Scriptures daily, and especially on Sundays and on the festivals. And in all his days there was tranquility and peace, and the Church flourished, and there was no contention. This father sat on the throne of Saint Mark the Evangelist for fourteen years and a half, and he fulfilled the duties of his office, and died in peace. Salutation to Abba Theodore. Salutation to the desert monk who during a period of seventy years never saw the face of a man, and who comforted Abba Ebeloy.

And on this day also took place the deaths of Abraken, and Abadir, and Abarianus, and Nebdalms (Nebeldamas). Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 8 (February 15)

On this day took place the coming of our Lord Christ into the sanctuary (i.e. temple). Forty days after His glorious birth Joseph, the just man, who was the messenger of this mystery, and Saint Mary, His mother, brought Him, that they might fulfill the Law with which He, to Whom be glory! had commanded the people of Israel, and to offer up offerings as the Law ordered. And this Simeon, the priest, was a righteous man, and he carried Him upon his shoulders and held Him up in his hands. And when King Ptolemy, who was called the “Conqueror,” was reigning in the five thousand nine hundred and fourth year (?) of our father Adam, and the Jewish people were under his dominion, by the Will of God he sent to the city of Jerusalem, and brought [to Alexandria] seventy-[two] learned Jewish Rabbis, and he commanded them to translate the Books of the Law from the Hebrew tongue into the Greek tongue. And this look place by the Will of God so that the Law might depart from the Jews, and come to the Christian people who were to appear after many years. And then the king commanded his officers to separate them into pairs and to put each pair in a separate place; now they were seventy-two [in number], and he lodged them in thirty-six tents. And he set men over them to watch them, and to see that they did not met each other, or make an agreement about what they were going to write, or change one word of the Law, for it is very well known that the Jews are wicked men. And when this Simeon, the just man, had translated all the Books of the Law, he came to the Book of Isaiah the prophet, who saith, “Behold a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel” (Isaiah vii, 14). And he was afraid to write “a virgin shall conceive,” and said, “The king will laugh at him (i.e. the prophet), and will not accept his word.” And he determined to change the word of the Law as it was written, and instead of writing the word “virgin” he wrote “young girl.” And then he had doubts within himself, and he said, “This is impossible--for a virgin to conceive and to bring forth a son”; and whilst he was thinking upon the matter slumber overcame him and he fell asleep. And the angel of God appeared unto him, and said unto him, “O thou who doubtest this thing, thou shalt not taste death until thou hast seen the Christ, Who shall be born of a virgin, and hast carried Him into the sanctuary, as it might be this day. And the eyes of Simeon were blind, and when he received our Lord Christ into his hands, his eyes were opened, and he saw straightway. And the Holy Spirit spoke unto him, saying, “This is He for Whom thou wast waiting.” And Simeon blessed God, and said, “O Lord dismiss Thy servant in peace, for I have remained bound in the life of this fleeting world for Thy sake. Behold, I have come and have seen Thee; dismiss me that I may depart into everlasting life. Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared before all Thy people. Thou hast revealed the light to the Gentiles, and glory to Thy people Israel” (Luke ii, 29). And then he said unto His mother Mary, “This thy Son is set for the falling and the rising of many of the children of Israel,” that is to say, “For the falling of those who do not believe in Him, and for the rising of those who do believe in Him.” And then he made known unto her that suffering and separation would enter her heart at the time of His Passion, and he said, “The spear of separation which shall be in thy heart shall pass through it.” And when he had finished what the Law had commanded him, he died in peace. And Hannah the prophetess, the daughter of Penuel, whom the Holy Gospel mentioneth, also prophesied concerning Him, and she praised God, and told the orthodox among the children of Israel that He was the Savior Who should deliver them from the works of Satan, and from the fetters of Sheol. Salutation to Thy coming to Jerusalem and Thy reception by Simeon, and to Hannah. Salutation to Simeon who embraced our Lord and kissed His hand.

And on this day also died Hannah the prophetess, the daughter of Penuel. This woman was of the tribe of Asher, and her days [for bearing] were passed, and she had lived with her husband for seven years, and had been a virgin for four and eighty winters; and she never left the temple, and she fasted and prayed all day and all night. And when they brought the Lord Jesus into the sanctuary forty days after He was born, she stood up before Him, and gave thanks to God, and she spoke about Him to all those who waited for the salvation of Jerusalem; and then she died at a good old age. Salutation to Hannah.

And on this day also died the lady ‘Ammata Krestos, and her two handmaidens. This holy woman was of the people of the city of Constantinople, and she had a husband, who was in the Imperial Government, and he died in the days of his early manhood, and left her a widow, when her days were twelve years. And after a few days a certain man, who was one of the emperor’s nobles, wanted to take her by force, and she made an excuse to him, saying, “I am sick with a severe sickness, wait for me until I recover.” And then she distributed all her money among the poor and needy, and set free her slaves, and taking two of her handmaidens with her, she went forth by night, without knowing [whither to go]. And she went into a rock, which was under a high hill, and dwelt there for twelve years, and each day the birds brought regularly to her various kinds of fruits. And in the days of the Emperor Constantine one of the historians saith, “I went towards the East in order that I might bring a certain piece of work to an end, and I arrived at a monastery, and the abbot and the monks received me, and I saluted them, and we sat down. And there were there all kinds of trees full of fruit, and I saw birds carrying off branches with their fruit on them, and they flew away with them quickly, and did not eat thereof; and having seen this I marveled, and I said unto the monks, ‘What is this thing?’ And they said unto me, ‘They have been doing this for eleven years, and we know not what becometh [of the fruit].’ And I said unto them, ‘It seemeth to me that the birds carry this fruit to the monks who are in the mountains.’ And as I was saying this a raven came, and taking a branch covered with fruit flew away. And I followed it, together with the abbot and the monks, so that we might know what the raven did with the fruit, and when the bird alighted in a ravine it dropped the branch and returned. And when we came to this place we threw a stone, and we heard a voice, saying, ‘If ye be Christians do not kill us.’ And we said unto them, ‘Who are ye?’ And they said unto us, ‘If ye wish to see our faces throw us down three garments, for we are naked.’ And we threw down garments to them, and we went down to them by means of a very narrow mountain path, and when we came there three women received us, and they bowed to us, and we bowed to them. And one of them sat down, and the other stood up before her. And the abbot said unto her, ‘Whence art thou, O my mother, my lady, and how dost thou come to be here?’ And she told him all her story, from the beginning even unto the end thereof. And the abbot said unto her, ‘If thou wishest we will fetch food from the monastery, and we will partake of it with thee.’ And she said unto him, ‘O my father, command [thy servants] to bring hither a priest with the Offering, so that we may partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ the Vivifier; but since thou wilt have gone forth thou wilt not partake of the Offering with us.’ And the abbot commanded his servants to bring a priest with the Offering, and she and her handmaidens partook of the Holy Mysteries. And on the following day she prayed and delivered up her soul into the hand of God, and her handmaidens died with her, one after the other. And the monks wrapped them in cloths and buried them with psalms and hymns.” Salutation to the three women who bore the hardships of the desert naked.

And on this day also died Abba Elias of the desert of Scete, the great elder whose works were most excellent. When the righteous Emperor Theodosius sent to the desert of Scete a letter asking the monks to send to him an elder monk of excellent works so that he might comfort him with his words, they sent this holy man, and they wrote a letter by the hand of another monk, saying, “Behold we have sent unto thee a holy man who is called ‘Elias,’ the counterpart of Elias, the prophet,” And when Elias arrived, the Emperor Theodosius said unto the elder, “The monks have sent to me a letter saying that thy spiritual strife resembleth that of Elias the prophet.” And the elder said unto him with humility and meekness, “O righteous Emperor, forgive me. Every man is known by his ability (or, natural disposition). And as for the strife of Elias, because of his righteousness a raven used to bring him his food, whereas so far as I am concerned, I have all the food which I require. If I laid my bread out in the sun, a raven would come and carry it off.” When the emperor heard this he marveled at the savor of his words, and he said unto him, “Tell me, O my father, why God did not give unto thee a son?” And the elder said, “Because the days will come when there shall arise on the earth division in respect of the Faith. For this reason, God hath not given unto me a son, so that he might never mingle with those who doubt (or the ‘dividers’).” And the emperor wished to give him money, but he would not take it, and he turned back to his abode, and it is said of him, that he did not eat food until he returned to his cell; and he died in peace. Salutation to Elias [of Scete]. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 9 (February 16)

On this day died the holy father, the great one, Abba Barsoma, the Syrian, the father of the monks of the country of Syria. The parents of this saint were of the people of the city of Samisot. And a certain dweller in a cell prophesied concerning him, and said unto his father before his birth, “Assuredly there shall go forth from thee a fruit of flavor and excellence, and the memorial of him shall be heard in all the country of Syria”; and he made him to know what would happen to him. And having been born Barsoma grew up in the knowledge of God, and he fled from his parents, and came to the River Euphrates; and there lived there a certain righteous man, whose name was Abraham, and he took him into the monastery through fear of his father. And Saint Abba Barsoma dwelt in a rock, and he fought a great fight there, and his fame was noised abroad everywhere, and he had many disciples. Now the water of the place where he lived was exceedingly bitter, and when he had prayed [over it] God changed it, and it became sweet. And God performed great signs and wonders by his hands, and among them are the following: Once he and his disciples were a long way from their cells, and when the time of sunset drew nigh they were still far away from their cells. And he asked our Lord Jesus Christ, and He made the sun to stand still until the saint arrived in his cell. And again there was a city, the name of which was Ra’am, whereof the people were infidels, and by the Will of God the rain was withheld, and no rain fell on them. And being in tribulation they came to Saint Barsoma, and he admonished them, and he made an agreement with them that if they would believe in God, he would make an abundant rain to fall upon them; and they said unto him, “Yea, we will.” And he asked our Lord Christ, and He rained on them, and they believed on God. And there was also another city, the people whereof were infidels, and he converted them all to the knowledge of God, and he destroyed many houses of idols. And this saint made for himself an abode, wherein he stood upright and never sat down for four and fifty years, and when he was tired of keeping vigil and toil he slumbered standing up, with a brass vessel under his hand on which to lean; and he fasted seven days at a time. And this saint lived in the days of Abba Simeon of the Pillar, and he wished to see him greatly, for he had heard the report of his holiness and virtues from many men. And this holy man came to Abba Simeon, and each was blessed by the other, and then he returned to his monastery. And he preached in the city of Samaria, and when he wrought before the people many signs and wonders, they believed. And he went to the Emperor Theodosius, and strengthened him in the True Faith, and the emperor gave him much money, but he would accept nothing whatsoever from him. And the emperor wrote an order that the saint was to have dominion over all the bishops in the country of Antioch, and he gave him the ring from his fingers. And when the General Council of Two Hundred Bishops assembled in the city of Ephesus, on account of Nestorius, the “denier,” and they anathematized him, and cursed him, and cut him off [from his office], this father was with them. And the emperor wrote to him with his own hand, commanding that all the officials who were appointed in the country of Antioch were to be in submission to him; and Barsoma wrote letters to all the cities, and sealed them with the imperial seal, and commanded them to do good works, and to hate evil men. And certain men calumniated him to the emperor, and said unto him, “Behold, Abba Barsoma eateth well, and drinketh well, and weareth fine apparel”; and the emperor sent one of his messengers to find out if what was reported of Abba Barsoma was true. And when the emperor’s friend came to the saint, he did not find that even the smallest particular of the evil things which they had spoken about him was true. And then he brought him before the emperor, who did not find that he had changed any of his spiritual qualities, of which he had knowledge, and the emperor paid him great honor, and he returned to his monastery. And when the Emperor Marcianus, the infidel, assembled the Council of Chalcedon, the councilors of the emperor asked him to allow them to bring Barsoma to them, now they did not know that the grace of the Holy Spirit was upon him, and that he might neither dispute with them, nor overcome them in argument, nor put them to shame. And when the unclean General Council, wherein they separated Christ, and assigned to Him Two Natures, was ended, the blessed Barsoma argued against them, and made their words of no effect, and he anathematized them and excommunicated them. And they wrote to the emperor and calumniated Barsoma, and he made him come, but he was not able to resist the grace of the Holy Spirit which was upon him. And then Abba Barsoma cursed the empress, and she departed; but she only remained alive for a few days, and she died an evil death. And the heretics opposed him, and they wrote to all the cities, urging the people not to submit to him; but they did not listen to them, and did not abandon the command and doctrine (or, teaching) of the saint. And three hundred heretics banded themselves together, having with them the heretical bishops, and they lay in wait on the road to kill him; and then they sent a message to him telling him to come to them, so that they might go to the church together. And when he had come, and was journeying along the road with them, they cast stones at him, and their stones flew back on their own heads; and they fled and departed from him, being ashamed. And then God, wishing to take him out of the bondage of this world, sent unto him an angel who said, “After two days thou shalt depart from this world.” And Saint Abba Barsoma sent his disciple to the cities which were round about him, and he comforted the believers; and as the disciple was going about he came to a place wherein was the head of Saint John the Baptist, and he saluted his holy head. And he wept, and he asked it about the Emperor Marcianus, and a voice came forth from the head of Saint John the Baptist, saying, “Fear not, for he is dead; Barsoma complained of him to God.” And Saint Abba Barsoma blessed his disciple, and he died in peace. And a pillar of light appeared by the gates of his cell, and [it reached] to heaven, and all the believers saw it from afar off, and they came to the saint, and they found that he was dead. And they were blessed by him, and they wept over him, and sorrowed because of their separation from their spiritual father. And they prepared him for burial in a manner befitting him, and with the singing of many psalms and hymns they laid him in the grave. Salutation to Barsoma, the “son of fasting.”

And on this day also Saint Paul the Syrian became a martyr. The parents of this holy man were Syrians, and they were merchants, and lived in the city of Alexandria, wherein they begot this saint; and then they lived in the city of ‘Esmunain. When he was grown up, his parents died and left him much money. When he heard that the heretic emperors tortured the believing saints who believed on the Name of Christ, and killed them, he gave all his money to the poor and needy, and then he prayed, and asked our Lord Christ to direct him in the path which would please Him. And God sent to him Suriel, His angel, and he told him about all the torture which should come upon him for the sake of the Name of Christ. And he said unto him, “Behold, God hath commanded me to be with thee, and to strengthen thee; fear not.” And he rose up and went to the city of Antinoe, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before the governor, who commanded the soldiers to strip him naked and to beat him with whips, and they did so; then they thrust burning torches into his sides, but the fire did not touch him. And the king offered to him much money, so that he might deny Christ. And the blessed Paul said unto him, “When my parents died they left me sixteen (or, seventeen) maklit of gold, but I reject them and would not take them, because of [my] love for Christ; how then can I accept thy money?” And the governor commanded them to make iron rods red-hot, and to thrust them into his ears, and mouth, and they did so; and God sent His angel Suriel to him, and he touched his body, and healed him. And they put upon his body venomous serpents, but they would not touch him. And the governor commanded them to cut out his tongue, and they cut it out, and God healed him. And when the governor went to the city of Alexandria, he took Paul with him; and our Lord Christ appeared to him in the ship and comforted him, and strengthened him. And the saint had a friend whose name was Abba ‘Esi, and Takla his sister, and our Lord Christ told him that his body should be laid with their bodies, and his soul with their souls; now these saints were in prison in the city of Alexandria. And when Saint Paul had come unto them, they embraced each other, and their souls rejoiced at seeing him. And when the governor returned to the city of Antinoe, they cut off the head of Saint Paul and threw it on the riverbank, and he received the crown of martyrdom. And certain believing men took his body, and wrapped it up in costly cloths, and hid it in their houses; and many signs and wonders and many healings took place through it. Salutation to Paul. Salutation to the translation of thy body.

And on this day is celebrated the commemoration of Peter the martyr. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 10 (February 17)

On this day the holy and blessed disciple, that is to say apostle, James, the son of Alphaeus, became a martyr. This blessed apostle after having preached the preaching of the blessed Gospel in all the cities, returned to Jerusalem, and went into the synagogue of the Jews. And he preached openly the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and revealed to them that He was the Son of God in truth; and that before the world was He was with the Father; and that He is His Word, for He saith, “In our own image and likeness”; and that He dwelleth in heaven, above the Cherubim and Seraphim, who praise [God]; and that it is He Who existeth at His great right hand in heaven, and that it was He Who was carried in the womb of Mary the Virgin, and that He was God, Who became man. This was the word of the apostle among those crowds, and he was unafraid. One man became a witness of the birth of the Son of God, Who was One in His Death, and in His Resurrection, and in His Ascension into heaven. And thus he taught all the multitudes the Faith of Christ. And when the multitude heard the word of the apostle, they became very angry with the anger, which was of their father Satan, who was with them, and they were wroth with the apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. And they all banded together against him, and the Jews seized him, and put his blood on their own heads, and they took him and brought him to the Emperor Gelawdios, the deputy of the Emperor of Rome. And they calumniated this disciple to him, and they told him, saying, “This man hath preached to us of another king besides Caesar.” And when the emperor heard this he commanded the soldiers to stone the Apostle James, and they all made haste and stoned him and he died in peace, and received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And certain believing men took his body, and prepared it for burial, and they buried it by the sanctuary. Salutation to James the Apostle and martyr of Christ.

And on this day also Saint Justus became a martyr. This saint was the son of Nomarius (Numerianus), the Emperor of Rome. And having gone to the war, and having married the sister of Diocletian, the infidel, his wife made him king; and when Justus returned from the war, and found that Diocletian had denied Christ, he sorrowed with a very great sorrow because of it. And when the men of the city saw this, they all gathered together to him, and they said unto him, “We will kill Diocletian and thou shalt sit upon the throne of the kingdom.” But he did not wish this, and he persuaded them not to kill Diocletian for he had chosen a heavenly rather than an earthly kingdom. And he drew nigh to the emperor, and confessed our Lord Christ before him; and the emperor said unto him, “My lord Justus, who hath forced thee to do this against thy wish?” Now the emperor was very much afraid of Justus. And Saint Justus said unto him, “As my Lord Jesus Christ liveth if thou dost not write the decree for my fight, so that I may finish my martyrdom, I will make the people of this city to rise up against thee, and expel thee from thy kingdom.” And Diocletian was afraid of him, and commanded the soldiers to take him to the country of Egypt, together with Theocleia his wife, and Aboli his son. And thus he sent them to the country of Egypt. And he commanded the governor of the city of Alexandria to persuade him quietly, and not to cause him vexation of heart, for, he said, peradventure his heart will turn, and he will be submissive to the emperor; and if his heart doth not turn, separate him not from his wife and his son. And when Justus arrived in the land of Egypt (now he had with him some of his servants, and the emperor’s letter), as soon as the governor of the city of Alexandria saw him, he was greatly afraid of him. And he began to persuade him, and he said unto him, “My lord, do not this thing, and do not disgrace thine honorable position”; and Saint Justus said unto him, “Do not multiply words.” And the governor was afraid, and sent him to Upper Egypt, to the city of Antinoe, and his son ‘Aboli to the city of Basta, and Theocleia his wife to the city of Sa, and he gave to each of them one of their servants to remain with them until they finished their martyrdoms, and to care for their bodies. And Saint Justus finished his fight nobly, and they cut off his head with the sword in the city of Antinoe, and he received an incorruptible and everlasting crown in the kingdom of the heavens. And many signs and miracles, and many healings, took place through his body. Salutation to Justus.

And on this day also died the holy father, the man devoted to God, the learned one, the fighter, the teacher of all the ends of the world, Abba Isidore from the city of Farma. The parents of this saint were rich and noble people and they belonged to the honorable folk of Mesr (Cairo), and were kinsfolk of our holy fathers and archbishops Abba Theophilus and Abba Cyril of the city of Alexandria. And this saint was the only child of his parents, and they taught him spiritual and material doctrine, and they taught him all the Books of the Church, and he kept them with him and learned them by heart. And he also learned the philosophy of the Greeks, and the knowledge of the stars of the heavens; and of what goeth round all the ends of the world, and he excelled many in his knowledge and in philosophy; and he was devoted to God, and was a fighter, and vigilant, and lowly. And when he heard that the men of the cities had agreed together, and had taken counsel with the bishops to take him and to make him Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, he fled by night and came to the city of Farma, and became a monk there. Thence he departed to a small cell, and lived there alone for many years. And he composed many Homilies and Admonitions, some of which are addressed to kings and governors; and he translated many books, [and] Books of the Church, and the Old and the New Testaments. Now the number of the Books, and the Homilies, and the Admonitions, and the Questions which other people asked him, and the Epistles which he composed, and dispatched to the bishops and archbishops of many dioceses is known; and the number is ten thousand, and the Epistles and Homilies and Admonitions are eighty hundred. Now the Holy Spirit used to well up in his heart, and flow forth even as do the rivers. And having finished this good work, and followed a good course of life with great spiritual fighting, he arrived at a good old age; and he pleased God and died in peace. Salutation to Isidore.

And on this day also Saint Felos, Bishop of the country of Fars (Persia), became a martyr. When the bishop would not sacrifice to the fire, and would not worship the sun, the King of Persia tortured him; and when he was tired of torturing him he cut off his head with a sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Felos, the bishop, whom the King of Persia killed with a hatchet.

And on this day also is celebrated the commemoration of Nicolaus, and Simon, and Sadalakos. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 11 (February 18)

And on this day the holy and honorable Abba Belanteyanos, Archbishop of the city of Rome, became a martyr. This honored and learned and wise saint and fighter was appointed Archbishop of the city of Rome, and he sat upon the throne of Peter, the chief of the Apostles, for twelve years in quietness and peace; and he taught the people the beauty of piety, and he preached to them the Faith of righteousness. And Claudius, the emperor and governor, having risen up against the Emperor Philip, and killed him, and began to reign in his stead. This infidel stirred up great trials and many tribulations for the believers, and he martyred very many people. And the Seven Children, who are known to have slept in a cave for many years, fled from him. He built in the city of Ephesus a great temple wherein he established idols, and he killed all those who would not worship them. And when he heard that this saint was opposed to them, and that he taught the believers to obey him he sent to the city of Rome, and had him brought to Ephesus, and asked him to worship idols; and the saint would not obey him, but laughed at him and his idols, and cursed them. And the governor was angry with him, and tortured him severely, for the space of one year, and when he was tired of torturing him he cut off his head with a sword, and the saint received a crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Belanteyanos.

And on this day also died Abba Eulog (Eulogius), the writer and companion of lions. The parents of this saint were from the city of Gasbin (Nisibis), and they were rich in gold and in silver, and they taught their son all the Ordinances of the Church; after a few [days] they died, and left him much money. One day Abba ‘Eulog (Eulogius) remembered the word of the Gospel which saith, “Sell all thy goods and give [the price thereof] to the poor and needy, and take up My Cross, and come, follow Me” (Matthew xvi, 24). And straightway he gave away all his goods to the poor, and departed to the monastery of Awgin; and when ‘Awgin saw him, he received him with joy, for before ‘Eulog (Eulogius) came to him he saw a vision in which one said unto him, “Behold a young man of goodly appearance will come unto thee, receive him, and let him mix with the brethren who minister unto thee”; and ‘Awgin continued to counsel him for the space of three years. When he saw his holiness, and his perfection, he arrayed him in the garb of the monk, which is the dress of the angels. And ‘Eulog (Eulogius) toiled hard in the ascetic life, and he fasted from one Sabbath to the next, and his food was bread and salt. And he used to pray six (or, seven) hundred prayers by day and night, and did not sleep, and he continued to fight this fight for thirty years, and then he entreated his teacher [to be allowed to go into the desert]. And he departed to the desert, and went into a little cell, wherein he fought the fight for fifty years; and God gave him two lions, which ministered unto all his wants. And then he became sick with a grievous sickness, and he said unto the lions, “I want to drink some hot water.” And the lions went into the mountain, and they found a shepherd who was watching his flocks, and [one of the lions] took this shepherd up and brought him to the door of the cell of the holy man. And when the shepherd saw him, he bowed low before him, and said unto him, “What dost thou want, O my father?” And ‘Eulog (Eulogius) said unto him, “Give me some hot water to drink”; and the shepherd supplied his want, and then Abba ‘Eulog (Eulogius) commanded the lion to take the shepherd back to his dwelling. And when the shepherd arrived he told all the people about it, saying, “I found a righteous man, for the sole of whose foot the world is not [large enough?].’ And when they heard the report of him, all the people gathered together to him, and they brought to him all those who were sick, and he healed them. And in those days his teacher Abba ‘Awgin wished to go to the country of Fars (Persia), and to convert those who worshipped idols to the True Faith, and he wished to take with him his son Abba ‘Eulog (Eulogius), but before he sent him a message to this effect, the Holy Spirit made the lion to understand, and the lion carried the cloak and the Gospel of the holy man, and made him signs concerning the road, and the saint followed him, and arrived at the place where Mar ‘Awgin was; and when ‘Awgin saw him, he received him with gladness. And as they were traveling along the road they came to the River Tigris, and the waters thereof were divided for them, and they passed over. And when they arrived in the city, they converted the worshippers of idols to the True Faith, and baptized them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. One day when the holy men were hungry Mar ‘Eulog (Eulogius) commanded the lions to seek some food for them, and when the lions had set out they found al old man carrying a load of bread on a donkey, on which was a child; and the lions took this donkey and brought him to the holy men. Now the child died of fright, but when Abba ‘Eulog (Eulogius) had prayed, he restored him to life. And then he returned to his cell, and fell sick a little, and he died and was buried with great honor. And the lions continued to watch by his grave for twelve years, and then they returned to the desert. Salutation to ‘Eulog (Eulogius), the companion of lions.

And on this day also is celebrated the commemoration of Abraham the bishop, and Kanti, and Abba Makabis (Maccabaeus) the monk.

And on this day also died Abba Patra (Batra), the disciple of Abba Sylvanus. This saint used to live in a cell of Dabra Sina keeping the precepts of the doctrine, and at the time of supper he used to give to his body what it needed. And when they made him Bishop of Farnu he exhausted himself greatly by excessive abstinence, and his disciples said unto him, “O our father, if thou wast in the desert thou couldst not use such excessive abstinence.” And he said unto them, “When I was in the desert, in poverty, [and living upon] fragments, I ordered myself so that my body was never sick; but now that I am in a community I have many wants, and it is best for me to reduce my body and keep it in subjection.” And he continued to fight the fight strenuously, and then he died. Salutation to Abba Patra. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 12 (February 19)

On this day is commemorated the glorious angel, Michael the Archangel, for on this day God sent him to Samson the giant, and helped him until he conquered the Philistines. They wanted to kill him, and God gave him power over them, and he blotted them out and in one day killed of them ten hundred with the jawbone of an ass. And when he was thirsty, and nigh to die, Michael the Archangel appeared unto him, and strengthened him, and God made water to flow out from a Jawbone, and he drank and was saved. And when a crowd of the Philistines assembled, and devised a scheme against him with his wife, and blinded his eyes and took him into the house of idols, the angel Michael appeared unto him, and gave him strength and he killed them all. Salutation to Michael.

And on this day died the holy father Gelasius, the fighter, and devoted man of God. This saint had believing and God-fearing parents, and they taught him all the Ordinances of the Church. And he was made a deacon, and he renounced the world from his early years, and he bore the yoke of Christ, and fought a great and strenuous ascetic fight, with fasting, and prayer, and prostrations, and vigils. And God chose him, and he was made priest of the monks of the desert of Scete. And having perfected his spiritual fighting, and his devotion to God, and his piety, the angel of God appeared unto him as he appeared unto Saint Pachomius, and commanded him to gather about him young monks, and to teach them the fear of God, and the way of the ascetic life; and he did as the angel of God commanded him. And he gathered together monks, and established a spiritual companionship, and he ruled them with a divine rule. And he was not among them as one of them, but as their servant, and as one who was less than they. This father rejected the possessions of this world, and he was exceedingly meek. And he copied a large book wherein he collected all the Books of the Old and New Testaments, and he spent [on this book] of the money which he made by his copying, eighteen dinars of gold, and laid that book upon the altar in the church so that all the monks might read therein whensoever they required healing from it. And there came a certain wandering monk to visit the elder Abba Gelasius, and when he saw the book it pleased him, and when he left that place he stole it, and carried it off, and after he arrived in the city [he tried] to sell it. And a certain man said unto him, “How much is its price?” And the thief said unto him, “Give me sixteen dinars in gold”; and he who wanted to buy it said unto him, “Yea, I will give thee what thou sayest, but wait for me whilst I shew it to my friend.” And the thief gave him the book, and the man who wanted to buy it took it to Saint Gelasius to shew it to him, so that if it was good he might give the price of the book to the owner thereof. And when Saint Abba Gelasius saw the book, he said unto him that had brought it, “How much is the price which he demandeth from thee?” And the man said, “He demandeth from me sixteen dinars of gold.” And Saint Gelasius answered and said unto him, “Buy [it] for it is a good [book], and the price thereof is little”; and the man took the book, and carried it to his house. And when the thief came to him demanding the price of the book, the man who wanted to buy it did not tell him what this father had said to him, but he said, “I showed it to Abba Gelasius, and he said unto me, ‘Its price is much.’” And the brother who stole the book said unto him, “Did not the elder say unto thee anything else?” And the man said unto him, “Nothing else.” And the man who stole the book said unto him, “I do not wish to sell the book,” and he took it and departed to Saint Gelasius, and he bowed low to him, and repented, and wept before him, and he asked him, saying, “Forgive me my sin, and take thy book, for Satan led me astray”; and the saint said unto him, “I do not want to take it.” And that brother said unto him, “If thou dost not take it I shall never have rest, and sorrow will never be removed from me”: and he made many prostrations at the feet of the saint, and he besought him to have mercy upon him, and to take his book from him. And with great labor and toil the saint took the book from him, and no man knew what became of it. And God gave unto this father Gelasius the gift of prophecy, and the power to work signs and wonders. One day certain men brought a fish to the monastery, and the cook boiled it and put it in his cell, and having set a boy to watch it he went about his business; and the boy ate the greater part of he fish. And when the cook came back, and found that the boy had eaten [the greater part] of the fish, he was wroth with him, and he said unto him, “Why did you eat of the fish before the holy elder had blessed it?” And after this, by the work of Satan, wrath came upon him, and he kicked him with his foot, and the boy fell down upon the ground and died. And when he saw that the boy was dead, he was greatly dismayed, and fear came upon him, and he went and told the elder Gelasius what had happened. And the saint said unto him, “Take him up, and lay him in the sanctuary”; and the man went and did as the elder had commanded. And when the holy elder came into the church, they prayed the evening prayer, and when they had finished the prayer, the elder went forth from the sanctuary, and the boy was following him, and none of the monks knew what had happened. And the elder laid a penance on the cook, and commanded him to tell none of the monks about this until after his death. And Saint Abba Gelasius having finished all his good work, and his excellent fight, the time for God to comfort him arrived; and he departed from this fleeting world, and left behind an excellent remembrance; and he pleased God, and died in peace. Salutation to Gelasius.

And on this day also is commemorated Derkalas (Dereskal). Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 13 (February 20)

On this day the holy and honorable Sergius became a martyr, and with him were his father, and his mother, and his brethren, and many men from the city of Athribis. This saint had excellent parents; his father’s name was Theodore, and his mother’s name was Mary. And when his days were twenty years, he determined in his heart to die for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he came to Cyprianus the governor, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before him. And the governor commanded the soldiers to inflict every kind of torture upon him, and to shut him up in prison. And our Lord Jesus Christ commanded the angels to carry away his soul into heaven, and he saw the habitations of the saints, and his soul was comforted, and Christ healed him of his sufferings. And a certain priest whose name was Abba Masun heard of his fight, and two deacons also, and they rose up and came to the governor of the city of Athribis, and confessed our Lord Christ. And the governor commanded the soldiers to beat them, and they did as he commanded them, and all the people were looking on at them, and they walked round about them, and they were sorry for the deacons and the priest. And the priest rebuked them, and turned his face to them, and he taught them, and commanded them, saying thus, “Be strong in the True Faith of our Lord Christ.” And then he prayed over some water, and sprinkled it upon them. And the grace of the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and they confessed our Lord Christ; and the soldiers cut off the heads of all of them with the sword, and they received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. The governor commanded the soldiers to cast the priest into the furnace of the public baths, but God delivered him there from. And the angel of God appeared unto him, and made him to know that he would be martyred thrice for the sake of Christ, and then the angel of God brought him out of the furnace. And the governor sent him to the city of Alexandria, and he finished his fight there, and received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And Cyprianus, the governor, had Sergius brought before him, and he tortured him with severe tortures, and then they brought a wheel of brass, and they crushed him, and his members became two parts, and all his body was torn asunder; but our Lord Christ raised him up whole and uninjured. Then they brought unto him an idol for him to worship, and the saint spurned it with his foot, and it fell down, and was broken in pieces. When Cyprianus saw this he believed in our Lord [Jesus] Christ. And he said, “The god who could not save himself, how can he save others?” And Eucheius, the captain of the soldiers, tortured Saint Sergius very severely, and he told the soldiers to flay him, and to rub him with vinegar and salt mixed together; but Christ gave power to the saint, and he was strong. And when his mother and his sister heard [of this] they came to him, and when they saw him they wept over him, and his sister delivered up her spirit through her excessive grief for him. And the saint prayed to God, and his sister rose up from the dead, and became alive straightway. And Saint Julius, of the city of ‘Akpihas, the writer of martyrdoms, came to him, and he enquired about his body, and would bury it. And then Eucheius commanded them to torture Saint Sergius on the wheel, and to thrust burning torches into his ears, and to pluck out the nails of his hands and feet, and to suspend a huge stone from his neck, and to lay him upon the iron bed and to light a fire beneath him; and they did these things even as the captain commanded, but our Lord Jesus Christ strengthened him, and healed his wounds, and raised him up whole and uninjured. And the captain of the soldiers being weary of torturing him, he commanded them to cut off his head with the sword; and when the saint heard this he rejoiced exceedingly. And he sent a message to his father, and his mother, and his brethren, and all his kinsfolk and the men of his household, and they came to see him and they found him with a gag in his mouth. And the soldiers were dragging him away to cut off the head of the saint and the heads of all those who were with him; and they cut off their heads and the saints received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Now there was a little child among the people, and God opened his eyes, and he saw the souls of the holy martyrs, and the angels carrying them up into heaven, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “My Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon me.” And his parents were afraid lest the governor should hear him, and destroy them because of him, and they shut his mouth, as he continued to cry out and to call upon our Lord [Jesus] Christ, and then they laid stones upon him until he delivered up his soul, and received the crown of life in the kingdom of the heavens. And the angels took his soul, and carried it up into heaven. Salutation to Sergius, whose nails were cut out with knives.

And on this day also died Eusebius the martyr, of splendid glory, and sweet perfume, the son of the judge (or, governor) of Syria; and he had a sister who was full of the spirit, and whose name was Eulophia. This saint was brought up carefully and wisely, and then they betrothed him to a beautiful maiden, the daughter of the Emperor of Rome, and they brought her to his house with great splendor. And on that day he went to his sister, and said unto her, “Counsel me with counsel. Is it better to take a wife, and to live with her [or no]? I do not wish to do this, for I long to renounce the world.” And she said unto him, “What will the taste of this fleeting world benefit thee? It is better for thee to dwell in virginity like Demetrius the Archbishop.” And when the evening had come he went into the bridal-chamber where was the bride, whom they had brought unto him, and he took her head (or, neck) and kissed her, and said unto her, “Prithee, tell me if I may say unto thee a matter.” And she said unto him, “Speak, tell me.” And he made an agreement with her, and he said unto her, “O my sister, know thou that the lust of the world passeth away, and that comeliness and beauty fade, and that nothing whatsoever profiteth a man except the working of righteousness. And now, it is better for us to live as virgins, and not to defile the temples of our bodies of flesh.” And she said unto him, “I agree, O my brother, I do not wish to marry.” And the two of them began to travel together along the path of righteousness, and they dwelt in purity for two years, and they ate no food until [after] they had received the Offering, and they slept in the same bed, and each night they stood in the river, and by day they went into the church, the name whereof is ‘Atra, and each of them made four thousand prostrations, and they read the Psalms of David and the Gospel of John continually. One day the wife of the King of Syria saw Eusebius, and she commanded two of her servants to bring him to her. And when they had brought him, straightway she laid down carpets and purple linen on her bed, and she adorned herself and put round her neck a gold collar, and she said unto Eusebius, “Come [and] sit down, and I will tell thee what is in my heart.” And Eusebius said unto her, “I will not sit down with the wife of the king; tell me what thou hast to say as I stand up.” And she said unto him, “My flesh quivereth, and my bones melt through the greatness of my love for thee; come and sit down with me.” And Eusebius answered and said unto her, “I will not lie with thee. It is not seemly, and the commandment of God is not thus.” And when she wished to lay hold upon him, he went forth, and ran away, and came into the church. And straightway the woman called her servants and said unto them, “As soon as he looked at me with his eyes pain and suffering seized me; he is a magician”; and she commanded fourteen of the elders to make him come out of the church, and to bring him to her. And when they had brought him to her she commanded them to beat him with two iron rods, and to bind him hand and foot and to hang him up on a tree; and they hung him up outside the city, and she sent one of her handmaidens to say unto him, “Consent to do the will of my mistress, that she may have thee taken down”; but he would not hearken unto the voice of the harlot. And straightway he began to pray with the tears running down his face like water in the winter, and he said, “O my Lord God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Who didst command the deliverance of Jacob, and Who didst deliver our fathers from every trial, deliver Thou Thy servant Eusebius, O Thou Who didst deliver Daniel from the mouth of the lion, and Susannah from the hand of the Rabbis, deliver me from the hand of the tyrant and oppressor, for besides Thee I have no other helper.” And then the queen commanded them to strangle him with a cord, and to shoot at him four hundred and sixty- eight arrows; and when they had done this to him, God commanded the angels Michael and Gabriel, and they plucked out the arrows, from his limbs, and he became whole, and there was no injury on him. And when the king came back from his expedition he asked the queen, saying, “What is the offense of Eusebius? And what is his crime that thou hast delivered him over to crucifixion and death?” And his wife the queen said unto him, “I am ashamed to tell thee, for I am afraid of thee”; and the king said, “Speak, tell me, and do not be afraid of me.” And she said unto him, “This man is a magician. He came to me when I was alone, and he asked me [to do] what is unseemly to mention, and when I refused him, he smote me with pains.” And the king commanded the soldiers to take Eusebius down from the tree and to bring him to him. And when they had brought him, the king said unto Eusebius, “Why didst thou meditate evilly the doing of a thing which it is not seemly to do against my wife?” And Eusebius said unto the king, “O my lord, dost thou imagine that these words are true? It is unnecessary to talk about it.” And the king questioned the servants and said unto them, “Is this what I hear true?” And they said unto him, “O my lord the king, when we entered the royal chamber, we found the queen screaming. And when we asked her, ‘What hath happened to thee?’ she told us thus.” And when the king heard this he was filled with anger and fury, like a lion, and he commanded them to cut off the head of Eusebius with the sword, and to cut off his limbs as they cut up an ox, and to throw him into a cauldron, and to smother his mouth with pitch, and to boil him over the fire; [and they did so]. And straightway the archangels Michael and Gabriel came, and they took his body out of the cauldron, and raised him up alive. And after he had risen from the sleep of death, the people found him walking about in the city; and they told the king that he was alive, and he commanded them to bring him to him. And straightway he put four iron bands round him, one round his neck (or, head), one round his body, one round his thighs, and one round his knees, and then they bound him hand and foot, and cast him into the fire. And Michael and Gabriel came and cooled the fire, and Uriel the angel caught him up, and carried him into heaven, where he remained for two years; and then he returned to earth and lived [here] for forty years preaching the Faith; and through him eight thousand and fifty hundred pagans believed. And God made a covenant with him that He would forgive the sins of every one who called upon the name of the saint, or who celebrated his commemoration.

And on this day also died Philemon the musician. This Philemon the musician used to sing and play to Arianus the governor, and amuse him. And one day Arianus called Apollo the reader and said unto him, “Sacrifice to the gods.” And Apollo went to Philemon, and said unto him, “I will give thee four dinars if thou wilt sacrifice instead of me.” And Philemon said unto him, “Give me thy garments, and I will wrap my self up in them, and go in instead of thee.” And when he went in Arianus knew that he was Philemon, and he said unto him, “What hath happened unto thee?” And he said unto him, “I am a Christian and I believe in Christ.” And Arianus said unto him, “Sacrifice to the gods, so that thou mayest live”: and Philemon said unto him, “Is not this life death because of the Name of Christ?” And Arianus said unto him, “I will kill thee quickly, before thou canst receive baptism, and that for which thou hopest will be lost to thee.” When Philemon heard this, he prayed to God to grant to him Christian baptism, and straightway a cloud of light came from heaven and baptized him. And Arianus commanded three soldiers to smite Philemon, so that he might be ashamed and repent. And Philemon said unto him, “I shall not be ashamed, even if thou smite me more severely than this, for I see that the angels of God rejoice because of me.” And Arianus commanded them to hang him up on a framework, and to shoot arrows at him, but not one of them touched him. And when the soldiers told Arianus that he was still alive, he commanded them to shoot at him again, and as he was standing [there] one of the arrows came down into the right eye of Arianus, and blinded it. Then straightway he commanded them to take him down from the framework, and to cut off his head and the head of Apollo the reader with the sword, and they finished their martyrdom patiently. And Arianus took a little of the blood of these saints and put it in his eye, and he recovered his sight, and straightway he believed on Christ. And he released all the prisoners, and became a martyr by the hand of Diocletian. [This section is wanting in the Bodleian MS.]

And on this day also died Saint Abba Timothy, the thirty-second Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. To this father and fighter came tribulation, and great trial, because of the True Faith. And Abba Severus, Archbishop of the city of Antioch, came to the country of Egypt in those days, and he went about from city to city, and from monastery to monastery, and from one religious house to another with Abba Timothy, strengthening the believers. And in the days of this father there appeared in Egypt certain evil men who had come from Constantinople, and who were of those who believed in the opinion of Eutyches, the unclean, who confessed the teaching of error and denied the Passion, and the Resurrection of Christ our Redeemer, and this father anathematized them, and drove them out of Egypt, and he anathematized those who believed in their words. And in the days of this father Anastasius the emperor of the believers died, and Justinianus the infidel, the Chalcedonian, reigned in his stead; and he made Linarius archbishop in the place of Abba Timothy. And he wished to convert all the men of the True Faith to the evil faith of the Council of Chalcedon. And he gathered together a Council in the city of Constantinople, and brought there Abba Severus, Archbishop of the city of Antioch, and his bishops from the country of the East, and wanted them to believe in the unclean faith of Chalcedon, but they would not obey him. And he brought great tribulation upon them, and upon all those of the True Faith; and this father sat for sixteen (or, seventeen) years and died in peace. Salutation to Severus the lion. Salutation to John from whose fingers incense dropped. Salutation to Jacob, the saint of God, who restored the monasteries. Salutation to Archbishop Timothy the preacher. Salutation to Victor the sun. Salutation to Eusebius, who after being burnt to death was raised up by Uriel, and lived upon earth for seven years.

And on this day also became martyrs Theodore, the son of Basilides, and Abba Kaphes (Kefses), and Abba Hephes (Hepes).

And on this day also the birth of Victor the martyr took place. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 14 (February 21)

On this day died the holy father Abba Severus, Archbishop of the city of Antioch, and teacher of the men of the True Faith. The kinsfolk of this saint came from the city of Rome, and his grandfather was a bishop, whose name was Severus, and he came with the fathers, the Two Hundred Bishops who gathered together in the city of Ephesus. And he saw a vision in which, as it were, one said unto him, “The son who shall be born among thy offspring shall establish the True Faith, and they shall call his name ‘Severus,’ like thine own.” And when that bishop died, his son begat this saint and called his name Severus. And he studied all the philosophy, which was outside (i.e. profane learning), and after this he learned the philosophy of the Law of the Church. And as he was going forth from his city, [he visited] a certain righteous man who lived shut up in a cell outside the city. And this man rejoiced in him, and said unto him, “Fair is thy coming (i.e. welcome), O Abba Severus, thou teacher of those of the True Faith, Archbishop of the city of Antioch”; and Severus marveled when the man called him by his name, for he had no knowledge of him whatsoever, [and he knew not how he could tell] what would happen to him before it came to pass. And then this saint grew up, and performed works of ascetic excellence, and the fame of him and his good renown were noised abroad, And he became a monk in the monastery of Saint Romanus, and he fought a great fight, and devoted himself wholly to the performance of works of righteousness. And the fame of him was noised abroad, even as the Holy Gospel saith, “’The city which is built upon a hill cannot be hid” (Matthew v, 14). And when the Archbishop of the city of Antioch died, the bishops and doctors agreed to make this Abba Severus Archbishop of Antioch; and they seized him against his will and made him archbishop. During his office the Church flourished in all the ends of the world, for his words reached the heretics in every city, and his voice cut through their roots like a sharp two-edged sword. Now he only remained in his office for a few days, for the emperor died, and there reigned in his stead another emperor, who was an infidel, and who believed in the Council or Chalcedon, and whose name was Justinian; now the queen, whose name was Theodora, belonged to the True Faith. And the emperor was afraid of this saint, for [he refused] to enter the unclean faith [of Chalcedon], and he would not obey him. And then the emperor was exceedingly wroth with him, and he imagined that the saint was afraid of him, and would submit to him; but the saint would not hearken to his command, and he was not afraid of his wrath. And the emperor wished to kill him secretly, but the righteous Queen Theodora, knowing this, warned the saint to flee from the face of the emperor, and he went forth secretly. Now God did not want this saint to die at that time, and He preserved him for the benefit of many. And he used to go about in the cities and monasteries in the garb of the monk, and strengthen the believers. And he dwelt in the city of Soka, with a certain rich man, a Christian, whose name was Dorotheus. And he worked many signs and great wonders, and he was always teaching the believers and strengthening them in the True Faith. And at length he died in the city of Soka (sic), and his body was translated afterwards to Dabra Zegag.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Jacob, the fiftieth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This saint was appointed archbishop in the sixteenth (or, seventeenth) year of the reign of the King of Egypt, whose name was Al-Muizz in God, which is being interpreted, “he who is obedient to God,” the brother of the governor, the son of Haron Rashid (Harun Ar-Rashid). And in the days of this father the monasteries of the desert of Scete were restored, and the monks returned to them. And in his days there was a certain man whose name was Macarius, of the city of Neroh, and he came to this father Abba Jacob, the Archbishop, and besought him to visit his house, and to bless [him] in it, and he went with him. And the man had a son at that time who had been sick, and had died, and he took him and brought him to Abba Jacob, the Archbishop, and he asked him, saying, “Have compassion upon me, O my father, for this is my only son and he is dead; I beseech thee to pray to God on my behalf.” And Abba Jacob said unto him, “Fear not, according to thy faith so shall it be unto thee.” And he took the child from him, and embraced him in his bosom, and he prayed over him, and made the sign of the Cross over him, and prayed to God on his behalf. And God received his prayer, and the soul of the boy went back unto him, and he opened his eyes and rose up from the dead. And the saint gave him to his father and said unto him, “Take thy son. He was not dead, but sleeping”; and when his father saw this miracle great fear came upon him. And he gave away one-half of his possessions in charity, and he sent orders and had a church built in the city of Jerusalem, so that it might be an asylum for those of the True Faith who arrived there. And Dionysius, Archbishop of the city of Antioch, came to Mesr (Cairo), and visited the father Archbishop Abba Jacob, and he dwelt with him for a few days and [then] returned to his own country. And this father sat upon his archiepiscopal throne for ten years and eight months, and four days, and he died in peace.

And on this day also are commemorated Darius, and Paul, and Akudures, and Sedna.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Cyril, the seventy-fifth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This father was of the men of the Fayyum, and he was appointed a priest there. Later he departed from that place and came to the monastery of Saint Victor the martyr, which is outside the city, by the will of the Ethiopians, and dwelt therein for many years, fighting a great fight there. And the fame of his learning and holiness became noised abroad, and the people seized him against his will and made him Archbishop of Alexandria; and he protected his flock with a good protection, and drew up a Canon for the use of priests when they ministered in the church at the times of prayer and consecrations. And he remained in his office for seven years, two months, and six and twenty days; and he died in peace. [According to the Bodleian MS, he was surnamed “the son of Lakuelakue.”] Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 15 (February 22)

On this day died the righteous prophet Zachariah, who was one of the Twelve Little Prophets. This righteous man was of the tribe of Levi and the name of his father was Berechiah, who begot him in the land of Gilead. And they carried him away captive to the land of the Chaldeans, and whilst he was there he prophesied with the divine gift of prophecy, which descended upon him. And God spoke by his tongue many faithful and profitable words, and he prophesied to Iyosedek, and said unto him, “Thou shalt beget a son, and he shall be a priest to God in Jerusalem.” And he took Iyasu (Joshua) and built a sanctuary in Jerusalem, after the Captivity, and was buried therein. And he prophesied to Salathiel, and blessed him, and he said unto him, “Thou shalt beget a son and shalt call his name ‘Zerubbabel’”; and he begot Zerubbabel, and it was he who built the sanctuary in Jerusalem with Iyasu (Joshua) (Zechariah iv, 9). And he prophesied to the unclean one, the King of Persia, and revealed to him the signs of the conquest (?). And he prophesied concerning the coming of our Lord into Jerusalem riding upon an ass, and upon the foal of an ass. And he prophesied concerning the forty pieces of silver, which Judas received for the betrayal of our Redeemer. And he prophesied concerning the scattering of the Apostles on the night of the Crucifixion. And he prophesied concerning the darkness, which took place on the day of the Crucifixion, and concerning the light, which hid itself. And he prophesied concerning the coming of our Lord in His glory, and concerning the sorrow of the children of Israel who did not believe in Him saying, “And they shall look upon Him Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn Him as [parents] mourn for an only son, and there shall be much grief in Jerusalem” (Zechariah xii, 10). And when the days of his prophesying were ended he died in peace and was buried in the graves of the prophets. Salutation to Zachariah. Salutation to Babnuda.

And on this day is commemorated the consecration of the Church of the Forty Soldiers of the city of Sebastia, who were martyred. This is the first church, which was built in their names. The great Saint Basil consecrated it, and he pronounced a discourse upon them and many encomiums on that day; and he celebrated a great festival in their honor as it were this day. Salutation to the consecration of this church.

And on this day also died the holy father, the devoted ascetic and fighter Abba Paphnutius. This father became a monk in his early years, and he fought a great fight, and devoted himself strenuously to the path of the ascetic life, especially in respect of fasting, and prayer, and prostrations, and vigils. When he had finished these good works, God, the Most High, commanded him to go into the remote parts of the desert, far away from the monasteries of the monks, and to visit the desert saints, and to write down the story of their fights for the benefit of those who were to read them, and to make us bow to the commandment of God. And he went into the interior of the desert, and he traveled about among [the saints], even as a man walketh about through the city; and he found many monks there, and he learned from them their histories, and he wrote down the histories of their fights; among these monks were Timothy, the desert monk, and ‘Abunafer. At the beginning of his journey into the Inner Desert great tribulation fell upon this Saint Paphnutius through hunger, but the angel of God appeared unto him and strengthened him; now he was seventeen days without food. And after this he hungered, and dew nigh unto death, and the angel of God appeared unto him again and rubbed his body and his mouth, and he again remained for seventeen days without food. And this saint related very many wonderful things about the desert fathers, and how that some of them had lived for sixty years, and more, in the desert, without ever seeing a man during the whole period of these days. And he described also the tribulation of the desert monks when they first arrived there, and the sufferings which they had endured on their first entrance into the desert, and how their natural passions contended with them, and how unclean spirits made war on them, and how afterwards they subdued them, and how the spirits submitted to them, and worshipped at their feet. And likewise the wild beasts and the lions used to minister to their wants, and he described how they submitted to them, like a slave to his master. And he related concerning them that they used to receive the Holy Mysteries on the day preceding the Sabbath, and on the First Day of the week, and how the angel of God used to bring to them the Holy Body and Honorable Blood, and give them of the fruits of the Garden. And it is evident that this father saw and heard marvelous things; and after this he died in peace. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 16 (February 23)

On this day died the holy and righteous woman Saint Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. This holy woman was from the city of Jerusalem, and the name of her mother was Sophia, and name of her father was Matat, the son of Levi, and son of Melki, of the tribe of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi; and he begot three daughters. By kin she was the daughter of the sister of the mother of our Lady Mary, the mother of God in the flesh. The name of the eldest was Mary, and she it was who was the mother of Salome, who received our Lady Mary when she brought forth the Wonder. The name of the second was Sophia, and she it was who was the mother of this Saint Elisabeth. The name of the youngest was Hannah, who brought forth our Lady Mary; Salome, and Elisabeth, and our Lady Mary were sisters; and Zachariah the priest married this righteous woman Elisabeth. And the Holy Gospel saith concerning them that they were righteous and pure, both of them, and that they walked in all the Law of God blamelessly, and that this righteous woman was barren. And because of the frequent entreaties of this woman and her husband, their petition reached God together, and God gave them a son, Saint John the Baptist, so that He might make manifest their righteousness and their love for God, and the greatness of their Faith in Him. Because God did not grant them their petition early in their lives, this did not cause doubt or sorrow, on the contrary, they were persistent in their petitioning, and at length when they had become old in their days, and were barren, they produced a son, so that [men] might know the Divine Power. And moreover, when the time arrived wherein our holy Lady the Virgin Mary conceived the Word of God Who existeth for ever, John, being in his mother’s womb, preached Him, and he bowed before Him, even as his mother saith, “The child leaped in my womb with joy and gladness when our Lady Mary came to me.” And when she and her husband Zachariah were grown old, God sent His angel Gabriel, and announced to him concerning his son John, and informed him what would happen to him. And this Saint Elisabeth conceived and brought forth the saint, the prophet, the preacher and Baptist John; and her heart rejoiced at this, and the reproach of the children of her kinsfolk was removed from her. And then she saw our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, and confessed His Godhead, and she rejoiced in making to be saved those who believed on Him. And after this she lived in purity and righteousness even as she had formerly done, and she died in peace. Salutation to Elisabeth.

And on this day also is commemorated our holy Lady Mary, the two-fold Virgin, the God- bearer, for on it He gave her the Covenant of Mercy and she received it from her Son, our Redeemer Jesus Christ, in respect of him that should celebrate her commemoration, or should call upon her name, or give alms to the poor, even if it were only [a cup of] cold water. And the Son of this Saint Mary after He ascended into heaven, taking her pure flesh [with Him], sat down at the right hand of His Father, having fulfilled every law of the Incarnation, with the sole exception of sin, and overcome the sufferings of the Cross at His own good pleasure and will, which He did for our salvation. And He left His mother Mary in the house of John, His disciple, so that he might love her, even as He committed him to her, saying, “Behold thy son,” and He said unto that disciple, “Behold thy mother.” Thereupon our Lady Mary lived [there], and she used to go to the tomb of her Son, that is to say, Golgotha, to pray there. And when the Jews saw [her] there they were filled with wrath, and envy, and they wished to drive her away; but God hid her from their eyes. Then they took counsel, and decided to set guards over His tomb, so that she might not come there again and pray, but she did not cease to go there day by day, and the guards did not see her, because the covering of the glory of her Son hid her. And always angels were coming to minister unto her, and her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, visited her frequently, and fulfilled for her all her desires. Some of the angels used to take her up into the heavens and show her the places where the saints rested, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And all the souls of the fathers who had died from Adam until that time worshipped her, saying, “Glory be to God, Who hath created thee flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone. In thee we have found salvation, and thou hast become for us the haven of life from destruction through the Son of God taking upon Himself flesh through thee.” And then the angels took her, and brought her to her beloved Son on His throne, and the curtains, which were flames of fire, were drawn aside on the right hand and on the left, and our Lord took her hand, and kissed her mouth, and said unto her, “Hast thou arrived, O my mother?” And He raised her up on to the throne of His glory, and He seated her by Him, and He described to her all the joy and gladness which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard of, nor heart of man imagined, which were prepared for her. And beneath the throne of glory she saw David, the King of Israel, her father, (with all the company of the prophets, and the angels, and the souls of the righteous, in a circle,) singing to the harp, saying, “Hearken unto me, my daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear. Forget thy people and thy father’s house. The king hath desired thy beauty; he is thy Lord” (Psalm xlv). And from there the angels took her to show her the place of punishment, and they brought her to the limit of darkness, which is prepared for Satan and his hosts, and for all those who walk in his ways. And our Lady Mary said, “Woe is me ! Who will describe this place to the children of men, so that they may not come hither?” And the angel said unto her, “Fear thou not, O Mary, God is with thee, and for thy sake with those who shall come after thee.” And then the angels carried her away and brought her into a certain place, and thereupon our Lady Mary sat down, being exceedingly sorry for all sinners. And as it might be this day the sixteenth day of the month of Yakatit, she stood on the Place of the Skull (Golgotha), and besought her Son, saying, “O my Son, swear to me by God Thy Father, and by Thy Name of Christ, and [by] the Paraclete, Thy Spirit, and by my womb which carried Thee for nine months and five days, Thee Whom the earth cannot bear up, Thee Whom the angels cannot approach, I adjure Thee, O my Son, by Thy going forth from me without exhaustion, and by Thy delivery which was painless, I adjure Thee by my breasts which suckled Thee, and by my lips which kissed Thee, I adjure Thee by my hands which embraced Thee, and by my feet which walked with Thee, I adjure Thee by the manger wherein Thou didst lie, and by the ragged cloths wherein Thou wast wrapped, O my Son, and Beloved One, I beseech Thee, and entreat Thee, to hearken unto the words of my petition, and to come to me, and to fulfill for me everything which is in my heart.” And when our holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, the mother of the Light, had spoken thus, our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ came down straightway, and there were with Him, surrounding Him, thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands of angels, and he said unto her, “What shall I do for thee, Mary, My mother? What desire hast thou that thou wouldst have Me fulfill for thee?” And our Lady the holy Virgin Mary answered and said unto her beloved Son, “O my Beloved Son, my Lord and Redeemer, my Hope, my Refuge, upon Thee is placed my trust. Because of Thee I was strong in the womb of my mother, and in the womb which covered Thee, and Thou art my memorial, at all times. And now do Thou hear my prayer and petition, and hearken unto the word of my mouth which I speak unto Thee. I Thy mother Mary, I Thine handmaiden, on behalf of him that shall celebrate my commemoration, and him that shall build a church in my name, or shall clothe the naked, or visit the sick, or feed the hungry, or give drink to him that is athirst, or shall comfort the sorrowful, or shall make the sad to rejoice, or shall write the history of my strife, or shall sing a song at my festival; [swear to me] that God shall give him the good reward from Thee, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard of, nor the heart of man imagined. I beseech and entreat Thee on behalf of all those who believe in me, to set them free from Sheol, and to remember the hunger, and thirst, and all the trials which came upon me through Thee.” And our Lord Jesus Christ answered and said unto her, “It shall be unto thee even as thou sayest, and I will fulfill for thee all thy petition; I became incarnate of thee, and I swear that I will not make any covenant with thee to be a lie.” Salutation to thee, O Book of the Law and Covenant, like the Tables of stone. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 17 (February 24)

On this day Saint Minas the monk became a martyr. This saint was from the country of ‘Akmim (Akhmim) in Upper Egypt; his parents were Christians and they were tillers of the ground. This saint wished to array himself in the garb of the monk, and to reject this world, and he became a monk in one of the monasteries of the city of ‘Akmim (Akhmim); he used to fast frequently for two days at a time, and he took no thought for his food and drink. And after this he departed to the district of Esmunayn, and dwelt there in a monastery for seven and twenty years, leading a life of devotion to God, and fighting the fight; and he never went outside the door of that monastery. And when the Muslims reigned in the land of Egypt, and he heard concerning them, and how they said, “God hath no son of His Nature and Godhead, who sprang from Him,” he was very sorrowful because of this thing. And having been blessed by the abbot of the monastery who prayed over him, he went forth and departed to the city of Esmunayn, and he stood up before the captain of the Muslim soldiers, and said unto him, “Is it true that ye say that God hath no son of His Nature and Godhead?” And the captain said unto him, “Yea, we remove from God this thing, and we do not confess it.” And Saint Minas said unto him, “It is right for thee not to confess Him if He were the son of carnal union and seed, but His is not this; He is the Light proceeding from Light, [and] God, in truth, proceeding from God, in truth.” And the captain said unto him, “O monk, this, in our Law, is infidelity.” And the saint answered and said unto him, “Know thou that the Holy Gospel saith, ‘He who believeth in the Son hath everlasting life, and that he who believeth not shall not see life, but the wrath of God shall descend upon him’” (John iii, 36). Because of this the captain was exceedingly angry, and he ordered the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword, and to hack his body in pieces, and to cast him into the river. And certain believers took his body and prepared it carefully for burial, and they performed a service of commemoration for him as it were this day. Salutation to Minas, Bishop of ‘Akmim (Akhmim). Salutation to Moses, the chief of the fathers, who died on this day on Mount Nebo. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 18 (February 25)

On this day died the holy father and confessor, Melanius, Archbishop of the city of Antioch. This saint was made archbishop in the days of the reign of Constantine, the son of Constantine the Great, and this saint was learned, and simple, and was beloved by all men. And having been appointed and sat for thirty days, he excommunicated the followers of Arius, and drove them out from all the churches of the city of Antioch. And when the emperor heard of this, he sent and expelled him from his office, for the emperor was a follower of Arius. And the elders of the city of Antioch, and the bishops and priest gathered together, and they wrote a letter about him and sent it to the emperor, and they asked him to restore Melanius to them; and the emperor sent to the place whereto he had driven him, and brought him back to them, for he was ashamed before them. And when this saint returned to the city of Antioch, he did not set aside the anathematizing and excommunication of the men of Arius, but he excommunicated all those who believed in their words. And he revealed their error and their blasphemy publicly, and he preached to everyone, and made them to see clearly that the Son was of the substance of the Father, and equal with Him in His Godhead and Being. And the followers of Arius returned and they wrote to the emperor, and they made false accusations against this saint, and at length they changed his heart in their favour; and the emperor sent a second time, and banished Melanius to a country which was more remote than that to which he had banished him on the first occasion. And when Melanius had arrived in the country whereto the emperor had banished him, it was to him as if he were living with his people, for they had with them his epistles, and his teaching, and his interpretations of obscure theological writings, and his epistles from [this] remote country used to reach his flock who were in the city of Antioch, that is the bishops and learned priests. And he preached the Holy Trinity, and the True Faith, and [the doctrine of] the Three Hundred and Eighteen holy Fathers, and he cursed Arius and excommunicated all those who followed him. and he lived in exile for many years, and at length he died in peace. And behold Saint John, the Mouth of Gold (i.e. Chrysostom), pronounced an encomium upon him on the day of his festival, and praised him greatly, and he showed forth in it his glory and majesty, and proved that in respect of the tribulation and ignominy which had come upon him for the True Faith, he neither fell short of, nor was inferior to any of the holy apostles. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 19 (February 26)

On this day took place the translation of the body of Saint Martianus the monk, from the city of Athens to the city of Antioch. To this saint came temptation from a certain woman who was a harlot, who wanted to commit sin with him, and to make him to fall down with her into the net of sin. But he led her away from this, and brought her to repentance, and into the ascetic life, and then he left her, and departed to Daset, and from that place to many [other] cities. And when he arrived in the city of Athens, and had lived therein for a few days, his body fell sick with a slight sickness, and he died there, as is written in the section for the twenty-first day of Genbot. And when Saint Demetrius had been appointed Archbishop of the city of Antioch, in the days of Falaryas, the infidel emperor, this saint sent priests to the city of Athens, and they carried away the body of Saint Martianus and brought it to Antioch, with great honor, and with the singing of many psalms and hymns and dirges. And Demetrius paid honor to it and saluted it, and laid it in a coffer in the church, and celebrated a festival in his honor, as it were this day. Salutation to Demetrius on whom John, the Mouth of Gold (i.e. Chrysostom), pronounced an encomium. Salutation to the translation of the body of Saint Martianus. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 20 (February 27)

On this day took place the translation of the body of Saint Martianus the monk, from the city of Athens to the city of Antioch. To this saint came temptation from a certain woman who was a harlot, who wanted to commit sin with him, and to make him to fall down with her into the net of sin. But he led her away from this, and brought her to repentance, and into the ascetic life, and then he left her, and departed to Daset, and from that place to many [other] cities. And when he arrived in the city of Athens, and had lived therein for a few days, his body fell sick with a slight sickness, and he died there, as is written in the section for the twenty-first day of Genbot. And when Saint Demetrius had been appointed Archbishop of the city of Antioch, in the days of Falaryas, the infidel emperor, this saint sent priests to the city of Athens, and they carried away the body of Saint Martianus and brought it to Antioch, with great honor, and with the singing of many psalms and hymns and dirges. And Demetrius paid honor to it and saluted it, and laid it in a coffer in the church, and celebrated a festival in his honor, as it were this day. Salutation to Demetrius on whom John, the Mouth of Gold (i.e. Chrysostom), pronounced an encomium. Salutation to the translation of the body of Saint Martianus. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 21 (February 28)

On this day is commemorated our holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer. Salutation to thee, O Mary, thou light of life.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Gabriel, the sixty-seventh Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This father became a monk in his early years in the desert of Scete, and he fought a great fight, and he devoted himself to the ascetic life for many years, with fasting, and prayer, and prostrations, and vigils, and hunger, and thirst; and he was humble, and simple, and loved to live by himself. One day there came into his cell a certain elder, whose name was Maximus to be blessed by him, and Gabriel prayed over him and he went forth to depart to his own place. And the holy elder Maximus laid hold upon him, and said unto him, “O my son, why dost thou flee from men, for thou wilt be obliged to dwell among many men and women”; and this father did not understand the meaning of the words of the elder, and he wept frequently, and entreated God to deliver him from the nets of the Enemy. And when Abba Michael, the Archbishop, his predecessor, died, they seized this father and against his will made him archbishop, even as the elder had prophesied concerning him. And having been appointed he did not become slothful in his office, and he did not abandon his spiritual fight, or his strenuous ascetic life, nor his piety; and he dwelt continually in the desert of Scete. And when affairs connected with the work of the churches compelled him to go to the city of Alexandria and to Mesr (Cairo), he used to go quickly, and return to the desert of Scete. When he was in the youth of his days the lust for fornication used to bestir itself in him, and [although] he increased his fasts and vigils in order to subdue the lust, he was unable to do so; and he confessed this to a certain elder in the desert of Scete. And that elder said unto him, “Nothing will destroy lust except humility, coupled with fasting, and prayer, and prostration, and vigils, and those alone will save [a man] form it.” When he heard this he made himself a shovel of iron, and he used to get up in the night and dress himself in mean and ragged garments, and go round into all the cells of the monks, and clear out the offal from them and take it away, and cast it out at a great distance from the cells. And he continued to do this kind of work for a period of two years, when God saw his purity and the humility of his heart and removed from him the natural lust for fornication. And this father continued to lead the ascetic life and to fight the fight, and he admonished and taught his people, and strengthened them in the True Faith for a period of eleven years; and he died in peace. Salutation to Gabriel for his righteousness and faith.

And on this day also died the holy father, Abba Zachariah, Bishop of the city of Saha. This saint was one of the children of those skilled in the Law, and his father abandoned the Law, and was made a priest; and his name was John. And when the son of John had grown up, and had studied the profane learning and the philosophy of the pagans, and the Law of the Church, the captain of the king’s host took him and made him a scribe in the house of the king. And he had a friend in the Law, whose name was Ptolemy, and who was governor of the city of Saha; and they agreed together to go to the desert of Scete and to become monks. And at that time there visited them a certain monk from the monastery of Saint Abba John of the desert of Scete, and they made an agreement to go there with him; and when the governors heard of this they sent and prevented their going. And having tarried a few days they saw a vision, and it seemed as if one said unto them, “Why do you not fulfill the vow which ye have vowed to God? And they rose up straightway, and went forth in secret, but they did not know the way, and a monk appeared unto them and guided them, and brought them to the monastery of Saint Abba John, of the desert of Scete. And when the governors heard of their departure, they agreed that they would obtain an order from the king and send it with messengers to make them to come down from the monastery; but God scattered their counsel. And when Zachariah and Ptolemy had become monks, they fought the fight and followed the ascetic life strenuously, especially Zachariah. And in their days lived the elders Abba Abraham and Abba Ga’Argi, and they used to visit the young men, and give them advice concerning all their works. When the Bishop of the city of Soha died, the people remembered Saint Abba Zachariah, and they wrote a letter to the archbishop on his behalf, asking him to appoint him to be their bishop. And the archbishop sent to the desert of Scete and had Zachariah brought against his will, and he appointed him Bishop of the city of Soha. And whilst the archbishop was laying his hand upon him, he saw the power of God descend upon him, and his face was wreathed with light. And when he came to the throne of his office the people rejoiced in him with great joy, and they went out to meet him as [the men of old] met our Redeemer on the festival of Hosanna {Palm Sunday); and the Church was resplendent through him. And this father composed many Homilies, and Admonitions, and works on Doctrine; and his voice was exceedingly sweet, and was filled with the grace of the Holy Ghost. And he sat upon his archiepiscopal throne forty years, and he was well- pleasing to God and died in peace. Salutation to Zachariah.

And on this day also Saint Onesimus, the priest, and the disciple of Paul the apostle, became a martyr. When Paul the apostle had preached in the city of Rome, Philemon departed from the city of Rome and took with him among his servants this Onesimus. And Satan led him into error and corrupted his heart, and he stole money from his master Philemon and from other men like him; and when he knew that his master was going to punish him, he fled and came to the city of Rome. By the Will of God he came to the apostle, and heard his teaching, and his teaching entered his heart, and he believed through him, and the fear of God came into his heart. And he remembered what he had done, and how he had stolen money from his master and from others, and he had nothing of it left with him, which he could restore to them of their money. And he was sorry, and he came to Saint Paul and told him everything which had happened to him. And the apostle said unto him, “Fear not, neither let thy heart be sorrowful.” And he wrote an epistle unto Philemon his master; and this epistle is one of the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. And Paul commanded him concerning Saint Onesimus, and he said unto him, “Protect him, for he hath become a disciple of Christ, and my son in the preaching of the Gospel.” And he commanded him concerning Onesimus, and said unto him, “Forgive him his sin in stealing thy money, and receive him as myself. And if he hath wronged thee in aught, and he ought to repay thee, set it to my account. I, Paul, have written it with mine own hand; howbeit I say not that thou art thyself in debt to me.” And when this Saint Onesimus came with the letter to his master Philemon, he rejoiced in his faith and repentance, and did to him even as the Apostle Paul had commanded him. And Philemon added to his great love for Onesimus, and he commanded [his steward to give] to him much money for him to take, and he would take nothing whatsoever of it, and he said, “I have become a rich man in Christ.” And when Philemon bade Onesimus farewell, and set him on his road, and Onesimus returned to the city of Rome, and ministered unto Paul, the Apostle, until the time of his martyrdom. And Paul praised this saint and made him a priest, and the Apostles praise him and mention him in the seventy-seventh Canon, and in the fifty-third Canon, and they say of him that he was a “faithful priest.” And after the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul, the captain of the host of the Emperor of Rome took this saint, and banished him to an island, and he dwelt there and taught the men the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And they beat him severely and made him to suffer agony, and then they broke his thighs, and he departed to God. Salutation to Onesimus the disciple of Paul.

And on this day also died Abba Peter, Bishop of Damascus. [

And on this day also died Abba ‘Akyos, and Abba Gabriel, Bishop of Ethiopia.] Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 22 (March 1)

On this day died the holy father Abba Maruna, the bishop.

And on this day also took place the translation of the bodies of the saints who became martyrs in the country of Persia, in the days of Diocletian, the infidel. And because of the many works, and virtues, and righteousness of Maruna the bishop, the Emperor Theodosius the Great, the father of Honorius and Arcadius, sent him to the King of Persia and with him were many gifts because of the love which existed between Theodosius and the King of Persia. And when Maruna arrived, the King of Persia paid him very great honor, and he lodged him in one of the palaces of his kingdom. And when this saint heard that the daughter of the king was ridden by an evil spirit, he summoned her, and she stood up before him, and he prayed over her; and he healed his daughter, and Sapor the king rejoiced in him with very great joy. And the saint demanded from him the bodies of the saints, who had become martyrs in the country of Persia, and the king gave them to him, and he built a church and laid their bodies in it. And the king built a great fortress in the city, and he built inside the fortress a quarter, and called it by the name of Saint Maruna, which is Merfakina. And after this, the saint returned to the Emperor Theodosius, and he dwelt in the city of Rome two years, and died as it were this day, on which was consecrated the church of those martyrs. And the festival of the saint, and the festival of the consecration of the church, are celebrated together on the same day, that is to say, this day. Salutation to Maruna the excellent envoy and bishop.

And on this day also is celebrated the commemoration of Abba Bula, and three hundred [and eighty martyrs], and Nicolaus. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 23 (March 2)

On this day became a martyr Saint Eusebius, the son of the holy and blessed Basilides, the captain of the royal troops of the city of Antioch, and the father of kings. And this saint was in the war against the men of the country of the Persians, and when Diocletian denied our Lord Jesus Christ, Basilides sent to this son Eusebius, and told him that Diocletian had denied Christ. And this saint summoned his kinsfolk, the saints and men of the palace, that is to say, ‘Abadir, and Justus, and Claudius, and Theodore from the East, and he told them how Diocletian had denied our Lord Christ, and how he worshipped idols; and they were exceedingly sorry. And the holy and excellent man Eusebius said unto them, “I want to shed my blood for the Name of Christ,” and all those saints agreed with him in this excellent decision, and they swore each to the other that they would do so. And when the Romans had conquered their enemies, and had returned to the city of Antioch with victory and joy, Diocletian and his soldiers went out and met them, and Khermanos (Romanus), the father of Victor, advised the emperor to have the saints brought before him, and to fetch idols for them to worship. And the emperor did as Khermanos (Romanus) advised him, and he summoned the saints to him, and said unto them, “Ye know well that I love you exceedingly, I want you to make my heart to rejoice, and to worship Apollo.” And when Saint Eusebius heard this he was exceedingly angry, and he drew his sword and wished to kill the emperor, and the emperor fled from him and hid himself. But this saint killed many of the emperor’s companions, and had it not been that Basilides restrained his son and his kinsmen the saints, they would have hilled all the emperor’s soldiers. After this Khermanos (Romanus) advised the emperor to send Eusebius to the country of Egypt, and to let the officers kill him there, [saying], “If he remaineth here in this city he will stir up the men of the city against thee at all times, and thou wilt not be able to do anything when thou wishest.” And the emperor wrote and commanded [the governor] to send Eusebius to the country of Egypt, to Lolyanos, the governor of Keft (Coptos), and he sent him away as the emperor commanded. And when Eusebius arrived in Keft (Coptos), the governor tortured him very severely on the wheel, and he cut off his members, and after this he beat him severely, and after this he boiled him in a cauldron. And our Lord sent to him His angel, who strengthened him under his tribulation, and comforted him, and healed his wounds, and raised him up whole and uninjured. And then the angel caught away his soul to the Garden of Delight, and the saint saw the abode of the martyrs, and the saints, and the righteous, and he saw the places which God had prepared for him, and his father, and his brother, and his kinsfolk, and his soul rejoiced exceedingly. And after this the governor commanded the soldiers to burn him in a furnace outside the city of ‘Ehnasa, and they burnt him as the governor had commanded them; and the angel of God came down to him in the red-hot furnace, and made the flame to be as cold as ice, and he brought Saint Eusebius out of the fiery furnace whole and uninjured. And the officers and the judges advised the governor, saying, “O governor, command the soldiers to cut off the head of this man, and have rest from him”; and the emperor commanded and the soldiers cut off the head of this Eusebius with the sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Eusebius, the son of Basilides, the general. [

On this day is commemorated ‘Awsegneyos, the chief of the Council, and the deputy of Theodore, in the country of the East.] Salutation to ‘Agabitos (Agapetus). Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 24 (March 3)

On this day died the holy father, Agapetus the bishop. This holy father lived in the days of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximianus, the deniers [of Christ]. The parents of this saint were believing Christians, and they taught him the doctrine of the Church and he was made a deacon. And after this he left his parents and went to a monastery, and he ministered unto the monks, the holy elders who were in it, and he learned from them good piety, and the strict observance of the ascetic life, and the knowledge of how to fight the fight; and he fasted frequently and he prayed and kept vigil ceaselessly. And he used to feed himself daily on the wasted lupines, after he had fasted from dawn until sunset. When he wanted to fight against sleep he ate for a period of eighty days ashes mixed with lupines, and his strength was increased whilst he was fighting the fight of the ascetic fight, and he ministered to the wants of the company of the monks, and called them his masters. And he carried out to perfection every practice and observance of the ascetic life, and God wrought many great signs and miracles by him, among which are the following: He healed a certain maiden of a sickness, with which she had been sick for many years; through the severity of her sickness she was dried up like wood, and the physicians were unable to heal her. By his prayer he slew a huge serpent, which had destroyed many men. He drove off from men and from lions, unclean spirits, and many severe and painful diseases. And Lekatinu the governor heard of his devotion to God, and his excellences, and his righteousness, and the strength of his body, and he had him brought against his will to Kuerh, and he made him a soldier in his army against his will. But he ceased not to devote himself to ascetic practices, and to fasting and prayer, nay he even added to his practice of righteousness and ascetic excellence. And he remained [a soldier] for a few days only, for God blotted out Diocletian, the infidel, and the righteous and God-loving Emperor Constantine reigned [in his stead]. And this saint tried to find a pretext for leaving the army and the service of the emperor. Now by the Will of our Lord Jesus Christ, there was with Constantine a certain young man who was of goodly appearance, and whose deeds were good, and the emperor loved him exceedingly. And Satan the Evil One took possession of the young man, and tortured him very severely, and the young man cried out by day and by night. And when one of those who knew Saint Agapetus saw him, he said unto him, “O youth, if thou couldst obtain the help of Saint Agapetus, he would heal thee of thy sickness.” And the youth said unto him, “Is it possible for a man to attempt to do this being only a soldier in the Imperial Army?” And the friend of Agapetus told the youth all about his spiritual fight, and his righteousness, and said unto him, “Verily he is able to heal thee of thy sickness.” And the young man cried out, saying, “Bring hither to me Saint Agapetus, the soldier, that he may heal me of this severe sickness.” And when the emperor knew this he commanded his servants to bring Saint Agapetus, and when he had come before him he prayed over the young man, and made over him the sign of the Honorable Cross, and God healed him of his sickness. And the emperor rejoiced in this with great joy, and he paid great honor to the saint, and he said unto him, “Lay upon me whatsoever thou wishest me to pay, and I will do so.” And the saint said unto him, “Release me from military service,” and the emperor released him, and sent him away, and the saint returned to the place wherein he had lived formerly. And he lived by himself, and devoted himself to God and to spiritual fighting, which was much more severe than formerly, for many years; and the bishop of the neighboring city made him a priest. And when that bishop died, the people asked the archbishop to make Agapetus their bishop, and he did so. And Agapetus shepherded his rational flock carefully and well, and God gave him the gift of prophecy, and the gift of working many signs and wonders. And he rebuked sinners for committing sin in secret, and he rebuked the priests for forsaking the teaching of the people; and he rebuked them and repelled them from the sanctuary until they repented. And it is found written in the history of his strife that during his lifetime he performed one hundred miracles, and among them he made a river to stop flowing, and by means of his cross turned it into another bed. And he opened the eyes of a blind man, and cleansed a leper, and healed many sick folk, and then he died in peace.

And on this day also [Timothy, of the city of Gaza, and] Saint Matyas, of the city of Cyprus, became martyrs. Salutation to [Timothy, of Gaza], and to Matyas (Minas ?), of the city of Cyprus. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 25 (March 4)

On this day Ausanius, and Philemon, and a certain virgin whose name was Likaia, became martyrs. These saints believed through Paul, the Apostle, when he was in the city of Phrygia. And when the infidels made a festival in honor of the idol Artemis, which they called by the name of the star of Venus, these saints gathered together, and went into the house of idols to see them, and to mock at their infidelity and error. And when they saw the man sacrificing to the idols, the flame of divine love waxed great in their hearts, and they went out of the temple, and entered the holy Church of Christ, and added to their praises and exhortation of our Lord Christ. And a certain man of those who were there heard them, and he heard in their talk the house of idols mentioned, and how they mocked at the people, and at their idols. And when information about this was laid before the governor, he mounted his horse and came to the church, and some of the believers took to flight. And the governor seized these saints, and he made iron rods red-hot in the fire, and thrust them into the sides of the saints. Then he cast Saint Ausanius into a well and the soldiers stoned him with stones until he delivered up his soul. And Saint Philemon and Saint Likaia he tortured severely many times, and they asked God to receive their souls; and He accepted their petition, and took their souls, and they received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And behold mention of their faith, and of their martyrdom, is made in the Gadla Hawaryat. Salutation to you, O Ausanius, and Philemon, and Lokala.

And on this day also Saints Kona, a deacon of the city of Rome, and Minas, of the city of Kus, and Delmadius, of the city of Gaza, became martyrs. Salutation to Kona, and Minas, and to Delmadius. Salutation to Kumuta, and to Antonius. [

On this day are commemorated Damayelnos, and Reginos, the martyrs, and Antony, that is to say Raweh, the Koreishite, of the nobles of the new Arabs.] Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 26 (March 5)

On this day died the righteous man Hosea the prophet, and he was also called ‘Ozya. This righteous man prophesied in the days of five kings, that is to say, Amos and Uzziah, and Jotham and Ahaz and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah. And he said marvelous things in his prophecy, and he rebuked the children of Israel, and called them children of whoremongers. And he made them to know that God would not turn back His wrath from them, and that He would not have compassion upon them, and that He hath rejected us. And he said, “If the number of the children of Israel be like the sand of the sea which cannot be counted, only a few of them shall be left.” And he prophesied concerning the belief of the Gentiles in God, [saying], “I will call those who are not My people, and I will make them My people, and they shall call Me their God.” And he prophesied concerning the Passion of our Redeemer, and His Resurrection, and saith, “My redemption by His blood is before Him.” And he saith also, “He who slew us, and He who broke us, shall make us to live after two days, and shall raise us up on the third day. And He knoweth our course in the knowledge of God.” And he spoke also concerning the destruction of the domination of death, and concerning the breaking of the goad (sting) of Hell. And he prophesied for a period of seventy years and having pleased God he died at a good old age. Salutation to Hosea who preached the coming of Christ.

On this day also Saint Sadok and the saints who were with him and who were one hundred and twenty and eight in number, became martyrs. Behram, King of Persia, required of these saints to worship the sun, and Saint Sadok answered and said unto him, “I did not come forth from my mother’s womb to worship the sun, which appeareth, but to worship its Creator.” And Behram the king answered and said unto him, “Hath this sun a god?” And the saint said unto him, “Yea, Christ is [its] god”; and the king commanded the soldiers to cut off his head. And the saint stood up and prayed, and entreated God, and then he bowed his holy head and they cut it off with a sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And light from heaven descended upon him, and those who were there saw it, and they all cried out, saying, “We are Christians; we believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.” And the king commanded the soldiers to cut off all their heads with the sword [and they did so], and they received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Sadok. [The Bodleian MS. says that the martyrs were 2008.] Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 27 (March 6)

On this day died the holy father Abba Eustathius, Archbishop of the city of Antioch. This saint lived in the days of the Emperor Constantine the Great, and the whole world was filled completely with his divine teaching. And when the Council of the Saints assembled in the city of Nicea, this father was one of the presidents of the Council, and he agreed with the fathers, and they excommunicated and drove out Arius and his companions, who were ‘Awsabius of ‘Amid, and Nar’Isos, Bishop of the city of Nicea. And he proclaimed by the Holy Spirit the True Faith which the holy fathers of the Council proclaimed, and he drew up with them the Canon and the Law, which are written in the churches and are well known among all Christian peoples; and afterwards, the Council of the saints drew up the Law of the Church in their own countries. And the infidels who had been cut off from their Episcopal offices went forth, and after a few days they pretended that they wished to depart to Jerusalem. And they came into the city of Antioch and they gathered together in the house of a certain woman who was a harlot, and having promised to give her much money, they taught her to go into the church, and to speak lies against this saint. And she said unto the priests and the people, “This father hath committed fornication with me, and [this] is the boy, which I bare him, and he is his son.” And she took the money from them, and did as they had taught her. And those wicked men in their craftiness made a pact with that woman and accused her of speaking lies against the saint, and they debated with her, and said unto her, “Thou art a liar, and dost speak lies against this saint, and we will neither believe thee, nor accept thy word against him, unless thou takest an oath by the Holy Gospel that it is this saint who committed fornication with thee; if thou dost not swear we will not believe thee.” And the woman swore by the Holy Gospel, according as those wicked men had taught her. And thereupon those wicked men said, “Now that thou hast sworn an oath, the whole matter is complete.” And after this those wicked men passed judgment upon this saint, and they cut him off from his Episcopal office, and then they sent a letter to the Emperor Constantine, and they calumniated the saint to him, and said unto him, “Behold, the united priesthood have assembled against him, and they have cut him off from his office, because of the fornication which he committed; do what thou pleasest to him.” And Constantine thought that what they said was true, and he sent and banished this saint to the city of ‘Etrakes, and he died there in exile. Woe be unto the souls of those men who of their evil disposition separated the Son of God from His Godhead, and drove out this saint from his office, by means of the evil pretext which their teacher Satan had taught them. And they became associates of a harlot, and they entreated her so well that at length she uttered lies against the holy man, [saying] that he had committed fornication with her, and they made her swear [this] on the Holy Gospel. But God was not ignorant about her or them, for after they had driven the holy man into exile the woman fell sick of a severe sickness, which lasted a long time. And at length her body withered, and fell into utter decay; and she knew that the severe sickness which caused her tribulation had come because of the lies which she had uttered against the saint; and she drew nigh to death. And when her sickness increased she confessed before all the men of the city of Antioch, and said unto them, “Saint Eustathius is innocent of this charge. These wicked men gave me much money, and taught me to utter lies against him, and I swore an oath falsely on the Holy Gospel. The sin to which I swore I committed with another man whose name was Eustathius, like that of the saint, and those men taught me to swear the oath, and when I did so I thought in my heart of that Eustathius with whom I had committed fornication, though I uttered the name of this saint freely with my mouth.” And when she had confessed her sin before all the people of the city of Antioch, they were exceedingly sad. And at the time of the Eucharist, the priests of the city of Antioch omitted to mention the name of this saint, and when they had heard the confession of this woman, they mentioned the name of this saint at the time of the Eucharist. And Saint John, the Mouth of Gold (i.e. Chrysostom), praised this saint in many Homilies and writings which he pronounced on him on the day of his festival. Salutation to Eustathius. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 28 (March 7)

On this day saint Theodore, the Roman, became a martyr. This saint was from the city of ‘Astir, and he lived in the days of the infidel Emperors Maximus and Masabos, who heard that he did not agree with them in their infidelity. And they had him brought before them and commanded him to worship idols, and to sacrifice to them, but he would not obey them, and he said unto them, “I will not worship unclean idols, for I worship my Lord Jesus Christ, the son of the Living God, the Creator of the heavens, and the earth, and all that is therein.” Then they made him promises of many things, if he would worship their idols, but he neither accepted their promises, nor submitted to their words, and he cursed both them and their idols. And straightway they were wroth with him, and they commanded the soldiers to torture him with every kind of torture; and they tortured him on the wheel, and they cut off his limbs, and they burned him with fire, and then they beat him severely with whips, and he endured all these tortures through the might of our Lord Jesus Christ, which strengthened him. When they were tired of torturing him they cut off his head with the sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Theodore. Salutation to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Salutation to the companions of Theodore, etc. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 29 (March 8)

On this day Saint Bolikarbos became a martyr. This saint was Bishop of the city of ‘Armoni (Smyrna) and he sat upon his Episcopal throne for many days, until he became a very old man; and he composed many Admonitions and Homilies on the festival of the Holy Birth, and on Death, and on Hell, and on the Judgment which was to come upon sinners, and on our holy Lady the Virgin Mary, and on the operation of the wisdom of our Redeemer, and on the holy festivals; and he brought to God many souls by his life-giving teachings. And days of tribulation and persecution having come upon Christian people, he longed to shed his holy blood for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he commanded his people and taught them to be strong in the True and Holy Faith. And he spoke unto them, and told them that after this they would never see his face again, because he longed to shed his holy blood; and they all wept and sorrowed because of their separation from him. And they said unto him, “We will not let thee go, O our father, and leave us orphans; we will give our souls for thee.” And when they were unable to hold him back, they let him go, and he went out from them, and departed to the governor, and he stood up before him and confessed the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and the governor tortured him greatly. And the people said unto the saint, “Spare thyself. Thou art a very old man.” And the people begged and entreated him to go out of the city, and to please their hearts he said unto them, “I will go out secretly.” That night he saw a vision, and it seemed that a man said unto him, “Why has thou forgotten thy good resolution to become a martyr, and hast turned back?” And he appeared before the governor, who commanded the soldiers to cut off his head, and they cut off his head with the sword, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And certain believing men took his body, and prepared it for burial in the manner befitting a bishop, and they laid him in a tomb. Salutation to thee, O Bolikarbos. Salutation to Thy Birth, O Jesus Christ. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Yekatit 30 (March 9)

On this day was found the head of John the Baptist. Now Herod the infidel commanded the soldiers to cut off the head of the saint, and when they had cut it off, and brought it to him, he showed the people that he was sorry for what he had done to Saint John, and he left the holy head of Saint John in his house. And when Herod had put away the daughter of ‘Aorta and taken Herodias, his brother’s wife, the daughter of ‘Aorta came to her father, and she wept before him, and told him what Herod had done to her. And ‘Aorta rose up, and gathered together his soldiers, and he came to the country of Galilee, and plundered all their cities and burned them with fire. When the Emperor Tiberius Caesar heard this thing [he enquired] and the people told him that ‘Aorta had done this thing because Herod had put away his daughter. And Tiberius Caesar was wroth with Herod because he had killed the man who was held to be a great prophet by all the people of the cities, and had taken his brother’s wife, and because his father-in-law ‘Aorta had plundered and laid waste all the cities of Galilee. And Tiberius Caesar sent, and had Herod brought to him to the city of Rome, and Herodias with him, after he had buried the head of Saint John in his house. And when Herod came to Tiberius Caesar, the emperor removed him from his governorship, and seized all his money, and sent him to the country of ‘Andeles, where he died an evil death. And the emperor sent, and laid waste his house, and he made it visible to everyone who looked thereat; and his house was left a heap of waste, with the exception of the porch, which had no doors (?), and the pilgrims used to live there. And at that time two men who were poor in respect of money, but rich in the matter of the Faith, went to Jerusalem to worship, and to fast the Holy Fast (i.e. Lent). Now this took place many years later. And when the evening was come they went and dwelt in the ruined house of Herod, and Saint John appeared unto one of them in a dream, and told him his name, and the place wherein was his head; and he commanded him to take it and carry it to his house; when the man woke up from his dream, he told his companion what he had seen. And they rose up together, and came to that place which Saint John had pointed out to him, and they found a vessel therein. And when they had opened it, there ascended to them the odor of a perfume, which was very pleasant, and they found in it the holy head of Saint John, and they were blessed thereby. And they put it back into the vessel, and fastened up the mouth thereof, as it was at first, and the man took it with him to his house, and paid it very great honor, and kept a lamp burning before it continually. And when death drew nigh unto that man he told his sister about the holy head, and commanded her to treat it as he had done; and she paid honor to the holy head, and kept a lamp burning before it. And the head of Saint John was handed on from man to man, until at length it came to a certain man who was an Arian, and who thought that the head would perform miracles for him, although he was of the faith of Arius, the infidel. And Saint John raised up against him a man who was greater than he, and this man drove him away from that place, and that place lay waste until Abba Cyril was made Bishop of Jerusalem, and Abba Anianus Bishop of the city of Khamd. And Saint John appeared unto Abba Anianus during his sleep, and told him the place wherein was his holy head, and Abba Anianus went and fetched it up, as it were on this day, the thirtieth day of the month Ginbot. This is the second time they found it--on the thirtieth day of the month Yakatit. And John, the Mouth of Gold (i.e. Chrysostom), saith something different to this, that is to say: When Herod commanded the soldiers, and they had cut off the head of the saint whilst he was in prison, they brought it to him, and he gave it to the daughter of Herodias on a platter. And when that unclean harlot touched it, the hair of the head stood up, and the holy head leaped up into the air, and was crying out and saying, “It is not right for thee to take thy brother’s wife,” and it continued to fly about like an eagle, and to utter these words for a period of fifteen years, when it ceased and was buried in the Sea of Arabia. And the pilgrims used to dwell in that place. And by the Will of God there came to that place two righteous and believing pilgrims, who were brothers, and they dwelt in that place. And Saint John appeared unto them, and told them to take up his holy head. And they took up his head from that place, and they carried it away with them to their house, and paid it great honor. Salutation to thy head, O Saint John. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.