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Martyrdom of St Ḥabbib the Deacon

tr. Burkitt, 1913

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In the month of August, of the year 620 of the kingdom of Alexander of Macedon, [in the consulate of Licinius and Constantine, which is the year in which he was born], in the magistracy of Julius and of Baraḳ, in the days of Ḳonna, Bishop of Edessa, [Licinius] had made a persecution against the church and all the people of the Christians, after that first persecution which the Emperor Diocletian had made. And the Emperor [Licinius] commanded that there should be sacrifices and libations, and that altars be repaired in every place, that perfumes and frankincense they should burn before Zeus. And when many were being persecuted they cried out of their own free will, “We are Christians”, and they were not afraid of the persecution, because those who were persecuted were more numerous than those who were persecuting. Now Ḥabbib, who was of the village Tel-ṣhē¹, and had been made a deacon, was both going about to the churches in the villages secretly and ministering and reading the scriptures, and was encouraging and strengthening many by his word, and admonishing them to stand fast in the truth of their belief, and not to be afraid of the persecutors, and he was commanding them. And while many were confirmed by his words, and received what he said affectionately, being cautioned not to renounce that state in which they stood, and when the city Informers had heard, men who had been appointed for this same purpose, they went in and made known to Ausonius, the Governor that was in the citadel of Edessa, and say to him, “Ḥabbib, who is a deacon in the village Tel-ṣhē, goeth about and ministers secretly in every place, and he withstandeth the Emperor’s command and is not afraid”. And when the Governor had heard these things, he was filled with rage against Ḥabbib; and he made a Report, and sent and made known to [Licinius] the Emperor all that Ḥabbib had done, both that he might learn and see what command would be given respecting him and those who would not sacrifice; for although a command had been issued that every man should sacrifice, yet it had not been ordered what was to be done to those who would not sacrifice; because they had heard that Constantine, ⟨who was Emperor in⟩ Italy, in Gaul, and in Spain, was a Christian and did not sacrifice. And [Licinius] the Emperor gave orders to Ausonius the Governor, that “whosoever thus has dared to transgress our command, our Majesty has commanded that he should perish by fire: and that others who do not comply and sacrifice, should perish by the sword”.

Now when this command had come to the citadel of Edessa, Ḥabbib, the same on whose account the Report had been made, was gone over to the country of the Zeugmatites, in order that he might minister there also secretly. And when the Governor had sent and inquired for him in his village, and in all the country round, and he could not be found, he had commanded that all his family should be arrested, and the inhabitants of his village, and they had arrested them and put them into irons, his mother and the rest of his family, and also some of the people of his village; and they brought them to the city, and bound them in prison. And when Ḥabbib had heard of this which had taken place, he considered in his mind, and meditated in his thoughts, “It is expedient for me that I go and appear before the Judge of the country, rather than that I should remain in secret, and others enter and be crowned on my account, and I find myself in great disgrace. For how will the name of Christian help him who fleeth from the confession of Christianity? Lo, if he flee from this, the death of nature is before him whithersoever he goeth, and he is not able to escape from it, because this is decreed against all the children of Adam”.

And Ḥabbib arose and went to Edessa secretly, having prepared his back for the stripes, and his sides for the tearing of the combs, and his body for the burning of fire. And he went into the courtyard to Theotecna, a veteran, who was the chief of the Governor’s guard, and said to him, “I am Ḥabbib of Tel-ṣhē, whom ye are seeking”. And Theotecna said to him, “If it be that no man saw thee when thou camest to me, obey me who am speaking to thee, and depart and go whither thou wast before, and be there at this time, and this that thou didst come to me and speak with me, and that I advised thee thus, let no man know or be aware of; and about thy family and the inhabitants of thy village do not be anxious at all, for no man will hurt them at all, but they will remain a few days in the prison, and the Governor will then dismiss them, because the Emperors have not commanded any thing bad or dreadful concerning them: but if thou wilt not be persuaded by me in these things which I have said to thee, I am free of thy blood, because if it be that thou appear before the Judge of the country, thou wilt not escape from death by fire, according to the command of the Emperors, which they have given concerning thee”.

Ḥabbib says to Theotecna, “As for me, it is not about my family and the inhabitants of my village that I am anxious, but about my own life, lest it should perish. Also I am much grieved about this, that I did not happen to be in my village on the day that the Governor inquired for me, and on my account, lo, many are thrown into irons, and I have been regarded by him as a fugitive. Wherefore, if so be thou wilt not be persuaded by me and take me in before the Governor, I by myself will go and make my appearance before him”. And when Theotecna had heard him speak thus to him, he arrested him swiftly, and delivered him up to his domestics, and they brought him with him to the Governor’s Court of Justice. And Theotecna had gone in and made it known to the Governor, and had said to him: “Ḥabbib from Tel-ṣhē has come, whom thy lordship was searching after”. And the Governor had said: “Who is it that has brought him? And where did they find him? And what was he doing where he was?” Theotecna says to him: “He of his own free will has come hither without the constraint of any one, for no one was aware of him”.

And when the Governor had heard this, he was embittered against him much, and thus had he said: “This fellow, who has thus acted, has indeed shewn contempt towards me and has despised me, and has accounted me as no Judge; even because he has thus acted, it is not right that any mercy be shewn towards him, neither that I should be in a hurry to pass sentence of death against him according to the command issued against him by the Emperors; but it is right for me to have patience with him, in order that his tortures and bitter sentence may be more increased, and through him I may terrify many from ever daring to flee”.

And when many people were gathered together and standing by him at the door of the judgement hall, some of them being his own Officials and others being the people of the city, there were some of them that were saying: “Thou hast done badly in coming and shewing thyself to those who were searching for thee, without the constraint of the Judge”; and there were those again who were saying to him: “Thou hast done well in coming and shewing thyself of thine own free will, rather than that the constraint of the Judge should bring thee; for now is thy confession of the Messiah known to be by thine own will, and not by the constraint of men”.

But the things, which the city Informers had heard from those who were saying (this) to him, while they were standing at the door of the judgement hall, and also the fact that he had gone secretly to Theotecna, and he had not wished to denounce him, had been heard by the city Informers, and they made known to the Judge every thing that they had heard. And the Judge was angry against those who had been saying to Ḥabbib, “Wherefore didst thou come and shew thyself to the Judge, without constraint from the Judge himself?” And to Theotecna he had said: “It was not right for a man, who has been made the chief of his comrades, thus to act deceitfully towards his own ruler, and frustrate the Emperors’ command, which they issued against Ḥabbib the rebel, that he should be burned with fire”. Theotecna says: “Towards my comrades I have not acted deceitfully, neither to frustrate the edict which the Emperors issue have I looked; for what am I before thy lordship, that I should dare to do it? But I strictly questioned him as to that which thy lordship also has inquired at my hands, in order that I might know and see whether it was of his own free will that he came hither, or whether the constraint of thy lordship had not brought him by the hand of others; and when I had heard from him that he had come of his own will, I carefully brought him to the honourable door of the Court of Justice of thy rectitude”.

And the Governor gave orders instantly, and they brought in Ḥabbib before him. The guard says: “Lo, he standeth before thy lordship”². And he began to interrogate him thus, and said to him: “What is thy name? and whence art thou? and what art thou?” He says to him: “Ḥabbib is my name, and I am from the village Tel-ṣhē, and I have been made a deacon”. The Governor says: “Wherefore hast thou transgressed the command of the Emperors, and dost minister in thine office, which is forbidden to thee by the Emperors, and art not willing to sacrifice to Zeus, whom the Emperors worship?” Ḥabbib says: “We Christians do not worship the works of men, which are not anything themselves, neither are their makers anything; but we worship God who made men”. The Governor says: “Stand not with that audacious mind with which thou art come before me, insulting Zeus the great glory of the Emperors”. Ḥabbib says: “If this Zeus is not an idol, the work of men, thou hast said well that I insult him; but if the carving of him out of wood and fixing of him with nails cry out against him that he is a thing made, how sayest thou to me that I insult him, for lo, his insult is from himself and against himself!” The Governor says: “By this very thing that thou art not willing to worship him, thou insultest him”. Ḥabbib says: “And if because I do not worship him I insult him, how great an insult then has the carpenter inflicted on him, who carved him out with an axe of iron, and the smith, who struck him and fixed him up with nails!” And when the Governor had heard that he spake thus, he had commanded him to be scourged unsparingly. And when he had been scourged of five, he said to him: “Wilt thou now obey the Emperors? And if thou wilt not obey, I will indeed tear thee with combs, and with all kinds of torture I will torture thee, and then at last I will give orders against thee, that thou be burnt with fire”.

Ḥabbib says: “These threats, which, lo, thou art now frightening me with, are much less and smaller than those which I had already made up my mind to endure; therefore I came and made my appearance before thee”. The Governor says: “Put him in the iron fetter for murderers, and let him be scourged as he deserves: and when he was being scourged they say to him: “Sacrifice to the gods!” and he was crying aloud and saying: “Anathema are your idols, and they who worship them with you are like you!” And the Governor gave orders, and they took him up to the prison, they did not give him permission to speak with his own family and the inhabitants of his village, according to the command of the judge. Now the day was the Emperors’ festival.

But on the second of September the Governor had given orders, and they had brought him from the prison, and had said to him: “Wilt thou renounce that in which thou standest, and obey the edict of our Lords the Emperors? But if thou wilt not obey, I will make thee obey them by bitter tearings of combs”. Ḥabbib says: “I have not obeyed them, nor is it set in my mind to obey them, not even if thou sentence me to sentences worse even than those which the Emperors have decreed.” The Governor says: “By the Gods I swear, that unless thou wilt sacrifice, I will not omit anything hard and bitter that I will not torture thee with: and we shall see if the Messiah, whom thou worshippest, will deliver thee”. Ḥabbib says: “All those who worship the Messiah are those who are delivered by the Messiah, that they should not worship creatures together with the Creator of the creatures”. The Governor says: “Let him be stretched out and be beaten with whips, until there remain not a place in his body, on which he has not been beaten”. Ḥabbib says: “These afflictions, which thou hast supposed to be bitter in their stripes, of them are platted crowns of victory for those who endure them”. The Governor says: “How can ye call afflictions recreation, and account the torments of your bodies a crown of victory?” Ḥabbib says: “It is not for thee to ask me about these things, because thine unbelief does not deserve to hear the arguments for these things. That I will not sacrifice, I have said and I say”. The Governor says: “Thou, because thou deservest them, art standing in these sentences. I will put out those eyes of thine, which look upon this Zeus and are not afraid of him; and I will stop thine ears, which hear the laws of the Emperors and are not terrified”. Ḥabbib says: “God, whom thou deniest here, hath another world, and there thou wilt confess Him with stripes, although thou mayest further deny Him”. The Governor says: “Let that world alone about which thou hast spoken, and attend now to this trial in which, lo, thou standest, for there is no one who is able to deliver thee from it, unless the Gods deliver thee if thou sacrifice to them”. Ḥabbib says: “Those who die for the name of the Messiah, and worship not things made and creatures, will find their lives in the presence of God: and those who love the life of this present time more than that, their torment is for ever”.

And the Governor gave order, and they hanged him up and tare him with the combs, and as they were tearing him with the combs they dragged him about: and he was hanging a long while, until the shoulder-blades of his arms creaked. The Governor says to him: “Wilt thou be persuaded even now to put incense before this Zeus?” Ḥabbib says: “Before these sufferings I was not persuaded by thee; now that, lo, I have suffered them, how thinkest thou that I should be persuaded by thee, to lose by them that which I have gained by them?” The Governor says: “By sentences fiercer and bitterer than these I am prepared to make thee obey, according to the Emperor’s command, until thou do their will”. Ḥabbib says: “Thou art sentencing me for not having obeyed the command of the Emperors, who lo, thyself also, whom the Emperors have raised and made a judge, hast transgressed their command, in that thou hast not done to me, what the Emperors commanded thee”. The Governor says: “Because I have had patience with thee dost thou say thus, like a man bringing an accusation?” Ḥabbib says: “If thou hadst not scourged me and bound me, and torn me with combs and put my feet into the stocks, it might have been supposed that thou hadst had patience with me: but if these things have intervened, where is the patience towards me of which thou hast said?” The Governor says: “These things which thou hast said will not help thee, because they are all of them against thee, and they will bring upon thee afflictions which are bitterer even than those which the Emperors have commanded”. Ḥabbib says: “If I had not been aware that they will help me, I should not have spoken at all about them before thee”. The Governor says: “I will silence these words of thine, and at the same time appease the Gods about thee for thy not having worshipped them, and I will quiet the Emperors’ mind about thee, because thou hast rebelled against their commands”. Ḥabbib says: “I am not afraid of the death which thou threatenest me with, for had I been afraid of it, I should not have gone about from house to house, and ministered: for its sake it was that I did so minister”.

The Governor says: “How is it that thou worshippest and adorest a man, and this Zeus thou art not willing to worship and honour?” Ḥabbib says: “A man I worship not, because it is written for me, ‘Cursed is every one that putteth his trust in man’; but God, who took a body and became man, I worship and glorify”. The Governor says: “Do thou what the Emperors have commanded, and what is in thy mind is thine: if thou be willing to let it go, well and good, and if thou be not willing, then do not leave it”. Ḥabbib says: “Both these things cannot be, because falsehood is contrary to truth, nor is it possible for that thought to be taken away which is firmly fixed in my mind”. The Governor says: “By bitterer and harder tortures, I will make thee put away from thy thoughts, that of which thou saidst, ‘It is firmly fixed in my mind’”. Ḥabbib says: “These afflictions about which thou supposest that by them it will be rooted up from my thoughts, it is by them it groweth in the midst of my thoughts like a tree bearing fruit”. The Governor says: “What help can stripes and tearing of combs give to this tree of thine? and more especially at the time that I order fire against it, to burn it unsparingly”. Ḥabbib says: “Not at those things which thou lookest at do I look, because I contemplate the things which are not seen, and on this account I do the will of God who makes, and not that of an idol that is made, which cannot even feel any thing”. The Governor says: “Because he thus denies the gods whom the Emperors worship, let more tearing of combs be added to his former combings; for in the many questions which I have had the patience with him to ask him, he has forgotten his former tearings of combs”. And while they were tearing him he was crying aloud and saying: “The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which is to be revealed in those that love the Messiah”³.

And when the Governor saw that not even under these afflictions he would sacrifice, he said to him: “So your doctrine teaches you that you should hate your own bodies?” Ḥabbib says: “Our bodies we do not hate; it is indeed written for us: ‘Whosoever will lose his life shall find it’; but another thing also is written for us, ‘that we should not give that which is holy to dogs, and that we should not cast pearls before swine’”. The Governor says: “I know that all thou sayest thus is in order that my rage and the anger of my mind may be excited, and that I should give sentence of death against thee speedily. I will not therefore be hurried on to that which thou desirest, but I will have patience; not, indeed, for thy ease, but in order that the affliction of thy tortures may be increased, and that thou mayest see thy flesh falling off before thee by the combs which are passing over thy sides”. Ḥabbib says: “I also am looking to this, that thou shouldest multiply thy tortures upon me as thou hast said”. The Governor says: “Comply with the Emperors, who have authority to do whatsoever they will”. Ḥabbib says: “There are no men who do whatsoever they will, but only God, whose authority is over heaven and over all the inhabitants of the earth; nor is there any one that can blame His actions and say to Him ‘What doest thou?’”

The Governor says: “For this insolence of thine death by the sword is too little; but I am prepared to decree against thee a death bitterer than that of the sword”. Ḥabbib says: But I look for a death more lingering than that of the sword, which thou wilt decree against me at the time that thou wishest”.

And afterwards the Governor began to give the sentence of death against him; and he called out aloud before his corps of officials, and says, the nobles of the city also hearing him: “Ḥabbib, this fellow who has denied the Gods, as ye also have heard from him, and has likewise insulted the Emperors, it is right that his life also should be wiped out from under this honoured sun, and that he should not see this light, the associate of the Gods; and were it not that it has been commanded by former Emperors that the corpses of murderers should be buried, it would be right that the corpse of this fellow should not even be buried, because he has been so insolent. I command that a strap be cast into his mouth as into the mouth of a murderer, and that he be burned by a slow lingering fire, that the torture of his death may be increased”.

And he went out from the presence of the Governor with the strap thrust into his mouth, and a multitude of the people of the city was running after him. Now the Christians were rejoicing that he had not turned aside nor abandoned his state of life, and the Pagans were threatening him because he would not sacrifice. And they took him out by the Western Gate, (the Gate) of the Arches, over against the cemetery which was built by ‘Abshelama, Abgar’s son. Now his mother was clad in white, and she was going out with him.

And when he had arrived at the place where they were going to burn him, he stood up and prayed, and all those that were going out with him, and he said: “King Messiah, thou to whom belongs this world and the world to come, look and see, that though I was able to flee from these afflictions, I did not flee, that I might not fall into the hands of thy justice: let this fire, in which I am to be burned, be to me for a recompense before thee, so that I may be delivered from that fire which is not quenched, and receive my spirit in thy presence into the spirit of thy Godhead, glorious Son of the adorable Father!” And when he had prayed, he turned and blessed them, and they gave him the salutation as they wept, men and women, and they say to him: “Pray for us in the presence of thy Lord, that he would make His peace for His people, and renewal for His churches which are cast down”.

And while Ḥabbib was standing they dug a place, and took him and set him in the midst of it, and they fixed up by him a stake. And they came to bind him to the stake, and he said to them: “I will not stir from this place in which ye are going to burn me”. And they brought faggots and set them in order, and placed them on all sides of him: and when the fire burnt up and its flames ascended fiercely they called out to him, “Open thy mouth!” And the moment he opened his mouth his soul had mounted up⁴; and they exclaimed, both men and women, with the voice of weeping. And they drew him and took him up out of the fire, and they threw over him fine linen and choice unguents and spices, and they seized upon some of the faggots for burning him, and they carried him, both brethren and men of the world, and wrapped him up and buried him by Guria and Shmona the martyrs, in the same grave in which they were placed, on the hill which is called Beth Alah Ḳiḳla, saying over him psalms and hymns and carrying his burnt body in procession affectionately and honourably. And even some Jews and Pagans took part in shrouding and burying his body with the Christian brethren. Now at the time of his burning, and also at the time when they buried him, there was one spectacle of grief spread over those within and those without, and tears were running down from all eyes, while every one was giving glory to God, for whose Name he had given his body to the burning of fire.

Now the day on which he was burned was †Saturday†, the second of September, on the day that it was heard that Constantine the Great had begun to depart from the interior of Spain, in order to proceed to Rome, the city of Italy, that he might carry on the war with Licinius, who at this day has the dominion over the Eastern parts of the Roman dominions; and, lo, the countries are in commotion on all sides, because no man knoweth which of them will be victorious and continue in the power of the empire. And at this news the persecution relaxed a little from the churches. Now the Notaries wrote down every thing that they had heard from the Judge: and the city Informers wrote the rest of the things which were said outside the door of the judgement hall, and as was the custom they made known to the judge all that they heard and saw, and their sentences are recorded in their Acts.

I, Theophilus, who had renounced the evil inheritance of my fathers, and confessed the Messiah, gave diligence and wrote a copy of these Acts of Ḥabbib, as I had formerly written of Guria and of Shmona, his fellow-martyrs; and inasmuch as he had called them happy in their death by the sword, he resembled them himself also in his being crowned by the burning of fire. And that I have written the year, and the month, and the day of the crowning of these Martyrs, is not for the sake of those who like me saw the deed, but so that they who come after us might learn what was the time of these Martyrs, and which are commemorated also in the Acts of the former Martyrs, who (lived) in the days of the Emperor Domitianus, and of the rest of the Emperors who also had made a persecution against the church, and likewise had killed many with stripes and with combings and with bitter afflictions, and with keen-edged swords, and with burning fire, and in the terrible sea, and in the merciless mines — and all these things and things like them, for the hope of the future reward.

Now the afflictions of these Martyrs, and of those whom I had heard of, opened the eyes of me, Theophilus, and enlightened my mind, and I confessed the Messiah, that he is the Son of God, and that he is God. And may the dust of these Martyrs’ feet, which I received as I ran after them at the time of their going forth to be crowned, get me pardon for having denied Him, and may He confess me before those who worship Him, who have confessed Him now!

Now with the twenty-seventh question that the Judge asked Ḥabbib he gave against him sentence of death to be burned with fire.

HERE ENDETH THE MARTYRDOM OF ḤABBIB THE DEACON.

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