The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

After the main narrative of the martyrdom of Sharbel (see E01890) ends with the mention of his and his sister's bodies being buried by the local Christians and with the first-person subscription of its presumed authors Marinus and Anatolus, the following note on bishop Barsamya concludes the work:

ܗܢܐ ܕܝܢ ܒܪܣܡܝܐ ܐܦܣܩܘܦܐ ܬܠܡܕܗ ܗܘܐ ܠܫܪܒܝܠ ܟܘܡܪܐ. ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܗܘܐ ܕܝܢ ܒܝܘ̈ܡܝ ܒܝܢܘܤ ܐܦܣܩܘܦܐ ܕܪܗܘܡܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܒܝܘ̈ܡܘܗܝ ܟܢܫܬ ܗܘܬ ܟܘܠܗ̇ ܐܢܫܘܬܐ ܕܪܗܘܡܐ. ܘܩܥܘ ܗܘܘ ܠܗܦܪܟܐ ܕܡܕܝܢܬܗܘܢ ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܠܗ. ܕܐܟ̈ܣܢܝܐ ܝܬܝܖ̈ܐ ܐܝܬ ܒܗ̇ ܒܡܕܝܢܬܢ. ܘܗܢܘܢ ܥܒܕܝܢ ܟܦܢܐ ܘܝܘܩܪܢܐ ܕܟܠܡܕܡ. ܐܠܐ ܟܕ ܒܥܝܢ ܚܢܢ ܡܢܟ ܕܬܦܩܘܕ ܢܦܩܝܢ ܡܢ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ. ܘܟܕ ܦܩܕ ܗܘܐ ܕܢܦܩܘܢ ܡܢ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ. ܐܬܟܢܫܘ ܗܘܘ ܗܢܘܢ ܐܟ̈ܣܢܝܐ ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܠܗ ܠܗܦܪܟܐ ܟܕ ܒܥܝܢ ܚܢܢ ܡܢܟ ܡܪܝ ܦܩܘܕ ܕܐܦ ܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܕܡ̈ܝܬܝܢ ܥܡܢ ܢܦܩܘܢ. ܘܦܩܕ ܗܘܐ ܠܗܘܢ ܕܢܣܒܘܢ ܗܘܘ ܓܖ̈ܡܝܗܘܢ ܕܡ̈ܝܬܐ ܘܢܦܩܘܢ ܘܐܬܟܢܫܘ ܗܘܘ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܐܟ̈ܣܢܝܐ ܠܡܣܒ ܓܖ̈ܡܘܗܝ ܕܫܡܥܘܢ ܟܐܦܐ ܘܕܦܘܠܘܤ ܫ̈ܠܝܚܐ ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܪܗܘܡܐ ܠܐ ܝܗܒܝܢ ܐܢܚܢܢ ܠܟܘܢ ܓܖ̈ܡܝܗܘܢ ܕܫ̈ܠܝܚܐ. ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܠܗܘܢ ܗܢܘܢ ܐܟ̈ܣܢܝܐ. ܕܝܠܦܘ ܘܚܙܘ ܕܫܡܥܘܢ ܕܡܬܩܪܐ ܟܐܦܐ ܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܨܝܕܐ ܗ̣ܘ ܕܓܠܝܠܐ. ܘܦܘܠܘܤ ܫܠܝܚܐ ܡܢ ܛܪܣܘܤ ܗ̣ܘ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܕܩܝܠܝܩܝܐ. ܘܟܕ ܝܕܥܘ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܪܗܘܡܐ ܕܗܟܢܐ ܗ̣ܝ ܨܒܘܬܐ ܗܕܐ. ܐܟܢ ܗ̣ܘ ܫܒܩܘ ܐܢܘܢ. ܘܟܕ ܛܥܢܘ ܐܢܘܢ ܘܫܢܝܘ ܗܘܘ ܡܢ ܕܘܟ̈ܝܬܗܘܢ. ܒܗ̇ ܒܫܥܬܐ ܗܘܐ ܗܘܐ ܙܘܥܐ ܪܒܐ. ܘܡܛܘ ܗܘܘ ܡܕܝܖ̈ܐ ܕܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܠܡܦܠ. ܘܩܪܝܒܐ ܗܘܬ ܠܡܬܗܦܟܘ. ܘܟܕ ܚܙܘ ܗܘܘ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܪܗܘܡܐ. ܗܦܟܘ ܒܥܘ ܡܢ ܐܟ̈ܣܢܝܐ ܕܢܦܘܫܘܢ ܗܘܘ ܒܡܕܝܢܬܗܘܢ ܘܕܢܬܣܡܘܢ ܗܘܘ ܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܒܕܘܟ̈ܝܬܗܘܢ. ܘܟܕ ܥܛܦܘ ܗܘܘ ܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܕܫ̈ܠܝܚܐ ܠܕܘܟ̈ܝܬܗܘܢ ܗܘܐ ܫܠܝܐ. ܘܢܚܐ ܗܘܘ ܙܘ̈ܥܐ ܘܫܠܝ ܗܘ̈ܝ ܖ̈ܘܚܐ ܘܢܗܪܬ ܗܘܬ ܐܐܪ ܘܐܬܦܨܚܬ ܗܘܬ ܟܠܗ̇ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܗ̇ܝ. ܘܟܕ ܚܙܘ ܝܗ̈ܘܕܝܐ ܘܚܢ̈ܦܐ. ܪܗܛܘ ܘܢܦܠܘ ܗܘܘ ܗܢܘܢ ܥܠ ܖ̈ܓܠܘ ܕܦܒܝܢܘܤ ܐܦܣܩܘܦܐ ܕܡܕܝܢܬܗܘܢ. ܟܕ ܩܥܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܝܗ̈ܘܕܝܐ ܕܡܘܕܝܢ ܐܢܚܢܢ ܒܡܫܝܚܐ ܕܙܩܦܢܢ ܒܪܗ ܗ̣ܘ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܚܝܐ. ܗܘ ܕܡܠܠܘܗܝ ܢܒ̈ܝܐ ܒܐܖ̈ܙܝܗܘܢ. ܘܩܥܘ ܐܦ ܚܢ̈ܦܐ ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܠܗ ܕܟܦܝܪ ܒܨ̈ܠܡܐ ܘܒܓ̈ܠܝܦܐ ܕܠܝܬ ܒܗܘܢ ܚܫܚܘ. ܘܡܗܝܡܢܝܢ ܐܢܚܢܢ ܒܝܫܘܥ ܡܠܟܐ ܒܪܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܐܬܐ ܘܥܬܝܕ ܕܬܘܒ ܢܐܬܐ ܘܐܠܘ ܐܝܬ ܗܘܐ ܝܘ̈ܠܦܢܐ ܐܚܖ̈ܢܐ ܒܪܗܘܡܐ ܘܒܟܠܗ̇ ܐܝܛܠܝܐ. ܐܦ ܗܢܘܢ ܟܦܪܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܒܝܘ̈ܠܦܢܝܗܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܕܟܦܪܘ ܗܘܘ ܚܢ̈ܦܐ ܘܒܣܒܪܬܐ ܕܫ̈ܠܝܚܐ ܕܡܬܟܪܙܐ ܗܘܬ ܒܥܕܬܐ ܡܘܕܝܢ ܗܘܘ.

‘For this bishop Barsamya made a disciple of the priest Sharbel. And he lived in the days of Fabianus, bishop of Rome; in whose days the whole population of Rome assembled together, and cried out to the governor of their city, saying to him: “There are too many strangers in our city, and they cause famine and scarcity of everything; but we beseech you to command them to depart from the city.” And when he had commanded them to depart from the city, these strangers gathered together and said to the governor: “We beseech you, our lord, command also that the bones of (our) dead may depart with us.” And he commanded them to take the bones of the dead, and to depart. And all the strangers gathered together to take the bones of the apostles Shimon Kepha [i.e. Peter] and Paul. But the people of Rome said to them: “We will not give you the bones of the apostles.” And those strangers said to them: “Learn and understand that Shimon, who is called Kepha, is from Bethsaida of Galilee, and the apostle Paul is from Tarsus, a city of Cilicia.” And when the people of Rome knew that this matter was so, then they left them. And when they had taken them (i.e. the relics) up and were removing them from their places, immediately there was a great earthquake, and the buildings of the city were on the point of falling down, and the city was near being overthrown. And when the people of Rome saw it, they turned and besought the strangers to remain in their city, and that the bones might be laid in their places. And when the bones of the apostles were returned to their places, there was quiet, and the earthquakes ceased, and the winds became still, and the air became bright, and that whole city became cheerful. And when the Jews and pagans saw (that), they also ran and fell at the feet of Fabianos, the bishop of their city – the Jews were crying out: “We confess Christ, whom we crucified; he is the Son of the living God, about whom the prophets spoke in their mysteries.” And the pagans also cried out, saying to him: “We renounce idols and carved images, which are of no use, and we believe in King Jesus, the Son of God, who has come and is to come again.” And, whatever other doctrines there were in Rome and in all Italy, their followers also renounced their doctrines, like as the pagans had renounced theirs, and they confessed the Gospel of the apostles, which was preached in the church.’


Text: Cureton 1864, pp. 61*-63*.
Translation: Pratten 1886, p. 685, modified.

Miraculous protection - of communities, towns, armies

Bodily relic - entire body

Foreigners (including Barbarians)

Source

Discussion

Bibliography