Name
Arethas and the Martyrs of Najran (southern Arabia), ob. 522/523
Saint ID
S01492
Number in BH
BHG 166
Reported Death Not Before
523
Reported Death Not After
523
Gender
Male
Type of Saint
Martyrs, Aristocrats
| ID | Title | E00968 | The Syriac Letter on the Martyrdom of the Himyarites, by Simeon of Beth Arsham (bishop of Seleucia-Ktesiphon), originally written in 524, relates the burning to death of many Christians (the *Martyrs of Najran, S01492), during a persecution in Najran (southern Arabia) carried out by the Jewish king Dhū Nuwās in the years 522/523, as well as the destruction of the bones of *Paulos (bishop of Najran, ob. early 5th c., S00620) and of other martyrs. The Letter asks Christians in the Roman East to commemorate these marytrs. | E02543 | Five floor-mosaic panels with Greek inscriptions from the 'South Church' at Nitl, c. 10 km south-east of Madaba (Roman province of Arabia), probably set up by Ghassanid/Jafnid-Arabs (including a phylarch), two with invocations of *Sergios (soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023); also with a reliquary. Probably 6th c. | E03391 | The early seventh-century Georgian version of the Lectionary of Jerusalem commemorates on 4 October *Arethas and the Martyrs of Najran (ob. 522/523, S01492). | E03715 | The Church Calendar of Ioane Zosime, compiled in Georgian in the 10th c., based however on 5th-7th c. prototypes from Palestine, commemorates on 20 April *Maximianos (bishop of Constantinople, ob. 434, S01817), *Arethas and the Martyrs of Najran (ob. 522/523, S01492), and *Paphnoutios (ascetic and martyr of Egypt, S01509). | E03882 | The Church Calendar of Ioane Zosime, compiled in Georgian in the 10th c., based however on 5th-7th c. prototypes from Palestine, commemorates on 1 October *Tarachos, Probos and Andronikos and their companions (martyrs of Anazarbos in Cilicia, S00710), *Arethas and the Martyrs of Najran (ob. 522/523, S01492), and, as a later addition, 'Ploutianos', an unidentified martyr. | E03885 | The Church Calendar of Ioane Zosime, compiled in Georgian in the 10th c., based however on 5th-7th c. prototypes from Palestine, commemorates on 4 October *Arethas and the Martyrs of Najran (ob. 522/523, S01492); a martyr Zebedee, an unidentified figure; the *Seven Sleepers of Ephesus (brothers who fell asleep during the persecution of Decius, S00287); and *Romanos ('the Melodist', S01631). | E03904 | The Church Calendar of Ioane Zosime, compiled in Georgian in the 10th c., based however on 5th-7th c. prototypes from Palestine, commemorates on 23 October *Anastasia (martyr of Sirmium and Rome, S00602) and *Arethas (martyr of Najran, ob. 522/523, S01492). | E03905 | The Church Calendar of Ioane Zosime, compiled in Georgian in the 10th c., based however on 5th-7th c. prototypes from Palestine, commemorates on 24 October *Merkourios (soldier and martyr of Caesarea of Cappadocia,S01323), *Micah (Old Testament Prophet, S01236), *Varos (probably the martyr of Egypt buried in Palestine, S01212), *Adrianos and Natalia (martyr of Nicomedia and his pious wife, S01342), *Arethas and the Martyrs of Najran (ob. 522/523, S01492), *Markianos (martyr of Constantinople, ob. c. 351, S01719), and *Sophia and her daughters (martyrs of Rome, S00554). | E06616 | The Greek Martyrdom of *Arethas and companions at Najran (S01492), tells of the beheading of Arethas, leader of the city of Najran (in southern Arabia), along with many other Christians, by the Jewish Himyarite king Dounaan in 522/523; in passing, the account also mentions the earlier death by burning of many other Christians, and the burning of the body of *Paulos (bishop and martyr of Najran, S00620). A punitive campaign by king *Elesbaas (king of Aksum and ascetic, S02835) avenges the martyrs' deaths and establishes a shrine for them. Written in Greek based on Syriac sources, probably in the 6th century. |
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