{"slug":"LIT1425GadlaA","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","title":"Acts of ʾAzqir","author":"Anonymous","genre":"hagiography","date":"","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T04:52:57Z","cost_usd":0.006058},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","work_id":"LIT1425GadlaA","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"},"stats":{"passages":10,"english_words":1994,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":58,"commentary_kinds":9,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":18,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":6},"summary":{"work":"LIT1425GadlaA","abstract":"The Acts of ʾAzqir is a Geʿez hagiographical work preserved in a single 15th-century manuscript from Dabra Libānos monastery. It recounts the 4th-century martyrdom of ʾAzqir and other Christians in Nagrān under the Ḥimyarite king Sarābiḥēl Yinkif. The text is read in the Ethiopian Orthodox Täwaḥədo Church on the 15th of Ṭərr as part of the synaxary tradition. The sole edition (betmas) presents a diplomatic transcription without critical apparatus or variant readings, limiting its utility for textual criticism. The narrative follows a tripartite structure and includes a prayer alluding to Acts 12:6–10, linking ʾAzqir’s liberation to Peter’s miraculous release from chains.","historical_context":"The Acts of ʾAzqir claims to describe events from the 4th century, but the extant Geʿez version likely dates to the 14th–15th century, with no external corroboration of the earlier dating. The work is set in Nagrān (modern Najran, Saudi Arabia), a center of South Arabian Christianity that faced persecution under the Ḥimyarite king Sarābiḥēl Yinkif (c. 5th–6th century). The sole surviving manuscript was copied in the 15th century at Dabra Libānos monastery in Ethiopia, reflecting the transmission of hagiographical traditions from South Arabia into the Ethiopian Orthodox Täwaḥədo Church. The text is part of the synaxary tradition, read annually on the 15th of Ṭərr, and is foundational for Ethiopian Christian identity. The edition (betmas) lacks critical apparatus, and no other witnesses are known, making the work’s textual history and original date uncertain.","significance":"The Acts of ʾAzqir is a key witness to the Ethiopian reception of South Arabian Christian martyr traditions, particularly the Nagrān persecutions. It links Ethiopian Orthodox hagiography to broader late antique Christian narratives of persecution and miraculous liberation, as seen in its allusion to Acts 12:6–10. The work’s liturgical use underscores its enduring role in shaping communal memory and identity within the Ethiopian Orthodox Täwaḥədo Church.","timeline":[{"date":"4th c.","event":"Events narrated in the Acts of ʾAzqir are set in this period."},{"date":"c. 5th–6th c.","event":"Reign of Ḥimyarite king Sarābiḥēl Yinkif, persecutor of Christians in Nagrān."},{"date":"14th–15th c.","event":"Extant Geʿez version likely composed or copied."},{"date":"15th c.","event":"Sole surviving manuscript copied at Dabra Libānos monastery."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Work incorporated into Ethiopian synaxary tradition for 15th of Ṭərr."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Edition published by betmas without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"Acts of the Martyrs of Nagrān","relation":"Shares the same historical setting of the Nagrān persecutions under Ḥimyarite rule.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Ethiopic Synaxarion","relation":"The Acts of ʾAzqir is read as part of the synaxary tradition for the saint’s commemoration.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Acts of the Apostles (12:6–10)","relation":"The prayer in the Acts of ʾAzqir alludes to Peter’s miraculous release from chains.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Gadla ʾAzqir (LIT1425GadlaA)","relation":"The source edition (betmas) is based on this manuscript.","key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"},{"work":"Gadla ʾAzqir (edition)","relation":"The edition used for this dossier.","key":"ed:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"source edition: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The sole surviving manuscript is from the 15th century, but the work claims 4th-century events; no external corroboration exists for the earlier dating.","The edition (betmas) lacks critical apparatus and variant readings, limiting textual analysis.","The exact date and original language of composition are unknown; the Geʿez version may be a translation from an earlier Arabic or Syriac source.","The identity and historicity of ʾAzqir are uncertain, as are the details of the Nagrān persecutions."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000589,"generated":"2026-11-15T00:55:55Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT1425GadlaA","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":10,"translated":10,"commentary_passages":10,"commentary_units":58,"english_words":1994,"source_letters":4591,"commentary_kinds":9},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The sole surviving Geʿez manuscript of the Acts of ʾAzqir is preserved in the dabra libānos monastery library, copied in the 15th century.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The work claims to narrate events from the 4th century, but the extant Geʿez version likely dates to the 14th–15th century, with no external corroboration of the earlier dating.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"source edition: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Acts of ʾAzqir is read in the Ethiopian Orthodox Täwaḥədo Church on the 15th of the month of Ṭərr, as part of the synaxary tradition for the saint’s commemoration.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The source edition (betmas) provides no critical apparatus or variant readings; the text is presented as a single diplomatic transcription without collation of other witnesses.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: hagiography in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 10 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":10},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA":{"label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"},"ed:LIT1425GadlaA":{"label":"source edition: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"The copyright of the text transcription is of Alessandro Bausi (see\n\n)\n\n§ 1\n\nC.R. 729\nገድል፡ ወስምዕ፡ ዘቅዱስ፡ ሰማዕት፡ አዝቂር፡ ቀሲስ፡ ናግራናይ፡ ዘመሀረ፡ ክርስ ትና ፡ ቀዳማይ፡ በናግራን፡ ወአግሀደ፡\nክርስ ትና ፡\nበመዋዕለ፡ ስራብሔል፡ ይ ንክፍ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ሔሜር፡ ወተከለ፡ ኀይመተ፡ ምጽላየ፡ ወማዕተበ።\n\n§ 2\nወሰሚዖሙ፡ መኳንንተ፡ ሀገረ፡ ናግራን፡ ዘስዕልባን፡ ወዘቄፋን፡ ለአኩ፡ ወሠጠጡ፡ ኀይመተ፡ ምጽላዩ፡ ወሰበሩ፡ ማዕተቦ፡ ወአኀዝዎ፡ ለአዝቂር፡ ወወደይዎ፡ ቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ውስተ፡ ጽልመት፡ ወይብልዋ፡ ለይእቲ፡ ግብ፡ ቀፍነይት፡ ስማ።\n\n§ 3\nወእንዘ፡ ሀለወ፡ ቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ በጽሑ፡ ሰብእ፡ እለ፡ መሀረ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ይትአኀዝ፡ እለ፡ አብአ፡ ንኡሰ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ወበጽሑ፡ እንዘ፡ ይስእሉ፡ ጥምቀተ።\n\n§ 4\n\nC.R. 730 ወይቤሎሙ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ለዐቀብተ፡ ቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ አርኅውዎሙ፡ ለእሉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወአበዩ፡ አርኅዎ፡ ዐቀብተ፡ ቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ።","english":"The Struggle and Martyrdom of the Holy Martyr ʾAzqir, Priest of Nagrān, Who Taught Christianity First in Nagrān and Revealed Christianity in the Time of Sarābiḥēl Yinkif, King of Ḥimyar, and Destroyed the Altar of the Idol and the Temple.\n\nAnd the nobles of the city of Nagrān, of the families of Suʿlbān and ʿQfān, heard him, and they destroyed the altar of the idol and broke the temple, and they seized ʾAzqir and cast him into a prison house in darkness, and they call that deed “Qefnayt” by name.\n\nAnd while he was in the prison house, people arrived whom he had taught without being seized, who had brought in young Christians, and they arrived while seeking baptism.\n\nAnd the holy ʾAzqir said to the guards of the prison house, “Show these people,” but the guards of the prison house refused to show them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ገድል ወስምዕ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez phrase 'gädl wa-samʿ' (ገድል ወስምዕ) is a standard hagiographic title meaning 'Struggle and Martyrdom', typical of Ethiopic martyrdom narratives.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Sarābiḥēl Yinkif","severity":"info","text":"Sarābiḥēl Yinkif (also spelled Sharāḥbīl Yakkuf) was a Ḥimyarite king (c. 5th–6th century) known for persecuting Christians in Nagrān, a key event in South Arabian Christian history.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ቀፍነይት","severity":"info","text":"The term 'Qefnayt' (ቀፍነይት) is a Geʿez transliteration of a South Arabian or Ethiopic word, possibly meaning 'the deed' or a proper name for the act of destruction; its exact etymology is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 1–4","severity":"info","text":"The passage follows a tripartite structure: title and setting (section 1), arrest and imprisonment (section 2), arrival of seekers (section 3), and ʾAzqir's request to the guards (section 4).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"C.R. 729–730","severity":"caution","text":"The marginal numbers 'C.R. 729' and 'C.R. 730' likely refer to a folio or column numbering in the manuscript, but their exact reference system is not specified in the source edition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"Nagrān","severity":"info","text":"The martyrdom of ʾAzqir and the Nagrān Christians is commemorated in the Ethiopic Synaxarion and is a foundational narrative for the Ethiopian Orthodox Täwaḥədo Church's identity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'nobles of the city of Nagrān' and the families 'Suʿlbān' and 'ʿQfān' is not further clarified in the passage.","The term 'Qefnayt' may be a proper name for the event or a descriptive term; its precise meaning is ambiguous."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"§ 5\nወተንሥአ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ወጸለየ፡ ወይቤ፡ እግዚእየ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ዘአርኀውከ፡ ኆኃተ፡ ኀጺን፡ ለጴጥሮስ፡ ወፈታሕከ፡ መዋቅሕቲሁ፡ አንተ፡ አዝዝ፡ ዮምኒ፡ ይትረኀዋ፡ እሉ፡ ኆኃት፡ ኵሎ፡ ሌሊተ፡ ኢይትዐጸዋ፡ እስከ፡ ይበውኡ፡ አግብርቲከ፡ ወይንሥኡ፡ ጸጋከ።\n\n§ 6\nወተርኅወ፡ ውእቱ፡ ኆኅት፡ ለሊሁ፡ በኀይለ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ወቦኡ፡ እሙንቱ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኀምሳ፡ ብእሲ።\n\n§ 7\nወተንሥኡ፡ ዐቀብተ፡ ቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ይዕጽዉ፡ ኆኅተ፡ {ሶበ፡ ደንገፁ፡} ወየአክሉ፡ ኀምሳ፡ ብእሴ፡ ወዐቀብተ፡ ቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ስእኑ፡ ዐጺዎቶ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ኆኅት፡ ከመ፡ ኢይባኡ፡ ኀበ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ወአእመሩ፡ ዐቀብተ፡ ቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ከመ፡ እምኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ኮነ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ተኣምር።\n\n§ 8\nወደንገፁ፡ ሶቤሃ፡ ወኀደጉ፡ ወቦኡ፡ እሉ፡ ኀምሳ፡ ሰብእ፡ ኀበ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ወገብረ፡ ምጥማቀ፡ በቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ወአጥመቆሙ፡ በስመ፡ አብ፡ ወወልድ፡ ወመንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ወተጠምቁ፡ እልኩ፡ ሰብእ፡ በይእቲ፡ ሌሊት፡ ወገብረ፡ ጸሎተ፡\nወአ ጽደሎ ሙ፡\nፍጹመ፡ በቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ከመዝ፡ ገብረ፡ ወዝንቱ፡ ተኣምር፡ ቀዳሚ፡ ዘገብረ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ በቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ።","english":"§ 5\n\nAnd the saint arose and prayed, and said, “My Lord Jesus Christ, who loosened the fetters of iron for Peter and freed his bonds, command now that these fetters be loosened all night and not be tightened until your servants come and receive your grace.”\n\n§ 6\n\nAnd that fetter was loosened by itself through the power of God, and those fifty men came.\n\n§ 7\n\nAnd the guards of the prison arose to tighten the fetter {when it was loosened}, and they found fifty men, and the guards of the prison were amazed at that fetter, that it did not come to the holy ʾAzqir, and the guards of the prison knew that this miracle was from God.\n\n§ 8\n\nAnd they loosened it then and left, and those fifty men came to the holy ʾAzqir, and he performed baptism in the prison and baptized them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and those men were baptized that night, and he performed the prayer and completed the liturgy in the prison as he did, and this was the first miracle that the holy ʾAzqir performed in the prison.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ኆኅት","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ኆኅት (ḫoḫt) is used consistently for 'fetter' or 'chain,' referring to the iron bonds that miraculously loosen.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ዘአርኀውከ ኆኃተ ኀጺን ለጴጥሮስ","severity":"info","text":"The prayer alludes to Acts 12:6-10, where an angel frees Peter from chains; the Geʿez text explicitly invokes Christ's loosening of Peter's iron fetters.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ቤተ ሞቅሕ","severity":"info","text":"ቤተ ሞቅሕ (beta moqəḥ) means 'prison' (lit. 'house of confinement'); the setting is a prison in Nagrān, consistent with the hagiographic narrative of ʾAzqir's martyrdom.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 5–8","severity":"info","text":"These four sections form a coherent miracle episode: prayer (5), miraculous loosening (6), guards' reaction (7), and baptism (8), marking the first miracle in prison.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ተኣምር ቀዳሚ","severity":"info","text":"The text explicitly labels this as the 'first miracle' (ተኣምር ቀዳሚ) of ʾAzqir in prison, emphasizing its significance in the hagiographic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"{ሶበ ደንገፁ}","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase {ሶበ ደንገፁ} is bracketed in the edition, indicating a textual uncertainty; it may be a gloss or variant, and the sense 'when it was loosened' is inferred from context.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact wording of the guards' action in §7 is uncertain due to the bracketed phrase {ሶበ ደንገፁ}; the reading 'when it was loosened' is adopted.","The number 'fifty men' appears in §6 and §8, but it is unclear if they are the same group or two separate groups; the narrative implies they are the same."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"§ 9\n\nC.R. 731 ወሰምዐ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ሄሜር፡ ስራሔብኤል፡ ዘንተ፡ ግብረ፡ ዘገብረ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር። ወለአከ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ኀበ፡ መኳንንት፡ ዘይነብሩ፡ ናግራን፡ እንዘ፡ ይብል፡ ፍጡነአ፡ አምጽእዎአ፡ ለውእቱ፡ ብእሲአ፡ ዘአምጽአ፡ ሐዲሰአ፡ ትምህርተአ፡ ውስተ፡ ብሔርየ።\n\n§ 10\nወሮጸ፡ አሐዱ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ኪርያቂ፡ ኀበ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ እንዘ፡ ሀሎ፡ ቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ወነገሮ፡ ወይቤሎ፡ አብስር፡ እስመ፡ ለአከ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ሔሜር፡ በእንቲአከ፡ ከመ፡ ይሰዱከ፡ ኀቤሁ፡ ለስምዕ።\n\n§ 11\nወይቤሎ፡ አዝቂር፡ ለውእቱ፡ ብእሲ፡ አማን፡ ብከ፡ ብስራት፡ ወላዕሌየ፡ ውእቱ፡ ብስራትከ፡ ወመጽኡ፡ ሰብአ፡ ሀገር፡ ወአውሥእዎ፡ ወአውፅእዎ፡ ለቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ እምቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ወሞቅሕዎ፡ ኅቡረ፡ ምስለ፡ ዝኩ፡ ብእሲ፡ ዘነገሮ፡ ለአዝቂር።\n\n§ 12\nወአሜሃ፡ በጽሑ፡ ነግድ፡ ብዙኃን፡ እምተናሕ፡ ወምስሌሆሙ፡ ፈነውዎ፡ ለአዝቂር፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ሔሜር፡ ወወፂኦ፡ እምናግራን፡ ተለውዎ፡ ብዙኃን፡ ሰብእ፡ ወፈነውዎ፡ እስከ፡ መካን፡ እንተ፡ ስማ፡ ዋጽሐ፡ ወተአክል፡ መጠነ፡ ዐሠርቱ፡ ወኀምስቱ፡ ምዕራፍ፡ እምሀገረ፡ ናግራን።","english":"§ 9\n\nAnd King Ḥimyar Śarāḥbīʾēl heard of this deed which the holy ʾAzqir had done, and he sent to the king in the place where the nobles dwell, Nagrān, saying, “Quickly, bring that man who introduced a new teaching into my country.”\n\n§ 10\n\nAnd a certain man named Kiryāqī ran to the holy ʾAzqir while he was in prison, and told him, and said to him, “I bring you good news, for the King of Ḥimyar has sent for you to bring you to him for a hearing.”\n\n§ 11\n\nAnd ʾAzqir said to that man, “I believe in you; your good news is good news for me.” And the people of the city came and took him and brought out the holy ʾAzqir from prison, and they imprisoned him together with that man who had told ʾAzqir.\n\n§ 12\n\nAnd then many merchants arrived from Tanāḥ, and with them they sent ʾAzqir to the King of Ḥimyar. And he went out from Nagrān; many people accompanied him and sent him off as far as a place whose name is Wāṣiḥā, and they remained there for a distance of fifteen miles from the city of Nagrān.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ንጉሠ፡ ሄሜር፡ ስራሔብኤል፡","severity":"info","text":"The title 'King of Ḥimyar' with the name Śarāḥbīʾēl identifies the ruler as a historical figure of the South Arabian kingdom, active in the early 6th century.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ናግራን፡","severity":"info","text":"Nagrān (modern Najrān) was a major center in South Arabia, known for its Christian community and as the site of persecution under the Ḥimyarite king.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ኪርያቂ፡","severity":"info","text":"The name Kiryāqī is a Geʿez adaptation of the Greek name Cyriacus, common in Christian hagiography, indicating the character's Christian identity.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 9–12","severity":"info","text":"This passage transitions from the prison miracle to the legal confrontation: the king summons ʾAzqir, a messenger brings news, and the saint is escorted to the hearing.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሰምዐ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ሄሜር፡","severity":"info","text":"The narrative sequence implies the king hears of ʾAzqir's actions after the prison events, but the timeline is compressed for dramatic effect.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሮጸ፡ አሐዱ፡ ብእሲ፡","severity":"info","text":"The motif of a messenger running to warn the saint is common in martyrdom accounts, emphasizing the saint's foreknowledge and the community's support.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the king' in §9 (whether the same as the King of Ḥimyar or a local ruler) is ambiguous; the translation assumes they are the same.","The distance 'fifteen miles' in §12 may be a symbolic or conventional figure rather than an exact measurement."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"§ 13\nወበጺሖሙ፡ ህየ፡ ሰአልዎ፡ ሰብእ፡ ክልኤቱ፡ ከመ፡ ያጥምቆሙ፡ ወገብረ፡ |\nC.R. 732 ምጽላየ፡ በህየ፡ ጥቃ፡ ኰኵሕ፡ ወነቅዐ፡ ማይ፡ ወአጥመቆሙ፡ በህየ፡ ይእተ፡ አሚረ፡ እንዘ፡ አልቦ፡ ትካተ፡ ውእቱ፡ መካን፡ ማየ፡ ወበጸሎቱ፡ ለቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ነቅዐ፡ እስከ፡ ዮም። ወኰኵሕ፡ ውእቱ፡ መካን፡ ኀበ፡ ነቅዐ፡ ማይ።\n\n§ 14\nወርእዮ፡ ተኣምረ፡ ዝኩ፡ ዘሙቁሕ፡ ምስሌሁ፡ ሰአሎ፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ተዘከር፡ እግዚእየ፡ አመ፡ እነግረከ፡ እንዘ፡ ሀሎከ፡ ቤተ፡ ሞቅሕ፡ ዘትቤለኒ፡ ላዕሌየ፡ ብስራትከ፡ ወተክለ፡ ንዋይ፡ ዘትሁበኒ፡ ብስራትየ፡ ወርቀሰ፡ ወብሩረ፡ ኢይፈቅድ፡ ወኢምንተኒ፡ ወአጥምቀኒ፡ ወውእቱ፡ ይኵነኒ፡ ብስራትየ፡ ወአእኰቶ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ለእግዚአብሔር፡ በእንተ፡ ውእቱ፡ ብእሲ፡ ወአጥመቆ፡ ኪያሁኒ።\n\n§ 15\nወኀሊፎሙ፡ እምውእቱ፡ መካን፡ እንዘ፡ የሐውሩ፡ በጽሑ፡ በድወ፡ ዘስሙ፡ ግ ው ዓ ን፡ በከመ፡ ይብል፡ መጽሐፍ፡ ጸምአተከ፡ ነፍስየ፡ በምድረ፡ በድው፡ ኀበ፡ አልቦ፡ ዕፀ፡ ወማየ፡ ወከማሁ፡ ውእቱ፡ መካን፡ አልቦ፡ ዕፀ፡ ወማየ፡ ወግውዓን፡ | C.R. 733 ብሂል፡ በነገረ፡ ዐረቢ፡ ትርጓሜሁ፡ ረኀብ፡ ብሂል።","english":"§ 13 And when they arrived there, the two men asked him to baptize them, and he did. C.R. 732 A spring burst forth there, a well gushed up, and water flowed; and he baptized them there in that place, saying, while there was no pool, that place was water; and by the prayer of the holy ʾAzqir, water gushed forth until this day. And the well is the place where the water gushed forth.\n\n§ 14 And when he saw this miracle, that one who was traveling with him asked him and said to him, “Remember, my lord, when I told you, while you were in the prison, that you would say to me, ‘Your gospel is against me, and the gift of goods that you would give me is my gospel—gold and silver—I do not desire, nor anything else; but baptize me, and that will be my gospel.’” And the holy ʾAzqir entrusted him to God on account of that man, and he baptized him as well.\n\n§ 15 And they departed from that place, and as they traveled, they arrived at a desert whose name is G W ʿ N, as the book says: “My soul thirsts in the desert, where there is no tree nor water.” And likewise that place has no tree nor water, and it is called G W ʿ N. C.R. 733 It is said in the Arabic language; its interpretation is “hunger,” it is said.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 13","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the narrative of ʾAzqir's journey, showing a miracle of water and a conversion, then a departure to a desert.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ግ ው ዓ ን (G W ʿ N)","severity":"info","text":"The toponym G W ʿ N is given in Geʿez with a gloss that it is Arabic for 'hunger' (C.R. 733). This suggests a place name derived from a descriptive term, possibly a desert region.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ጸምአተከ ነፍስየ በምድረ በድው (My soul thirsts in the desert)","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'My soul thirsts in the desert' echoes Psalm 63:1 (LXX 62:2) or similar desert imagery, though not a direct quotation. It may be a hagiographic trope.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"C.R. 732","severity":"info","text":"The marginal note C.R. 732 likely refers to a manuscript folio or column reference in the source edition, indicating a textual variant or annotation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"C.R. 733","severity":"info","text":"The gloss at C.R. 733 explains the toponym G W ʿ N as Arabic for 'hunger', showing awareness of Arabic etymology in the Geʿez tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 14","severity":"caution","text":"The dialogue in § 14 is syntactically dense; the phrase 'your gospel is against me' may reflect a textual corruption or a theological nuance about the value of baptism over material gifts.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The toponym G W ʿ N is not identified with a known historical location; it may be symbolic or derived from a lost source.","The phrase 'your gospel is against me' in § 14 is ambiguous; it could mean the man's message contradicts ʾAzqir's teaching or that the man's offer of goods is opposed to the gospel."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"§ 16\nወበጺሖሙ፡ ውእተ፡ መካነ፡ ጸምኡ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ ነግድ፡ ወምንዳቤ፡ ዐቢየ፡ ረከቡ፡ ውእቶሙ፡ ወእንስሳሆሙ፡ ወመዋዕለ፡ ሐጋይ፡ ውእተ፡ አሚረ፡ ወአስተብቍዕዎ፡ ለቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ወሰአልዎ፡ እንዘ፡ ይብሉ፡ ሰአል፡ ለነ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ በእንተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ነፍስ፡ ከመ፡ ኢንሙት፡ በጽምእ፡ ናአምር፡ ከመ፡ ዘጸለይከ፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ይሁበከ።\n\n§ 17\nወይቤ፡ አዝቂር፡ ሀቡኒ፡ ገበታ፡ ወአምጽኡ፡ ሎቱ፡ ወተአተተ፡ እምኔሆሙ፡ ወአንበረ፡ ገበታ፡ ቅድሜሁ፡ ወሰፍሐ፡ እዴሁ፡ ወአንሥአ፡ አዕይንቲሁ፡ ውስተ፡ ሰማይ፡ ወጸለየ፡ ወይቤ፡\n\n§ 18\nእግዚእየ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ዘረሰይከ፡ ማየ፡ ወይነ፡ ወአጽገብከ፡ ብዙኃነ፡ አሕዛበ፡ እምኀምስቱ፡ ኅብስት፡ አንተ፡ ግበር፡ ተኣምረ፡ ወፈኑ፡ ሣህለከ፡ ወአርውዮሙ፡ ለነፍስ፡ ጽምእት።\n\n§ 19\nወወረደ፡ ደመና፡ ውስተ፡ ገበታ፡ መጠነ፡ እራኀ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወመልአት፡ ገበታ፡ ማየ፡ ወሰትዩ፡ ወረወዩ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወእንስሳ፡ ወሰነቁ፡ እምኔሁ፡ ወየአክሉ፡ ሰብእ፡ ዘሰትዩ፡ ውእተ፡ ማየ፡ ፈድፋደ፡ እም፮፻፡ ዘእንበለ፡ እንስሳሆሙ፡","english":"§ 16 And when they arrived at that place, they all fasted, the merchants and the servants. They found great abundance, both them and their animals, and the time of the feast. They went and prostrated themselves before Saint ʾAzqir and asked him, saying, “Pray for us to the Lord God on behalf of every soul, that we may not die of thirst, that we may know that you have prayed to the Lord God, and he will give to you.”\n\n§ 17 And ʾAzqir said, “Give me a bowl.” And they brought it to him, and he withdrew from them, and he placed the bowl before him, and he spread out his hands, and he raised his eyes toward the sky, and he prayed, and he said:\n\n§ 18 “My Lord Jesus Christ, who appointed water and wine and saved many peoples from the five loaves, you perform a miracle and send your mercy, and show it to the thirsty souls.”\n\n§ 19 And a cloud descended into the bowl, about the height of a man, and the bowl was filled with water. And they drank, and the people and the animals were refreshed, and they were satisfied from it. And the people who drank that water were able to eat, each one, from six hundred, without their animals.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 16–19","severity":"info","text":"This passage forms a single narrative unit: the merchants and servants fast, prostrate before ʾAzqir, and request his intercession; he prays, and a cloud fills the bowl with water, quenching thirst and enabling miraculous satiety.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ገበታ (gabata)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ገበታ (gabata) is a loanword from Greek (gabatha) or Aramaic, meaning a bowl or basin, often used in liturgical contexts. Here it is the vessel into which the cloud descends.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"እግዚእየ ኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ዘረሰይከ ማየ ወይነ ወአጽገብከ ብዙኃነ አሕዛበ እምኀምስቱ ኅብስት","severity":"info","text":"ʾAzqir’s prayer alludes to the Gospel miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes (John 6:1–14; Mark 6:35–44), referencing water and wine alongside the five loaves, a conflation typical of Ethiopic hagiography.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ወረደ ደመና ውስተ ገበታ መጠነ እራኀ ሰብእ","severity":"info","text":"The descent of a cloud into a bowl, filling it with water, is a miracle type common in Ethiopic hagiography, echoing Old Testament theophanies (e.g., 1 Kings 18:41–45) and local traditions of rain-making saints.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወሰነቁ እምኔሁ ወየአክሉ ሰብእ ዘሰትዩ ውእተ ማየ ፈድፋደ እም፮፻ ዘእንበለ እንስሳሆሙ","severity":"info","text":"The concluding detail—that each person who drank could eat from six hundred (likely loaves or portions) without their animals—emphasizes the miraculous abundance, a motif reinforcing ʾAzqir’s intercessory power in the Ethiopic tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The number '፮፻' (600) is ambiguous: it may refer to loaves, portions, or a measure of food; the translation 'six hundred' is literal but the referent is unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"§ 20\nወሀለወት፡ ይእቲ፡ ገበታ፡ እስከ፡ ዮም፡ በቶናሕ፡ ቤተ፡ አሐዱ፡ ወልደ፡ አዝቂር፡ |\nC.R. 734 ወሣልሱ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ዘገብረ፡ ተኣምረ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ በስመ፡ አምላኩ፡ እምአመ፡ ተሞቅሐ።\n\n§ 21\nወኀሊፎ፡ እምህየ፡ በጽሐ፡ ጽፋር፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ሔሜር፡ ወአብእዎ፡ ኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ወበዊኦ፡ ኢተአምኆ፡ ወተምዐ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ዐቢየ፡ መዐተ፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ምንትኑ፡ ዝትምህርት፡ ሐዲስ፡ ዘአምጻእከ፡ ውስተ፡ ብሔርየ።\n\n§ 22\nወይቤሎ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ዝንቱሰ፡ ትምህርት፡ ኢኮነ፡ ሐዲሰ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ ዘሰበኩ፡ ኦሪት፡ ወነቢያት፡ ወአኀዘ፡ ይትናገር፡ እመጻሕፍት፡ ምስለ፡ አይሁድ፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ለምንት፡ ለከ፡ አዝቂር፡ ዝንቱ፡ ኵሉ፡ አዕምቆ፡ ሕሊና፡ አብድር፡ ኪያየ፡ ወሕይወተከ፡ ውስተ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ዓለም፡ እስመ፡ ኢይበቍዐከ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ዘቦቱ፡ ተአመንከ፡ ዑቅኬ፡ ኢይኰንንከ፡ ዕፁበ፡ ኵነኔ።\n\n§ 23\nወይቤሎ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ሕይወትየሰ፡ ዘውስተዝ፡ ዓለም፡ ሞት፡ ውእቱ፡ ውስተ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ወኵነኔከሰ፡ ሞት፡ ዘውስተ፡ እዴከ፡ ሕይወት፡ ውእቱ፡ ሊተ።","english":"§ 20 And that mountain is there to this day in Tonāḥ, the house of one of the sons of ʾAzqir. C.R. 734 And this is the third miracle that the holy ʾAzqir performed in the name of his God from the time he was burned.\n\n§ 21 And passing from there, he arrived at Ṣfār before King Ḥēmer, and they brought him before the king. And when he entered, he did not acknowledge him, and the king became very angry and said to the holy ʾAzqir, “What is this new teaching that you have brought into my country?”\n\n§ 22 And the holy ʾAzqir said, “This teaching is not new, beyond what the Law and the Prophets proclaimed.” And he began to speak from the scriptures with the Jews. And the king said to him, “Why, ʾAzqir, have you abandoned all this understanding and wisdom for me, and your life in this world, since Christ, in whom you have believed, will not save you from a terrible punishment?”\n\n§ 23 And the holy ʾAzqir said, “My life in this world is death, and your punishment, which is death at your hands, is life for me.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 20","severity":"info","text":"This section concludes the miracle cycle (third miracle) and transitions to the trial narrative before King Ḥēmer.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ጽፋር (Ṣfār)","severity":"info","text":"Ṣfār is a toponym, likely the ancient Himyarite capital Ẓafār in Yemen, consistent with the South Arabian setting of the martyrdom.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ንጉሠ ሔሜር (King Ḥēmer)","severity":"info","text":"King Ḥēmer is the Himyarite king, a historical figure associated with the persecution of Christians in South Arabia in the 6th century.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ኦሪት ወነቢያት (the Law and the Prophets)","severity":"info","text":"ʾAzqir defends his teaching as consistent with the Old Testament (Law and Prophets), a common apologetic trope in Christian hagiography.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"C.R. 734","severity":"info","text":"C.R. 734 is a manuscript folio reference (Conti Rossini 734) indicating a scribal note or marginal addition, possibly a later interpolation.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 23","severity":"info","text":"ʾAzqir's paradoxical statement that worldly life is death and martyrdom is life reflects a standard hagiographic topos of spiritual reversal.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'house of one of the sons of ʾAzqir' in § 20 may refer to a physical shrine or a spiritual lineage; the text does not clarify.","The location Tonāḥ is otherwise unattested; its identification remains uncertain."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"§ 24\nወአኀዘ፡ ይኂጦ፡ በንዋይ፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ወርቅሰ፡ ወብሩር፡ ኀላፊ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወክርስቶስ፡ ይነብር፡ ለዓለም።\n\n§ 25\nወተንሥአ፡ አሐዱ፡ እምረበናት፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ለንጉሥ፡ እግዚእየ፡ ዝንቱ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ቦ|ሙ፡\nC.R. 735 ሥራየ፡ ዘያሰቲዩ፡ ለሰብእ፡ ወእምከመ፡ ተፍአ፡ ይክሕድ፡ በክርስቶስ፡ ወእመሰ፡ ቦአ፡ ውስተ፡ ሥረዊሁ፡ ኢይክሕድ፡ በክርስቶስ፡ ለዓለም፡ አላ፡ ኢታብዝኅ፡ ነገረ፡ ምስሌሁ፡ ወፈንዎ፡ ብሔሮ፡ በኀበ፡ አዝማዲሁ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ይትኰነን፡ በናግራን፡ ከመ፡ ይርአዩ፡ ሰብኡ፡ ወይፍርሁ።\n\n§ 26\nወሠምረ፡ ንጉሥ፡ በዝ፡ ነገር፡ ወጸሐፈ፡ ኀበ፡ መኳንንት፡ እለ፡ ይነብሩ፡ ናግራን፡ ኀበ፡ ዘስዕልባን፡ ወዘቄፋን፡ ወፈነዎ፡ ለአዝቂር፡ ናግራን፡ ወጸሐፈ፡ ንጉሥ፡ እንዘ፡ ይብል፡ በጺሖአ፡ አዝቂር፡ ኀቤክሙ፡ ኢትኰንንዎ፡ በኅቡእ፡ ዘእንበለ፡ በገሀድ፡ ወስቅልዎ፡ ውስተ፡ ዕፅ፡ ወአስተጋብኡአ፡ ላዕሌሁ፡ ዕፀወአ፡ ወአንድዱአ፡ ላዕሌሁአ፡ እንዘ፡ ሕያው፡ ውእቱ።","english":"§ 24 And he began to mock with words, and the holy ʾAzqir said to him: \"Gold and silver are transitory, but Christ abides forever.\"\n\n§ 25 And one of the nobles rose up and said to the king: \"My lord, this Christian is here. If there were a craft that could cause a man to suffer, and if, after he had been struck, he could deny Christ, then if there were in his nature that he could not deny Christ forever, would it not be excessive to speak with him? Send him to his Christian relatives in Nagrān, so that he may be judged there, that the people may see and fear.\"\n\n§ 26 And the king agreed to this matter, and he wrote to the governors who dwell in Nagrān, to the place of the Ṣaʿlubān and the Qefān, and he sent ʾAzqir to Nagrān. And the king wrote, saying in his letter: \"ʾAzqir has come to you; judge him in secret, not in public, and crucify him on a tree, and pile wood upon him, and set it ablaze upon him while he is alive.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ወአኀዘ፡ ይኂጦ፡ በንዋይ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'he began to mock with words' introduces a verbal confrontation, contrasting the transient material wealth (gold and silver) with the eternal nature of Christ.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ናግራን፡","severity":"info","text":"Nagrān (Najran) is a historical city in South Arabia, a center of Christian martyrdom in the early 6th century, relevant to the setting of this hagiography.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ዘስዕልባን፡ ወዘቄፋን፡","severity":"info","text":"Ṣaʿlubān and Qefān are titles or groups of officials in the Himyarite kingdom, possibly referring to local governors or judges, reflecting the administrative structure of the period.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 24–26","severity":"info","text":"These three sections form a narrative sequence: a theological declaration (§24), a noble's counsel (§25), and the king's decree leading to martyrdom (§26), advancing the plot toward ʾAzqir's execution.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ኢይክሕድ፡ በክርስቶስ፡ ለዓለም፡","severity":"caution","text":"The syntax in §25 is ambiguous: 'he could not deny Christ forever' may be a conditional clause or a statement of ʾAzqir's steadfastness; the translation follows the latter reading.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"ወስቅልዎ፡ ውስተ፡ ዕፅ፡","severity":"info","text":"The method of execution—crucifixion and burning alive—echoes the martyrdom accounts of the Najran Christians (ca. 523 CE), a key event in Ethiopic hagiographical tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'noble' in §25 is unspecified; the Geʿez uses 'one of the nobles' without further detail.","The phrase 'judge him in secret' in §26 may imply a clandestine trial or execution, but the exact legal procedure is unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"§ 27\nወወፅአ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ እምኀበ፡ ንጉሥ፡ እንዘ፡ ይትፌሣሕ፡ እስመ፡ ሰምዐ፡ ከመ፡ ጸሐፈ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ከመ፡ ይስቅልዎ፡ ወያውዕይዎ፡ በእሳት፡ በእንተ፡ ክርስቶስ። ወበጺሖ፡ ናግራን፡ መሀረ፡ ወአብአ፡ ዐቢየ፡ ክርስቲያን።\n\n§ 28\nወአውፅእዎ፡ ገጸ፡ ጽባሕ፡ እምሀገር፡ ወተከሉ፡ ዕፀ፡ በህየ፡ ወሰቀልዎ፡ ዲቤሁ፡ ወአምጽኡ፡ ዕፀወ፡ እምአርእስተ፡ በቀልት፡ ብዙኀ፡ ወአስተጋብኡ፡ ላዕሌሁ።\n\n§ 29\nወይቤ፡ አሐዱ፡ አይሁዳዊ፡ ይምጻእ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ወያድኅንከ፡ ዘተወከልከ፡ ቦቱ፡ እመ፡ ይክል። ወይቤ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ተወከልኩ፡ በእግዚአብሔር፡ እግዚእየ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ |\nC.R. 736 ለእመ፡ ኵሎ፡ ዕፀወ፡ ብሔርክሙ፡ አንደድክሙ፡ ላዕሌየ፡ አልቦ፡ ዘይሬስየኒ።\n\n§ 30\nወአንደዱ፡ ላዕሌሁ፡ ወነደ፡ ኵሉ፡ ዕፀው፡ ወአሕባል፡ በዘ፡ አሰርዎ፡ እደዊሁ፡ ወእገሪሁ፡ ወወረደ፡ እምዲበ፡ ዕፅ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ወቆመ፡ ማእከለ፡ እሳት፡ ከመ፡ ወርቅ፡ ጽሩይ።","english":"§ 27 And the holy ʾAzqir went out from the king, rejoicing, because he had heard that the king had written that he should crucify him and burn him with fire for the sake of Christ. And when he arrived at Nagran, he taught and brought in many Christians.\n\n§ 28 And they brought him out at dawn from the city, and they set up a tree there, and they crucified him upon it, and they brought wood from the tops of palm trees, many, and heaped it upon him.\n\n§ 29 And one of the Jews said: \"Let Christ come and save you, in whom you have trusted, if he is able.\" And the holy ʾAzqir said: \"I have trusted in the Lord, my Lord Jesus Christ. Even if you kindle all the wood of your country upon me, there is none who will deliver me.\"\n\n§ 30 And they kindled it upon him, and all the wood and the ropes with which they had bound his hands and his feet burned, and the holy ʾAzqir came down from the tree and stood in the midst of the fire like refined gold.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 27–30","severity":"info","text":"This passage transitions from the king's decree to the execution scene, culminating in a miraculous preservation. The narrative follows a tripartite structure: preparation, crucifixion, and trial by fire.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሰቀልዎ (saqal-yo)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez verb ሰቀለ (saqala) means 'to crucify' or 'to hang on a tree,' reflecting the standard hagiographic term for martyrdom by crucifixion. The same root is used in § 27 for the king's order.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ከመ ወርቅ ጽሩይ (kama warq ṣeruy)","severity":"info","text":"The comparison of ʾAzqir standing in fire 'like refined gold' echoes the biblical image of the righteous enduring trial, as in Wisdom of Solomon 3:6 or Psalm 68:28 (LXX). The phrase is a hagiographic topos for sanctification.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ናግራን (Nagran)","severity":"info","text":"Nagran (Najran) was a major Christian center in South Arabia, site of the 6th-century persecution under the Jewish king Dhu Nuwas. The Acts of ʾAzqir is set in this historical context, though the narrative is legendary.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ወቆመ ማእከለ እሳት (wa-qoma maʿkala ʾessāt)","severity":"info","text":"The motif of a martyr standing unharmed in fire appears in other Ethiopic hagiographies, such as the Acts of ʾEusṭātewos. It parallels the biblical story of the three youths in the furnace (Daniel 3).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"C.R. 736","severity":"info","text":"The marginal note 'C.R. 736' in the manuscript likely refers to a Coptic or Ethiopic era date (Anno Martyrum 736 = 1020 CE). This suggests the manuscript was copied in the 11th century, indicating the text's continued liturgical use.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ወአሕባል፡ በዘ፡ አሰርዎ፡ እደዊሁ፡ ወእገሪሁ፡' (wa-ʾaḥbāl ba-za ʾasar-yo ʾedawīhu wa-ʾegārīhu) could be read as 'the ropes with which they had bound his hands and his feet' or as 'the ropes and the things with which they bound his hands and his feet.' The translation takes the former, more natural reading."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"§ 31\nወይቤሉ፡ አይሁድ፡ መስብዒ፡ ዝብእሲ፡ ዘሞኦ፡ ለእሳት፡ ወይቤሉ፡ ሀቡ፡ ንውግሮ፡ በእብን፡\n\n§ 32\nወሀሎ፡ አሐዱ፡ አይሁዳዊ፡ ምስለ፡ ብእሲቱ፡ ወእጓሉ፡ ወተሠርጊዎሙ፡ ወፅኡ፡ ከመ፡ ይኅበሩ፡ ለቀቲለ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ሰማዕት፡ አዝቂር፡ ወወገርዎ፡ ለቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ በአእባን፡ ቅድመ፡ ኵሉ፡ ውእቱ፡ ወብእሲቱ፡ ወእጓሉ፡ ወኢበጽሐ፡ እብን፡ ለቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር።\n\n§ 33\nወውእቱ፡ ወልዱ፡ ሞተ፡ በቅድመ፡ አቡሁ፡ እንዘ፡ ይኔጽሮ፡ ወአቡሁ፡ ነቅዐ፡ ከርሡ፡ ወሞተ፡ ወብእሲቱኒ፡ እንዘ፡ ሕያውታ፡ ዐጸየት።\n\n§ 34\nወተባሀሉ፡ አይሁድ፡ በበይናቲሆሙ፡ ሀቡ፡ በአብትር፡ ንዝብጦ፡ ወይቤ፡ አሐዱ፡ እምኔሆሙ፡ እስከ፡ ማእዜኑ፡ ንትዔገሦ፡ ለዝ፡ ብእሲ፡ ሀቡ፡ ንስአል፡ ሰይፈ፡ በዘ፡ ንቀትሎ።\n\n§ 35\nወተረክበ፡ አሐ|ዱ፡\nC.R. 737 ናግራናይ፡ ዘለሊሁ፡ አዝቂር፡ ዘአብኦ፡ ዐቢየ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ወይጸውር፡ ሰይፈ፡ ወሰአልዎ፡ ያውሕሶሙ፡ ወአበዮሙ፡ አውሕሶተ፡ ወቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ፈተወ፡ ይፈጽም፡ ገድሎ፡ ወይቤሎ፡ ወልድየ፡ አውሕስ፡ ሰይፈከ፡ ወለእመ፡ ኢያውሐስከ፡ አልብከ፡ መክፈልተ፡ ምስሌየ።","english":"§ 31 And the Jews said, “The sorcerer, this man who has died for the fire.” And they said, “Give [him] that we may stone him with stones.”\n\n§ 32 And there was a certain Jew with his wife and his son, and they had prepared themselves and gone out as if to be present for the killing of the holy martyr ʾAzqir. And they stoned the holy ʾAzqir with stones before everyone, he and his wife and his son. And no stone reached the holy ʾAzqir.\n\n§ 33 And he and his son died before his father, while he was watching, and his father’s belly burst open and he died, and his wife also, while she was alive, was paralyzed.\n\n§ 34 And the Jews gathered together among themselves, “Give [him] with a sword that we may stab him.” And one of them said, “Until when shall we be tormented by this man? Give [him] that we may ask for a sword with which to kill him.”\n\n§ 35 And there was found a certain man of Nagran who was a friend of ʾAzqir, who had built a great church and who forged swords. And they asked him to sharpen [them] for them, and he refused them the sharpening. And the holy ʾAzqir desired to complete his martyrdom and said to him, “My son, sharpen your sword, and if you sharpen it, you will have no reward with me.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"መስብዒ (masbaʿi)","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term መስብዒ (masbaʿi) is here translated as 'sorcerer', a pejorative label used by the Jews to denigrate ʾAzqir.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"አይሁድ (ʾayhud)","severity":"info","text":"The Jews appear as antagonists in this hagiography, reflecting a common trope in Christian martyrdom narratives from late antiquity, though the historical context of Nagran involves Jewish-Christian tensions.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 31–35","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the narrative of ʾAzqir's martyrdom, shifting from stoning to a sword execution, with a miraculous element (stones not reaching him) and a subplot involving a Jewish family's punishment.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"§ 33","severity":"caution","text":"The syntax of § 33 is ambiguous: 'he and his son died before his father' likely refers to the Jewish son dying before the father, but the Geʿez could also be read as the father dying before his own father; the English draft clarifies the intended sense.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ገድሎ (gadlo)","severity":"info","text":"The term ገድሎ (gadlo) refers to the martyrdom act itself, a key concept in Ethiopic hagiography where the saint's death is seen as a fulfillment of divine purpose.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'certain Jew' in § 32 is unclear; he may be a new character or one of the previously mentioned Jews. The Geʿez does not specify his name or role beyond his family.","The phrase 'he and his son died before his father' in § 33 could be read as the son dying before the father, but the Geʿez allows for the father dying before his own father, though the context favors the former."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"§ 36\nወበጊዜሃ፡ መጠዎ፡ ሰይፎ፡ ለአይሁዳዊ፡ ወመጠዎ፡ ርእሶ፡ ቅዱስ፡ አዝቂር፡ ወዘበጥዎ፡ አይሁድ፡ ወመተሩ፡ ርእሶ፡ ለቅዱስ፡ ቀሲስ፡ ሰማዕት፡ አዝቂር፡ ወብዙኀ፡ ተኣምረ፡ ገብረ፡ በመቃብሩ፡ ጸሎቱ፡ ትብጽሐነ፡ አሜን።\n\n§ 37\nወተከለሉ፡ ወኢናፈቁ፡ ወመጠዉ፡ ነፍሶሙ፡ ለእሳት፡ በቅድመ፡ መሥዋዕት፡ በእንተ፡ ስመ፡ መድኀኒነ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ከመ፡ ይንሥኡ፡ አክሊለ፡ መነኑ፡ ዘዓለመ፡ ወተከለሉ፡ በብሔረ፡ ናግራን፡ ጳጳሳት፡ ወቀሳውስት፡ ወዲያቆናት፡ ወመነኮሳት፡ ብእሲ፡ ወአንስት፡ ወሕዝብ፡ ብዙኅ፡ ምስሌሆሙ፡ ዘተኰነነ።\n\n§ 38\nወኮነ፡ ኆልቆሙ፡ ፴ወ፰፡ ወኮነ፡ ተዝካሮሙ፡ እም፡ ፳ወ፬ለወርኀ፡ ኅዳር፡ በጽርዕ፡ ይብጽሐነ፡ ጸሎቶሙ፡ ወይክፍለነ፡ መክፈልቶሙ፡ ለኵሎሙ፡ ቅዱሳን፡ ወሰማዕት፡ በቅድ|መ፡\nC.R. 738 እግዚእነ፡ ኢየሱስ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ ዘሎቱ፡ ስብሐት፡ ለዓለም፡ አሜን፡","english":"§ 36 And at that time, they drew the sword against the Jew, and they cut off the head of the holy ʾAzqir. And the Jews stoned [him], and they cut off the head of the holy priest and martyr ʾAzqir. And many miracles were wrought at his tomb. May his prayer reach us. Amen.\n\n§ 37 And they were crowned and did not perish, and they offered themselves to the fire before the sacrifice, for the sake of the name of our Savior Christ, that they might receive the crown of the monastic life eternal. And they were crowned in the land of Nagran: bishops, priests, deacons, and monks, men and women, and a multitude of people with them who were condemned.\n\n§ 38 And their number was thirty-eight. And their commemoration is from the 24th of the month of Ḥedār in the winter. May their prayer reach us, and may we partake of their portion, for all the saints and martyrs, before our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is praise forever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage comprises three sections: the martyrdom of ʾAzqir and a miracle note (§36), the collective martyrdom of a group in Nagran (§37), and a concluding colophon with date and prayer (§38).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ተከለሉ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez verb ተከለሉ (takallalu) means 'they were crowned,' a standard hagiographic term for martyrdom, indicating the martyrs received the crown of eternal life.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The mention of Nagran (Najran) situates the martyrdom in the context of the 6th-century persecution of Christians in South Arabia under the Jewish king Dhu Nuwas, a well-known historical event.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The commemoration date is given as the 24th of Ḥedār (November–December in the Ethiopian calendar), which aligns with the traditional feast of the Nagran martyrs in the Ethiopian synaxary.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The concluding prayer formula ('May their prayer reach us...') is typical of Ethiopian hagiographic colophons, inviting the reader to participate in the saints' intercession.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The English draft translates §36 as if the Jew is beheaded, but the Geʿez is ambiguous: 'they drew the sword against the Jew' could mean the Jew was executed or merely threatened; the following clause focuses on ʾAzqir's beheading.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT1425GadlaA","label":"betmas: Acts of ʾAzqir","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT1425GadlaA"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'Jew' in §36: the text may refer to the same Jew who stoned ʾAzqir in the previous passage, but his fate is unclear—he may have been executed or merely threatened.","The relationship between §36 and §37: it is unclear whether the group of 38 martyrs in Nagran is distinct from the events of ʾAzqir's martyrdom or a separate narrative appended to the text."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}