History of Karka d-Beth Slok

The History of Karka d-Beth Slok (Karkwok?) and of the Martyrs Therein. This great city: its foundations were laid by the king of Assyria, that one whose name was Sardana the Sarda. This king was great and formidable throughout the whole world, and his kingdom was one third of the inhabited world. This Sardana was the son of Sennacherib, that one who, with three hundred and two kings, was the first king of the Assyrians. In the days of this Sardana, Jonah was sent from God to the Ninevites; that one who, through his preaching and his proclamation, stirred up the Ninevites. And that Sardana submitted to the preaching of the prophet, and decreed a fast among the Ninevites, and they put on sackcloth. And God saw their repentance, as it is written, and turned away from them the wrath of his anger, and did not destroy them. And in the fifteenth year of that son of Nimrod, Arbaces, king of Media, rose up against the kingdom of the Assyrians, that it might not be subjected. Let the reader, weak and writer and weary, who completes the history of the blessed one, be joined to mercy and compassion on the day of judgment and of the final reckoning, by the grace of the Messiah, to whom belong glory and thanksgiving, and to his Father and to the Holy Spirit praise and honor and exaltation and glorification, now and at all times and forever and ever. Amen.

The history of the martyrdom of the blessed Mar Qardag is completed. To God be praise. Amen. It happened: Mirda saw. That Arbāq, when he rebelled against the kingdom of the Assyrians, from time to time he was in conflict and grew strong and became powerful, and he became a refuge for the king of Assyria. And when he grew strong, he began to make war against the kingdoms that were subject to the king of Assyria, and he removed them from their territories. And after that, he came with an army to that region of Beth Garmai, and at that time that king of Garmai was there, and he held the region, and Arbāq removed from him the captivity and plundered his dominion. And the kingdom of this Garmai extended over the region over which he ruled: from the Zab rivers as far as the Tigris River, and from the Tigris as far as that mountain which is called Awurōk, and that mountain as far as the river of Āthērqōt, which is also called Tūrmārā, and as far as the interior of the region and the mountain of Sha‘rāṭ, and as far as the Little Zab. And the seat of Garmai was in the fortress of Garmai, on that mountain of Awurōk, which is still known by its name.

Now these bones, when he was oppressed by the kingdom of Arbāq, and he was not able to give tribute to that kingdom of the Assyrians, he received from the kingdom of the Assyrians a governor over his kingdom, and commanders over his provinces, and a great helper of workers upon his wall. And from then Sargūš commanded: in that place of the authority of the kingdom of Garmai, a city should be built upon his name for the headship. In the place of that authority which was subject to him, the whole region like a province, it was built, however, to be the head of that authority of that kingdom, by the hands of Sargūš, and upon his name he named it Karka d-Beth Slok, and made it free. And he gave him the whole region in which it was built, that they might be his servants. And the palace he built in it in Karka d-Beth Slok, and he brought and built in it a great multitude from that region of the Assyrians, from the nobles of the kingdom, a noble whose name was Burzīn. And a small wall he built for the city and placed it in a hollow, and a small wall he made for it. And with that multitude and a great army he gathered and placed there a garrison of about a thousand from Assyria: some within the wall, and some outside the walls.

And he built in the middle of Karka d-Beth Slok, the royal city of Sargosh, and the house of the governor of that governor whom he placed within it. And when the kingdom of Assyria began to decline, and the Assyrian authority was destroyed by divine decree, the wall of the mighty Arbāq arose, which is Adurbādagān over the kingdom of the Medes, after whose name the region of Adurbāygān was named. And he began to come against Nimrod with a great army. And that tribe of the Assyrian was gathered against him, when he was encamped in Cilicia. And they struck the battle-array, and the Assyrian was defeated and was killed in Cilicia. And after that, the kingdom of the Assyrians ceased, and the kingdom of the Babylonians ruled. And when this also had ceased, the kingdom of the Medes arose. And that also ceased, and Darius, son of Patshashp, ruled over Persia, whom the Magi, sons of Magus, call by name, one of the kings of Persia, who fought a battle with Alexander, son of Philip, and was defeated by him, and he took the kingdom of Darius. And Alexander ruled over the kingdom of the Greeks. And because he had no son, he divided his kingdom among his four servants, and after his death they took his kingdom. One of them was named Seleucus.

This one built five fortresses: to the city of Antioch of Syria, and to Seleucia of Syria, and to Seleucia of Pisidia, and to Seleucia the great city of Beth Aramaye, and to the city of Karka d-Beth Slok. This Karka, however, after the edict of Darius, he established; and he built a wall for it, different from that wall which the king of Assyria had built. And he built within it houses and a house of idolatry with that temple of idols which Sargon had erected in it, and there he used to worship the sun and the earth. And Darius brought five tribes from the region of Isfahan, and settled them within Karka; these whose names are written in the archives of the kingdom of Persia. And after Darius, Seleucus the Greek king came, that one who is mentioned above; and to that wall of Karka which he built, he made a mound, and built upon it a high wall. And he made the wall which he built with towers; these were sixty-five in number. And he made for the south-east one gate, and for the north-west another gate. And upon that gate which faces south-east, he erected on its summit a carved image of stone. And to its right and to its left, by this gate, towers of stone and brick. And this gate was that of the king. And that other was called, after the name of that one who was chosen for its head, Totay.

And King Seleucus built within it the royal palace, and he fortified it and adorned it with streets and squares, not only inside the wall but also outside the wall he greatly enlarged it. And he divided it into seventy-two streets, and he brought five known tribes from the east and settled them there, along with the rest of the people whom he brought from various places. And he gave to these five tribes that he brought lands and vineyards in the region, and he left the city tax-free. And twelve streets were named after the twelve known tribes, and the rest were named after the nations. And King Seleucus named it after the memory of King Sardana, that same one who had built the first city, Beth Rawe, on the side of the royal palace, which was built within the fortress, that which until now is called Serbowy. So the city remained in peace from the time it was built until the coming of the holy apostles, Addai and Mari, those who were sent by the Holy Spirit for the preaching of the region. And when they entered the city, they were received by a man whose name was Joseph. And when he was instructed and baptized by them, he became the church that to this day is called the Monastery of Beth Joseph.

Then from that time the seed of the faith of Christ was sown in Karka: and many from there received baptism, and they were steadfast Christians. And from the reign of King Balash until the time of the persecution of Shapur son of Ardashir, which was ninety-nine years, Karka was a blessed field, and there were no Zoroastrians in it. And in the reign of Shapur, the master of all evil, his satanic wife Grisa (?) entered it, and she introduced two Zoroastrians, whose names were Adday and Abzakhya, into the house of evil. In the reign of Ardashir, king of the Ashkanians, and in the reign of Hadrianus Caesar, when persecution arose against the churches in the western region, the bishops and leaders there fled to the eastern gate. And to Karka, the head and leader, a godly man named Tuqrite was brought. And by the deposition of that head who was in Shahargar, that Tuqrite became bishop in Karka, and he was counted as second. For the metropolitanate from the apostles and from the see of Antioch was given to Shahargard: and second was Tuqrite, and third was Lashom, and fourth was Khirbat Gllal, and fifth was Dara.

Then that Tukrite built the church for the inhabitants of Karka, and he arranged and established in it canons and apostolic orders, by which the service of the clergy of Karka is conducted to this day. And that church which Tukrite built is the same one where John the Shepherd, a worthy and zealous priest, later ministered. And after the death of Tukrite, his see was received by Abdiso, and bishops succeeded one after another, until the time of the blessed Mar Ma'ne, bishop and martyr. And in his days, this persecution arose against the Christians, and the church was uprooted. For also among the inhabitants of Karka, rebellion was seen, and from among them were the uprooters of the church of their own city. And this persecution occurred in Karka, not only by slaughter, but also by the plundering of properties, by bonds, and by harsh tortures. So much so that even virgins of the covenant, who professed virginity, came from the cities of the kingdom because of the cause of the persecution that was in the church and its inhabitants in our city; their accusations were brought before the governor Salar by the Magian priests who were in that city. And that accursed one ordered that outside the city, in a place called Khaura, they should be killed.

After all those holy women, in that place where they were crowned, from them a sign came, and it became a healing for those who were afflicted in it. The Magians, however, when they saw the wonder that had occurred, cut down the fig tree and burned that place with fire. But God, who does not allow his beloved ones to be despised by enemies, sent among them a pain of the lion that was devouring them, until they perished and were destroyed from the city. And that place, where the holy women were adorned, is called Beth Teta to this day, and now it is made a place of pilgrimage for all the faithful. And from hour to hour, when the commemoration of the great day of the Crucifixion is completed, and they go up to the great house of martyrs according to the custom of the city, the entire ecclesiastical order, the shepherd and his flock with all their ranks, and the cross at their head and before them, turn aside to Beth Teta with great procession, with praises and holy chants of thanksgiving, which are fitting for God, the Lord of all, for the shame of the infidels and the glory of the faithful, and for sinners mercy, salvation, and redemption. Amen. Thus these things.

Because of the harshness of the persecution, the little children were taken from Karka with the shepherd and the mighty man of valor, at the sight of the side of Karka. At the place of Agorus, which is called one of the side, they made little houses like a church, and they used to receive the Eucharist there secretly. And when the impious and erring Magians perceived this through a zealous informer, they went there against him. And like ravenous beasts without mercy they raged against him. And when they saw that their will was not accomplished, and that truth would not be changed by falsehood, they stoned him on the ascent above the side. And he received the crown of martyrdom on the hill of stones. And after him arose the blessed Isaac of noble lineage, in the office of deacon; and he also was crowned in martyrdom, and the free citizens of Karka stoned him, those who called themselves Christians, but who were compelled by the king's command. And he was buried on the hill above the village of the district of the governor Ausha. And after him arose John, that same one who, with Mar Jacob the bishop of Susa and John the bishop of Arbela, was in the holy assembly of three hundred and sixty-nine who were assembled; and after John arose Aqeblahā.

This blessed one, when he was about fifteen years old, began with labors of virtue and would perform acts of charity, such that he would secretly take gold, silver, and clothing from his parents and distribute them to the poor. And when his father, who was at the gate of the king and stood at the rank of the noble of Bazday, heard, as it pleased the king, he denied Christ and worshipped the fire. This blessed one, however, left his parents' house and went out to the poor. And because of his great labors and his glorious victories, he was chosen to stand in the stewardship of the church of his own village of Karka. And when he stood, he built up the church that had been uprooted in the days of the tyrant. And he gave to it vessels of gold and silver, along with curtains, utensils, and furnishings, for the completion of the service. And after his parents died, he gave the entire treasure that he found to the church. And he taught and instructed many. And along with these, also to the village called Tishish, which is named after the name of the ninety tribes, because Shapur the king brought them from Maishan and settled there, it was thus named. And they used to worship the demon of the dragon, which they had brought with them from their region.

One of the five villages belonging to him was the inheritance of his parents, which belonged to the blessed one; that which is called Qinyana in the region of Kustro, named after the father of the blessed one. This blessed one went to this village and entered the mountain of life. And because of the signs and wonders that the heavenly sign performed with his hands, the fragrance of his victories flew and reached Bahram bar Shabur, king of Persia, who had a daughter who was afflicted by a demon of the side. And when the holy one, 'Aqebla, was sought there, he placed his hand on the afflicted girl and she was healed. And he persuaded the king not to destroy the churches, and those that had been destroyed to be rebuilt. And the king listened and acted according to his will. And as for the two sects, the Magi and the Zoroastrians, who appeared in the sacrifice of the blessed one, he uprooted and abolished. And the blasphemy and rebellion that appeared in the latter two tribes, those who brought the armor and set it up in the city, whose names are these: Parez the one who denied, and Balash the one who rebelled. For Parez bar 'Amalka and Balash, this inheritance was an evil one for him in the city. And this evil seed the blessed one 'Aqebla uprooted and condemned in his teaching.

Now he was buying openly and buying secretly, until the time of the throne of Kustro, who stood with his bitter root, the accursed Magi, and he also was destroyed. And after the holy one of God, the confessor, fell asleep, Bar-Khadhbshabba was chosen as pastor of the flock of the sons of Karka. For he was a witness through signs and wonders and all excellent deeds. And when this blessed one also fell asleep, Aksnaya rose after him, a perfect man, humble, and complete in righteousness. And when this shining one also went to his Lord, his throne received the chosen and excellent one, who was adorned with spiritual beauties, Mar Shabur, son of the mystery of Karka. And his lineage is that which is called Beth Ardashir, son of Shabur, the mystery. This chosen one then abandoned the administration and went out to the monastery of the fathers, and there he used to labor with them zealously in all purity and holiness. And with the sword of the spirit which he held, he uprooted and cleansed the tares of Magi from that field of Karka. And the sons of his race, who were from that lineage which brought Seleucus from the land of Iṣṭahar, he made into waters of zeal for the name of the Creator. And he sought in his inheritance a house for the Aksnaye, in which the sick, the weary, the poor, and the afflicted are received and comforted.

And he gave the house and set up the hospice for the fee of the physicians who would be in it, and for the service of the provisions that would be needed for those who came to be healed. And when he had fallen asleep in peace with his Lord, the blessed athlete rose after him, the priest, the ascetic, and the guardian of holiness, Mar Yohannan, who was perfected in both: that is, in priesthood and in martyrdom. In his time, however, Yazdgard, who was the fifth after Shapur, was ruling in the land of Persia. And like Shapur, he also established a persecution against the Church of God, although until the seventh year it was conducted quite gently. And in the eighth year he killed his daughter, who was his wife, and the nobles of his kingdom. And he went to the land of Tashul and subjugated the kingdoms there. And he built a city there and named it after himself: Shahrestan Yazdgard. And while he was there, he expelled the Christians from his camp. The wretched one thought that because of the Christians he would be defeated by his enemies. And he selected one hundred thousand men from the Magians, and took their strength from them, and set them over his service, and many of them died in this decree of persecution.

the custom that existed among the kings of Persia, that at the beginning of each month, on the seventh day, each one of the nobles would enter and declare the account of the oppressed, and all the affairs that were not being managed well would be made known before the king—this custom that wicked one abolished. And when he returned from Tushul and came to his royal palace, he wrote to Tahm-Yazgard, the commander of the fortress of Mozrazdbid, who was in Beth-Selok, that he should be received from the magian custom, and that Sarosha and Razradi of the region of Arzun, whose name was Adofrazgard, and Dast-Berham Rad of Hadhyab and of Beth-Garmai, whose name was Sorya, should go with him; that they should go to their three cities, and by means of threats and gifts they should compel the Christians of these four regions, who were governed by these four rulers designated from above, until they deny Christ and worship the fire. And if they do not worship the sun, and do not sacrifice to the fire and water, they should be delivered to the cords, the saws, and the death of the sword. And Tahm-Yazgard and his company came and entered the city on the fifteenth of the month of Tammuz. And they proclaimed to the heads, the free men, and the rest of the nobles of the city, and cast them into prison.

And they sent merciless executioners to distant regions, and they commanded them: that everyone who was found from among the Christians should be brought here in harsh chains. If they did not deny their faith, they should be put to death by various forms of execution. Now John, the bishop of the city, when he saw what was happening, wrote to the patriarch of Antioch, that they should pray for him and for his flock, that God might help them and that they might be victorious over this persecutor who had arisen against them. That holy John, from the day that Tahm-Yazgard came up to the city, from the fifteenth of Tammuz until the twentieth of the month of Ab, did not go out from the church. But he and his flock were confined in the church, and they were crying out to God with weeping that he might come to their aid. And during those days, Tahm-Yazgard commanded, and they separated the shepherd from his flock, and they cast him into the prison, along with many of the Christians who were imprisoned there, and they were forcing him to worship the sun. And when he went out from the house of the Lord to go, and he saw the judge, he said in a loud voice to Tahm-Yazgard: "Peace to you, judge and blood-shedder; peace to you, persecutor and oppressor; peace to you, magician and confessor and martyr.

I have multiplied for you, Tahmizgard; I have multiplied for you, the helps, with which the face of the sinner who thirsts for his kingdom will be struck. For behold, I see you, that in the likeness of Simon Cephas, you also, after your head, you are destined to be hung on a cross for the name of the Messiah. Bound were also those with Yohanan the blessed: great men from the well-known family in that city of Karka. One of them was Isaac bar Hormizgard, and Ardashir bar Arzayan, and Abraham, and seven other brothers with them. Some of them persevered in their truth, and some of them denied. Isaac bar Hormizgard, however, while he was in the chains for the sake of the worship of God, that blessed one opened his mouth and said to Tahmizgard, in a suppliant manner, words that were similar to those which the blessed Yohanan had said to him: that you, Tahmizgard, are destined to be crowned in the good martyrdom for the sake of our Lord. And for the sake of the Father, you will be a lamb, and you will give your body as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable and pleasing to God. Tahmizgard, however, at that very hour commanded, and the walls and streets of the city of Karka were plundered by the swords and spears.

Now that one who had commanded to seize and bring Christians from place to place, went out in haste with eagerness, and they seized and brought not only men and women of the laity, but also bishops, priests, and deacons. Now that metropolitan of Arbela, and the bishop of Beth Wohadra, and the bishop of Ma‘alta. And with them the metropolitan of Shahargard. And the second of Karka, and the third of Lashom, and the fourth of Mahoza, and the fifth of Khirbat Glala, and the sixth of the village of Dara which is on the side of the Little Zab. These pastors with their clergy, and the multitude of their flocks, came to Karka joyfully, that they might receive crowns of martyrdom with great joy. And when they had entered, the cross, their boast, was before them, while it was adorned with splendid service and with torches. They were in number, as the word says, one hundred and thirty-three thousand, apart from the inhabitants of Karka who were imprisoned in the prison, who were twenty thousand. And when those who were in the prison heard the sound of the hymns of the service of those who had come, all the prisoners of the kingdom rejoiced with great joy of goodness.

Now that one who had commanded to seize and bring Christians from place to place, went out in haste with eagerness, and they seized and brought not only men and women of the laity, but also bishops, priests, and deacons. When the multitudes of the priests saw the ranks of the magi and the loud voice of their praises, many were greatly agitated, for they thought it was a tumult. And Tahyaz Gard went up to that place which is called Beth Teta, where martyrs had been slain in the days of King Shapur. And he sat upon the seat of judgment, and he set before those magi all the instruments of the demons, various and diverse, and said to them: "Thus has King Yazdgard commanded: that if there be those who do not obey his kingdom and his commands, and do not do his will, and do not worship the great god the Sun, and do not honor the fire and the waters in the name of Hormizd, your lives shall be destroyed in these." And with the demons there were also sixteen elephants, which they brought in order to trample all those who do not deny Christ. But the blessed Isaac took the instruments of the demons and kissed them, and placed them upon his eyes and said: "Peace to these irons, through which I shall enter that palace of the Roman kingdom, and shall enjoy the cool shadows of the light which has been prepared for us by our Lord Christ from before the foundations of the world." And he opened his mouth and said to the judge: "What are you standing for, O judge? Approach now and do whatever you are commanded.

Because the judge, when he heard these things, commanded and stretched out the holy Isaac upon the ground on his four limbs, and they drove stakes into his hands and his feet, and they scraped his body with iron combs until his flesh was separated from his bones. And when he was stretched out upon the mound of Beth Teta, and the wicked ones were going up to him, he would descend and go down into that hollow which is in Beth Teta. And while that holy one was being tortured, Tahmazgard commanded that all those who were imprisoned for the sake of Christ should be brought to the prison which is beside Beth Teta, and be examined. And if they did not deny the name of Christ, they should be tortured like Isaac. But the people of the holy and chosen Christians, when they knew that the time of their crown had come, gathered together in the church with their pastors and their flocks, and they celebrated the liturgy, and they partook of the life-giving mysteries, and they embraced and kissed one another with the holy kiss, and they went out bearing the cross and went in procession as far as Beth Teta. And when they saw the holy Isaac stretched out and his body being scraped, they raised their voices and gave praise to God.

and his strength and his heart, that he might not be cut off by these torments. The judge commanded, and they brought salt and rubbed the bones of the saint, and they kindled a fire. And when the fiery voice of the fire was given forth among the bones of the righteous one, and he was near to departing to his Lord, he raised his voice and blessed the orders of Israel of God, and he completed a good martyrdom. And the judge commanded that after him they bring the pure priest John, the bishop of his own Karka. And they brought him to that place where they had stretched out the righteous Isaac, and they cut off his hands, and they threw him down into that pit of the house of Teta. And also they brought after him and the rest of the six others with him, to the place east of the house of Teta. The holy ones, however, when they were running quickly and praising with the psalms of David, they came to that place which was destined for the pit of death. And the judge commanded, and they read before them the king's edict, which contained ranks and gifts and authorities for everyone who denies Christ. And for everyone who does not submit and denies, the great sword, cords, and combs. The holy ones answered with one voice and said: The gifts of the king are for him, and the authorities and ranks are for others. But for us there is a treasure in heaven, which is not exhausted forever.

and from there they began to kindle a fire to our Lord Jesus Christ, that he might change the body of Mār Mākīs, which was a mortal body, into the body of his glory. And when the judge heard, he commanded the torturers, and some cut off his feet, and some cut out his tongue, and some gouged out his eyes, and some flayed the skin of his head. And at the end of their torments, the judge commanded, and they brought reeds and rushes, and they sought a vessel of oil to anoint the wood. But the vessel of oil was not found in the place. And they anointed them with pitch, and they placed the saints in the midst, and Mār Yōḥannān the bishop at their head. And they set fire to the wood, and they burned the bodies of the athletes, and thus they were perfected in martyrdom for the sake of Christ. Now these were in number: the bishop, and Dādīshōʿ, and Shūbḥālīshōʿ, and Bāwkhtīshōʿ, the presbyters with him, and twenty-two known and faithful men from the city. These were crowned on the first day, on the twenty-fourth of the month of Āb, on the day of Friday, which is the sixth Sabbath after the fast of the Apostles.

and on the twenty-fifth of his month, on the day of Sabbath, they brought her out to that place where the first company of the three thousand from the Hamoraeans of Karka was crowned, whose names are written in the book of life. And Tahm-Yazdgird went out, and they entered the upper chambers, and they compelled them to sacrifice to the gods. And they cried out with all their strength in their God and said, "It is fitting for us that we leave Christ to be a sacrifice in our place, and we sacrifice to the rebellious demons." And when they inflicted great torments upon them, they became even more strengthened in Christ. And the sons of the service of the clergy who were there, whose names were Isaac, 'Alaihun, and Etrgemo, they stoned with stones on the ascent above the village of Kfar. And the two women, Bat Qayma, from the same Karka, they crucified on the middle of that ascent, and they stoned them on their crosses. And for Abraham, Shim'un, and Ma'ne, they dug a place at the top of the ascent, where they stoned them in the place of the stadium, and they brought them while they were bound with heavy iron chains. And the rest of the band from the blessed three thousand were crowned in that place where they burned in the house of Yohanan on the first day.

of the house of Abraham, David, and Simeon, and Ma'ne, who are inscribed above, they sent executioners against them, and they struck them with arrows in the pit where they were sitting. And they heated spits and pressed them against the openings of their eyes, along with other spits that were heated in fire, so that they burned their bodies, those of the confessors. These were crowned on the second day, on the twenty-fifth of Ab, on the day of Sabbath. And on the day of the first of the week, the third day of the crowning of all the confessors, Tahm-Yazdgerd commanded, and they brought her out to that place, the house of judgment, eighty thousand nine hundred and forty souls, those who were brought from the villages and cities, both far and near, while with them was the metropolitan of Shahar-Gerd, and the bishop of Lashom, and of Damokhoza, and of Khirbat-Galal, and the bishop of the village of Dara. And when they were assembled, they placed the bishops separately, bound, and that portion of the saints they brought in, groups upon groups, for interrogation. And when all had confessed and not denied, and they were found guilty, that all of them had one soul and one faith, the judge set over them, a cruel and merciless man, a magian, like three thousand.

And the rest of the saints perished by the sword; and the rest were delivered to the fire of the furnace. Some were imprisoned, some were stoned, and some had salt and vinegar poured into their mouths, and into their eyes and nostrils, until they died. And in brief: with various tortures and deaths they began to remove the blessed ones from this world, so that they might enter their place and go to their inheritance, which is light, life, and peace. Then one of the officials who was with Tahmiz-Gadr was sent to these bishops who are inscribed above. And he came and asked them, "Do you bow your heads?" And when all of them were silent, a certain youth, a widow's son from the city, whose name was Diadoy, like the first Diadoy in the days of Shapur, was bound there. For this Diadoy, the metropolitanate came to the city. He stood up manfully and said to the fathers: "Take courage, our fathers, in the Lord and do not fear, and give an answer to the enemies. And if not, give the salutation to the wickedness of the city, and we will receive the demons of the persecutors in your stead.

Then, at that very hour, the metropolitan of Shahargerd and the bishops with him submitted, wrote, and sealed a document, and said: "This metropolitanate is not fitting for you, O youth, which was for Elijah the Second and David the youth, in this hour of distress." And from that day, the primacy of the metropolitanate was established in Karka. And they laid hands on him and blessed him in their bonds. And when the impious saw the confessors standing in their prison and proceeding without fear, they became enraged and fell upon them with swords. And first they killed Shabiyyiha, whom they knew; then the bishops and the rest with them, some from Karka and some from various places. But a certain woman from the neighborhood of Beth Zadoq, whose name was Shirin, was baking bread in her house. And when she heard that the saints had been crowned, she left her bread and her dough in the oven, and took her two daughters with her, one on her shoulder and one in her hand. And she ran and found the judge Tahmizgard, beneath the cave. And when he was confused by the command of the horse he was riding, she adjured him in Persian, that he should not turn aside from the path by which the holy martyrs had been sent. And the judge turned aside, as he marveled at her zeal.

And when he had persuaded the woman, the wife of Pāpūs, from her mind—that in which she was standing—and she was not persuaded, he commanded concerning her, and her head was taken by the sword, and that elder carried her away. As for her young son, he fell upon the corpse of his mother and his brother while weeping, and he was taking from their blood and smearing it on his eyes and on his whole body. And however much the judge and the executioners took him to them and tried to entice him with gifts and words, he would run to the corpses of his mother and his brother, and fall upon them and embrace them while weeping. And then the executioners killed him also. And after these had been killed, the Lord opened the eyes of Ṭahmīz Gard, and he saw a ladder set in the earth, whose top reached the heavens, and all those who had been killed by him were ascending it. And the Lord stood above it and placed upon them ready, glorious crowns. And immediately the mind of the judge was changed to repentance, and he cried out and said in a loud voice: "If there is a Christian, let him come, because of the deeds that are upon him." And he swore at himself and wept, and he besought Christ to hide him from what the martyrs who had been slain by him had done. And when King Yazdgird heard that Ṭahmīz Gard had abandoned Magianism and confessed Christ, he commanded concerning him that he be interrogated with tortures.

And when they had brought in the demons and the sorceries and the incantations and the blows and the spells, and he saw that he did not humble himself in the arena, the king commanded concerning him, that he be hanged by the neck on a stake. And thus the blessed Ṭahmīz Gard was perfected in the good martyrdom, on the twenty-fifth of the month of Elul, on the second day of the week. And he prayed in the blood of his whole body and asked from God, that everyone who remembers the name of Ṭahmīz Gard, in every distress and sickness wherever he may be, be helped by God. This then is the account of the whole of these twelve thousand martyrs, and thus they were crowned with crowns of victory. And may our Lord make all of us worthy of their prayers, of their true hope, and of their glorious joy. Our Lord, however, the blessed bishop of this Karka, by the mercy of God which was found in him, sought the place where the victorious ones of the monastery were perfected, and used to make a commemoration for them every hour at the hour, with the warm zeal of his faith. He, together with Mār Bābōy the Catholicos, and the synod of bishops of Beth Garmai and also of Ḥadyab, wrote and sealed and delivered in true faith, that there should be a feast of commemoration for these saints three days in the year. This, then, on the eve of the Sabbath and on the Sabbath and on the first day of the week of the sixth week after the fast of the Apostles.

one foot, and the metropolitan of Ḥadyab was crowned, and the bishop of Beth Qūḥadrā, and the bishop of Maʿalltā, and the other bishops of the region, who were crowned with great glory on that great wall. And it is written and placed in the archives of the church of the metropolis of the city of Mēṭrapōlīṭā, that every one of the bishops of the eparchies of Karkā who annuls or does not come to the commemoration of the glorious martyrs, except for the reason of illness or of the difficulties of the journey, and by his own will neglects and delays the canon that was established by the fathers, is not permitted to complete his service by his own word, without the Lord's word. This is the wonderful victory of the saints, and the labor of their contest is glorious, of the resplendent martyrs and the valiant athletes. And it is well said in the canons, and the good news of these sufferings is even more delightful for the lovers of learning to hear. But now, O heirs and seekers of the saints, and seekers of the inheritance of Christ who crowns them, take up the cause in their prayers. And beseech your Lord, the Lord of the world, that his peace, his tranquility, and his mercy may flow over all the ends of the earth. And adorn his Church with his truth, in the circle of the saints within her until his revelation from heaven, and adorn her with the splendor of her resplendent and virtuous thoughts, like his promise to her.

And to the holy mountain, the second sign of the divine mystery: because of the light that shines from the bones of the saints, may praise increase in it and thanksgiving grow in it, and may its horn be raised up to the heavens by the power of the victorious ones, the holy stones of the martyrs in his generations. And it is fitting for the diligent workers who are within it to serve the Lord and to please him, that the ministers of righteousness and holiness may show the way of divine grace, like beloved friends of the victorious martyrs. And to the man of God, victorious in his service of the Lord, the steward of his holy house, sealed with virtues, who serves piously among his fathers, may the Lord add through his hands the fig of the hand of the sea, with all the additions of blessings from heaven and from earth, through the prayers of the saints, and may he drink from the light that shines upon them. To that light and to that praise, may our Lord Jesus Christ, God over all, make them equal, also to the church with all its orders and canons. Amen.

And also this makes known: that thus our fathers ordained from the beginning, that on the day of Friday there should be the commemoration of the glorious martyrs, of the Metropolitans and the Bishops and the Priests and the Deacons and the blessed congregation of the Twelve Thousand, who for the sake of Christ were crowned; and on the Sabbath of the commemoration of the holy Apostles, the fathers of the glorious martyrs. Which bitter deaths did these evil persecutors leave undone, which they did not bring upon the martyrs? Or which strong demons and violent tortures did they spare the members of the Church, which they did not inflict upon the true servants of Christ? Or from which cups of pains and bitternesses did the enemies of our people drink, which they did not cause the steadfast ones, who were armed with their strength, to drink in their torments? Some were worn down by hunger and thirst, and their body withered and they died. And some, when they were pursued for their heads in the mountains, their flesh was stripped away, and they died. And some (by the splitting?) of their shoulders, by the stretching of men, were torn apart and died. And some by the violent blows of the club, they were crushed (on their sides?) with pickaxes, and they died.

And there were those whose shins and bones were broken with heavy maces, and they died. And there were those who, when they were weary, they would throw them into snow and ice until their bodies dried up and they died. And there were those who, with swords, violently and quickly cut their flesh from their bones, and they died. And there were those who, with a harsh rod, cruelly stripped their skin from them and they died. And there were those who, with saws, violently bound their loins and they died. And there were those who, with branding irons, fiercely pierced their ankles with great pain and they died. And there were those who set up crosses of reed upon their heights and pressed down upon them, and one by one they tore away their flesh and sinews and they died. There were those who, with a catapult of stones, mercilessly struck them and they died. Apart from other torments, they also cut off their nostrils and cut off their ears and their fingers, and they gouged out their eyes, and they broke their shins and their knees with clubs. And there were those who hung them by the sinews of their feet. And there were those who placed hot coals under their armpits and they died. And there were those who filled mortars with ash and thrust their heads into it.

And there were those whose shins and bones were broken with heavy maces, and they died. And there were those who, when they were weary, they would throw them into snow and ice until their bodies dried up and they died. And there were those whose nails were pierced with thorns without mercy. And there were those in the markets whose wounds were not healed, and from day to day their sinews were renewed. And after all these severe and harsh torments and afflictions, they would cut off their heads with a sword. The end of the history of Karka d-Beth Slok, and of the holy martyrs who were crowned and triumphed in it in the good martyrdom for the sake of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.