Mor Behnam & Mort Sarah

Mor Behnam & Mort Sarah

December 10th is the commemoration of the dukhrono of martyrs St. Behnam, his sister St. Sarah and their 40 martyr companions (dukhrono sohde Mor Behnam u Mort Saro hotheh w arb'in sohde habrayhun) +388 according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church.The Zoroastrian King of Persia Sennaharib ruled Adiabene. He had two children, Prince Behnam & Princess Sarah. Prince Behnam was a strong warrior who was always accompanied by 40 armed servants, however Sarah was sadly afflicted by a severe form of leprosy. One day prince Behnam went hunting in the wilderness with some of his servants. He saw a large animal & chased it, separating himself from the group. Night came & he slept alone in the wilderness. He had a dream that someone was telling him to look for a man named Matthew, who lived in that mountainous area, this Mathew would pray for his sister & she would be cured. The next morning he set out to find his party, & together they searched for Mor Mattai. They found him in a cave within the mountains. Behnam told monk Mathew about his sister & the previous night's vision. He asked Mor Mattai to join him & return to the palace. There, Behnam informed his mother who allowed St. Mathew to see Sarah. Mor Mattai prayed over her, & she was miraculously cured of her disease. St. Mathew taught them about the Lord Jesus Christ & the reward of the Heavenly Kingdom. Hearing of the Gospel, Behnam & Sarah were baptized by Mor Mattai & accepted Christianity. St. Mathew returned to his cave soon afterward. The King was delighted to see his daughter healed. Upon asking how this happened, St. Sarah told the king about Mor Mattai, & that they had accepted Christ as Lord. Sennaharib was furious & told them to renounce their Christian faith or face punishment; but the siblings refused. They fled at night in secret along with the companions who also accepted Christ. Sadly, the King found out & he ordered his army to chase them. The siblings & their companions were slaughtered. The hill upon which the group was standing caved in. Thus Mor Behnam, his sister Mort Sara & their 40 companions attained the crown of martyrdom. The king was soon afflicted by the possession of an evil spirit which tormented him agonizingly. Behnam appeared to his mother in a dream & told her to get Mor Mattai. The queen, believing Mor Mattai to be capable of healing the king called for him to visit the palace. St. Mathew prayed over the king who was then healed. The king repented of his evil ways & along with the queen accepted Christianity & was baptized. Soon their entire kingdom heard the Gospel & were baptized as well. King Sennaharib built 2 monasteries, Dayro d-Mor Mattai & Dayro d-Mor Behnam u Mort Sara (where he had his son & daughter entombed, it's also called the 'pit monastery'). Many works of miracles occur due to the intercession of St. Behnam & St. Sarah. Their relics are venerated with great reverence. Biography courtesy of, 'Martyrs, Saints and Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox Church' Oh Mor Behnam, Mort Sara & the 40 martyr companions! Plead for us all before God's throne of grace. Amen.https://urhotheway.com/2020/12/27/sts-behnam-and-sarah/  English translation of the Life of St. Behnam and St. Sarah: https://bit.ly/VitaBehnamSarah Syriac Prayers: https://tinyurl.com/5n974ydw Fixed Feast