In the fifteenth year of the great persecution raised in Persia
by king Sapor II., by the command of Sapor Tamsapor governor of
Adiabene, Barhadbesciabas, the zealous deacon of the city of Arbela,
was apprehended and put on the rack. Whilst he was tormented, the
officers continually cried out to him, “Worship water and fire,
and eat the blood of beasts, and you shall be immediately set at
liberty.” But the blessed deacon Barhadbesciabas showed, by the
cheerfulness of his countenance, that the interior joy of his happy
soul overcame the torments he felt in his body. He often said to
the judge, “Neither you nor your king, nor any manner of torments
shall ever be able to separate me from the love of Jesus: Him alone
have I served from my infancy to this old age.” The tyrant at length
condemned him to be beheaded, and commanded Aghæus, an apostate
Christian nobleman, to be his executioner. The holy deacon stood
bound waiting with joy for the happy moment which was to associate
him to the angels; but Aghæus trembled so as not to be able to give
the blow. He struck, however, seven times at the martyr’s neck, and
not being able to sever his head from his body, ran his sword into
his bowels; of which wound the holy deacon expired soon after. The
judge set guards to watch the blessed corpse; but two clerks carried
it off in the night, and buried it after the Roman fashion. He
suffered on the 20th day of the month of July, in the year 354, of
Sapor II. 45. See his genuine Chaldaic acts in Assemani, t. 1, p. 129.