Sarbelius and Barbea
Sarbelius and Barbea († 104 / 5 or 112 in Edessa ) were early Christians at the beginning of the 2nd century in Asia Minor Edessa common to the martyrdom have suffered. They are venerated as saints .
According to his largely legendary Syrian martyrs, Sarbellius (alternative spellings and names: Šarbēl, Sarbelos, Sarbilios, Sarbylus , and Tūṯāēl, Thuthael, Thuthail, Thathuel, Thamel ) was initially high priest of a local cult in Edessa . Five months before his death, he celebrated the great sacrifice of this cult on Nisan 5 in front of the city's Tabularium, was converted to Christianity by the city's bishop Barsamia (Barsimäus) on this occasion and a little later together with his sister Barbea (alternative Spellings: Babai, Babaia, Bebaia, Babeia, Bebaea ) baptized . He then took the baptismal name Thuthael ( Syriac : Tūṯāēl). As a result, he converted numerous residents of Edessa before he was summoned before the judge Lysanias, who ordered him to obey the state laws and to resume the sacrificial service. When Sarbelius refused, he was subjected to torture, thrown into dungeon and finally beheaded.
His sister Barbea dipped her cloak in the blood of the executed man and prayed that her spirit would be united with that of her brother. The judge then tortured and killed her.
In Greek and Latin tradition, the feast day of the two saints is January 29th. In Edessa itself there is no evidence of a cult in memory of Sarbelius. The martyr's memory for him can also be documented since 932 (Jacobite menologion of Qennešrē). A homily by Sarbelius, however, was written by Jakob von Sarug around 500 .
literature
- Lutz Greisiger: Sarbel, Babai. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 26, Bautz, Nordhausen 2006, ISBN 3-88309-354-8 , Sp. 1311-1315.