Tae Hane Vol. VIM, 1%. July 1988 ~ 1098, pp. 41-81 Frans Beguel = Catonne, Par The Syriac sources relating to the persecution of the Christians of ajran in South Arabia ‘The pervecution of the Christians, in the city of Nafran Jn south “Arabia, is one of the mort glorious epivodes of tartyrdom in the hstory of the Eastern Church 1 was well Known, exalted and gave Hise to.a wide bagiographie.iteraure ‘in diferent languages, trom Ethiopie and Acabi to Georgian fnd_Armenian. tls even mentioned in the Qus’an (ura 85, ‘The Constellations’, verses 1-7). Recently, it hae given ise to sumerous articles, most of which deal withthe date of the event {would like to preseat here afew reflexions representing. the preliminary reals of reeareh conducted jolatly with collegues Specialising in South Arabia end Byzaatine, History withthe ‘of preventing « new study and trauslation ofthe eateal dossier Of sources and of setting. the eplaode in its historical lest the sourees. What is unusual, nd most interesting, Js that we Inve nat only haplgraphie accounts, er in mot ‘aaetyrdom narrative but also historical oreriptionsmsatoaing the same events, Several lnsriptions, emanating forthe cree of the king who initiated the persecution, have been found In * Lwould ike to thank ere J. Beauetmp and Ch, Robin for their bepful remarks, Tam alo very Bratefl to Me tae Bond who kily improved my Tngsh fet Mente of CNRS-Pene. Tac at Calle de Pane, snort ‘Asis Darema rceay worked a Ket Ini Sano‘Yemen, These inscriptions describe the beginning of the events sp to tho sige. of Najean, They give a ralistiey and relale Nitorieal setting for the persecution. One other inscription velers to the Abysinian campaign and the death of the Jewish ag of Hinyar. The most important records are ia Syriac and today 1 wil concentrate on the information given by these texts For Song time, the events were ouly aows, on the one hand from abstracts of Simeon of Beth Atshm’s letter preserved by Denys of Tellaalre who nuade use of the History of John of Ephesus Zod hall of the sixth century), and, on the other, by “Zachariah the belor in his chromite. Ignaro Guidi discovered ‘what he suppored tobe the original text in two manuseipt, one Inthe Brith Mseum and the ather in the Vatican Library, text which be quekly” published. It is preseted asthe genain letter written Ry Simeon of Heth Arsbam describing the events ‘sn ankng fr help forthe Yemeni Christin, I often clled he cst letters, Another letter, aso attributed to Simeon of Path Arsham, was published twenty years ago by Iefan Shab, fom Ceniplemented where’ it contains gaps by a Carshun! manascept In Saint Mark's monastery in Jerosalem, ‘The editor thinks thal this second etter ina genaine work of Simeon of Beth Arsham, fnd even older than the fits letter. But this thesis is most Improbable. In ts present form, the second letter shows traces of clabration and even coataine« quotation frm John of Asia ‘Gohn of Epheas), Without eateting hee Unto. questions of [Qelejoretig (ho Nest eet atalghe of dueques Rychmans) scan be taken for granted that even the so-called frst letter, that edited hy Guidh, scene to have been an tlaborstion of two diferent accounts, perhaps two sieeve lettre by Simeon, The Ast was perhape written atthe cosfreate 1. 1, GUIDE, a tetera Simeone vercovo. di Heth-Arsham sopra i martini merits, At dla rele aecadamla det Line, fnno CCLXXVIL, 180-81, «71-516. 2. 1, SHAMID, The Martyrs of Nalran, Neo Documens Bruxelles tw ee ot Ramla, where Sion ws accompanying. the tegate of the Byzantine emperor Justin and where be frat ard of the Drvecatin, The second one woUld have been writen some time Inter ftom “AL Hira where Simeon dolled the Lakme hig AL Mondhir sad’ where, peopl coming iron Nejran faroisad. hi with ew etal The two napatioe foreaver are aot rely Vatgrted In the Gul eter However {his txt most hve. Been composed shortly after the events i describes, sit was already Known ts iohn ot Ala at the tod ef the 6th century. The Shabid liter isan even Iter briton ‘The third Syriac text is a aglographle account, the Book of the Mingariess Tt shows some. further degree of elaboration and does not seam to give new histrieal information, In Gresk, the most important tet is the Merlplom of ‘Saint Areas and bis fellows tn the cy of Nojra. ‘The Bes pare follows the account in the Syrise Intern The Second part foncentrater on the history of the King of Ethiopia, who enme to'help the Christiane, invaded the kinglom of Himyar and ‘verthtew its Ring. The event ip also related inthe eroaices ‘of Procopis, Malsas, Theophanes ete. Lat us now look a the facts, In 623, after the death of the king of Himyar, tht fr South Arabia, power fll into the 3 J. RYCKMANS, «A Confroatation ofthe Min Hagigraphic Accounts of the Nsjran Persecution, Arabian Stas in Hongur of Molnoud Ghol, Wiesbaden 1960, p, 113-13 Y'SHITOMI, “ltéexamen der deux’ Teves” avibuses a Siméon de BALM. Arkim, relatives 4 In. perscution des hectic de Negrin Liter sul-aree's Recall off t “Jeques Ryckmans, Lowwsin 1901, p, 207-224 4h, MOBERG, The Book of the Hingaries, Fragments of « iano Untrawn Spree Work, Lua 124 Y 1 take here an option about he date whic i coptoversi ‘As a matter of fact the hogiographie tradiiog Tends ws to ‘Ge’ posses: november 90 of 85 of Ihe Seleucid ere ttt Ie A.D, 618 or 823. Thin polat ie mot important for Historians of South Arabia because iti hag to uece AoE 4 oe man Inands of a man called, Da-Nawas, Douaaas in Greek, Yusut ‘Aver in Hinyaritie, ho professed the Jewish falth According fo certain saurce, the former king had boen crowned. by Elopians ‘Anyway, Du-Nuwas decided to bresk off relations with the Bthiopan, and to renounce the. Christan faith that. seems to have Been linked with them, He frst amiled Zafar, where the Ethiopians were stationed, slaughtered them, and” palled down thelr chorches, Then he lal slege to. Nojran. According {the Syrinesonrers, ashe was unable to take it by free, he promises to pare the inhabitants if they surrendered, As often such casey they Believed him and opened the gates of the town Then Du-Novwas burnt. the church together with the feliee of the holy bishop Pauly the press, the leading citizens, fnd consecrated” persus. ‘There are naratives of partieslar martyrdom: rie, beautiful and noble woman was given three {hye to. chusider conversion to Judaism. On the third day, she dred up as for a wedding and ran to embrace martyrdom ogetber wither daughters) the old) nobleman, arith bin Keb, Aretias in Gresk, gave 4 long exhortation to ir fellow fitizens belore Being executed; thtee year old child rejected fruit afered him bythe plows king, preerrag to die with his mother than to ive as som of the queen. Throughout “the facetious, survivors gather ells ‘The Christians called on the Byzantine emperor for help. He regarded the persestion as outing of bis protection. So, thanks to his intervention, @ campaign was organised by. the King of Ethiopia who deposed Du-Nuwas and. placed «new ‘Christian lnglon the Hingarte throne, So much for Use event “The prevent paper will concentrate very Bred on thee pots, on which we have particular ifgrmation in the. Syrne ‘ynchronlsm that itis possible to date. the Himyarte es Rayways ve goats afferenee ix not very tayprtant fot Sut pacpote, The "most resent trentmentsof the questo, ‘whic "scum to seile the subject, are. by. Y. SHITOME, Be le Stooge dia parca de Nagra, Ort 2 ten p. 2r-a2 and €, DE BOIS, Tae Date af the “Mattyet aE MSs. akin Arla ad pry 1 18, ‘mr svmine sources. te sour ARAMA 45 txts, and manly in the Best letter, oid by Guldl. est, it brows Tight on the penetration of Judasm in Arabia inclding ‘the south of the peninsula, before the Hogs. Secondly, it reveals some aspects of Chistologeal controversies in the Nett ast in the sixth centary precaely at the moment when separale churches began to be organised; Analy will bring fate eliet ‘the special Ink which i made betwees kingship and frauds, and the cultural and intelectual background of this conespt 4. Fist, the penetration of the Jewish tligion into Arai 1 is well Known that, when the prophet Mahammad so9ght refuge In YathribMedianh, several tribes of the town. were Jewish. Hi relations with them remained. diet. throughout ‘he years he apent there, In fact, evidence for the difsion of Judism in Arabia is mach older than the sith century. The grt explorers of the north-west of the peninsula at the beginning of this entury, Fathers Jaussen and Savignac, saw Hebrew grat in the reglon the anss of Al Ula)Dedan® ‘They contalntypial proper ates, Tne, Semel, Sadog, snd invocations such st @BArakh loin, Other evidence isto be found in the Nabstean inscriptions of Arabia, The oldest one is engraved ona tomb in Mada ia Sallijea and begins hy these words : dh kor dy “bd yl be ‘ye ody”. It ie written Jn. good ‘Nabatcan, with Toel Arable Infueaee, and” were It not for the specie eter hai, no one would nuspect any Jewish connection. ‘This Inserption is dated to A.D. 4143. Another inseription af Hira, published by Altheim snd Stic, the latest kuowa. Nabaten Inserption, trom A. D. S66. It Commemorstes the building ofa tomb by Aduon, geand-son of a Samuel, chi or prince of Hijra, for his wife, also grand-daughter of « Samuel, ciel oF Prince of Tayma!‘Becaase of the naae Sumucl the owner of © ACJAUSSEN, [R, SAVIGNAC, Mlision on Arabic, Pais ‘on-at4 6 Genestorth. J) 7. AS Tar € 5 HEALEN, The Nalaeon Tomb Insriplons of Matin Shi, Oxtoed 108, at, 8 BOMATHEID FOOSTIBHL, Bie Arte in de allen Walt Vit Bern BB Ss e corect teting wat etait aes re ein lpr aemtigae 1971, 135, iris Th pin erate STACK a i nmin fra conf de divert. ata el Ua Nate, Lyon 1078, po -Al46 ve wane the tomb is sometimes considered to be Jewish, We have a few other examples from ALU. In south Attia. 100, we have evidence of this infuenee, even before the reign of Du Newer Already at the end of the foanth century, « king of Himgar makes reference to the Lord rive Hever ia a dedieatory Inscription®. Other texts, even hore emeneting from the court, make clearer allusions to. the Feligion of Israel, Spaagogues were erected and one text relates Thevtting aside of « graveyard for the Jewish population. So hore war nothing partiularly ‘mew ie the conversion of Du Nawes ‘The connection between the Himarite kings aad Judaism certainly hat poltical aspect. Attbia mat in no_way outside the intelloctuol and politica! movemeats of the time. Ttoreupied fn important postion in the vary between the Byzantine snd Persia, that Sosania, empires. Each of these empire. had ‘asnats in North Arabia, the Ghastanids on the sideof Byzantiom Unde Lakimigs onthe ide of the Persians As the Byzantine ates declared himself the nataral protstor of all. Chestias, Conversion to the Chistian faith was in away equivalent to Snbmision to the Roman empire. On the other hand, conversion tf Judhism could be interpreted esa rebellion agaist Byzantium ‘That lo wby the besleas raised an Ethiopian punitive expedition guint the rebellions king Bat we caanot explain the polly of Da Nuwas only in poitcal terms. The formal loyalty expressed by previous Hiya: te hings would have been sullen. The persecution of Christians tras aot pecesery to asset the independance of the Kingdom Irom Constantinople, Here we have something new.” FS 1, wi, ISN 20, 201, 37 1 BREET Une Binge aeo-eraen an Zafar. » “Aton 1970, 195-185, 11, URDU La Hifaion dos aligns monottists en Arable Sioned avant Tislom 9, Are ange de Kor 8 Mahone Sos uggs sur Pole ds Araes grave ips. Homes ete Menino det’ Madtrrande e191 fis, 18etso. 1, Metal Pc tettn polemic in that period, ee Michel 2. ANN ESBROECK, ce mnnovert haben Paris "758 et ‘owe syne soUmCES SOUTH ANABLA. 7 But the Syriae letters attributed to Simeon of Beth Arshamn emphasise another aspect of the Jewish presence in South Arabia, They. eler to special links between the Jewish commiiies of Tiberius and South Arabia. quote ere the end of the fst letters « The Jews of Tiberias send their pris, year after yea tnd from time to time they stir up troubles among the Hiyerte Christus. And ifthe bishops are really Cristian, they should be made to establish Christina, not to asacate with ews and to persuade the Kg to see Ihe chief prieets of Tiberius and of the"other towne and. put them in privn. We do not sik tat you do them evil fr evil but that they sbould hand over people to newer for not having sent peopl or writings to the king of the” Himyarites ». The seeond letter, the one edited by Shahid, sakes mention, at the Beginning of the event, of Levite priest ftom the Tibeiad who was present at the eourt af the King of Himgar. We certainly have to be cautious when faced with such tvidene, but Iti aso aot posible to set itaide Thee people Sean to have been misslonarin of sme aor. I intersting to tec an exemple of Jewish sionaics in South. Arabia copectlly tien the very existence of sucha Jewish mission has heen com Pletely rejected recently by two. French Historias.” It Isao Frportant to note that thee tis existed ebween South Arabia fod Palestine, rather than’ with the Jewish community” in Mesopatamia and especially In Babylonia, the great Jewish intelectual eentee of the time ‘The second polat of my paper will concern the place of these Syriae texts in Chistalogicl polemior ofthe period in the [Neat East. We must fest remember that thi episode, and’ the redaotion of the letters of Simeon follow the councils of Eghests land Chalcedon and take place st n time when separate cristina ‘harches are beginning to be orgnised. At the boginaig of the Sixth centary, the Persian ehorch gradually adopted the so-called ‘Nestorian » theology. Inthe Byzantine empire, Sutin scended ‘he throne in July 518 and jatited at the very bvsinng of his reign a steely Chleedonian religions policy. Many dignitaries, histoire dex martyre de Nojran 9, La Sorte de peace @ atm VTle-Vitle sels, Darah 199, p. 25-0 4G ORRIEUN. ED. ‘WILL, “rndyine jaf? sire done8 ou mane ‘who were comsidered tobe monophystes, were seat into hile In Beypt, Simcon'sIeter Begins with the conference in Ramah, whieh Simeon attended withthe emperor Justin's gate, the priest Abraham. Slncon himself, whose lle is known. through John of Ephesus, Michiel the Syrian and the Seort Cronies, was known a+ «geet disputant, who dedieated his Iie to ightng Nestorian expansion In Persia and Armenia* [Now there fsa theme which recers again and agin inthe Syrine document, from the very Est page of the frst letter, ‘whichis prevented an argument In antehristan polemic, Fist Teis used in Tamla y pagan Arabs. opposed to Simeon and ‘Abraham, Then Du-Nuwat and, after him, AI Mundhie use the fame argument. 1 quote the Iter: « Your Christ bts een ox palled by: Romans a1 by Persians and fimyarites >. Later_we feud: « Now the Homans ave. admitted that Chis + # mas ‘my do you wander after hin? What do you know more than TRE omtnet "the most probnbly nolan argument of the Sowish Kg. Anyway, it mast improbable that the prseeator SPould Mave relayed tt length the diferent episodes of martyrdom Gnd the discourses of noble Christians stressed_the courage of the persecuted and sent letter ln which Christan, rater than he, are shown at best advantage: this shows once more that trun the, Guidi letter is already a Raglographie account and Sot aprimary document. Anyway, thir argument most probably Comes trom Sinncon or another redactor. It is an argument in the monophyeite controversy, which tended to empasze that the antichatcedonians were the ouky authentic disciples of Christ, ‘Saulog that the others did not acknowledge bis divinity, As @ Inatter of Tac, these words ken the Chaleedonians to the Jews {nd relerdiecly. to” Jotin‘s raligous policy (the Romans) find to the gradual move of the church of Persia towards Nestortanism (ihe Perslans) This argument, calling Chaleedonians TO SHARD, Bymntie-Arsie Te Confrence of aml, 1A. D. BM yy JNBS 2 1004p 15-8, 1 2 a PIE Jan pur ame Rie de Pe n Toy, CSCO Bidloualn fe, ft" 14 eth eh hig naa na, he CAs Stade spans Byala 7 thunk S.Geth for Shing wy stenta'en dyin ‘ne sync soences soe Anam 4 ows, mas often employed by monophyssts in diferent conteo- wets. We see here the strong antichaleedonian tone of this text, which perhaps explains why Byzaatam is mentioned 9 Binds” This fs one of the major diference between the Syeiax nd the Greek texts AL the sume time, we ate in the same dacouras of the Impiows king «sort of sinimaliat monotheistic argumentation, which consists of the rejection of idolatrous nod. astral cults, {nf the veneration of s unique God, restr of heaven and Gath. T quote nguin the words of Du-Nuwas in the letter: {< We do not ask you to deny God, the. crestor af heaven and ath, nor to bow dows to sus oF stars o others heavenly bodies, F to any creature, but to deny Jesus, who thought he was fod, and to sey only this ‘He was'a man and not s go > ‘hese words od clear parallels in sme Himyarite inerptions ipentloned a ite earlier. Te seme that we ean ace Bere, South Arabia, ope century before Muhammed, the development ft general monotheistic formulation which was to be adopted by Islam and. recognised as common to the ABI sL-Kitab, the People of the Book. ‘hs lst pint to which I would ie to drow your ten Pete certs of ton tre Gomes wh ot presi fetter of Son of eth Asam, an in one way or untbe Gea fo him Tuner tens fprech ma oan Joi ing which appears surprng Ue this costes tom the very ining oth fst Ite, the Lng sys 1 sondered there arte pint ln ing trie toverdn Caran > To. sae Argamet is frthor developed. by Harth.in Ku, wo as ‘Aen ste sentra gure te Grok text. When feet ngs peptone ave i in by teeing Cette age Acti, you do oot speak Hk sng, you do ot eet Ie Pg iithe win ties net a Lng, Thre von any ue Bave tot ssn King who ed Then follow eteton, 17, hip argumentation ssiiaing Candia and Nexorian, {cidewsy wes alten’ Gsed In mopoptiste polemics See for ‘semple I VANROMPAY, «A letter of the ews to the Emperor Mazcian Concerning the Cousell of Chaleedon », Orientals Lovanenta Perloien 12, 198, p, 215-20,oo o Christ, before he ness. €” Your Kingdom will ane Your ints. on his own truthulaest a8 ah HO tinouncer the fall of the Je Spe er w= mnt The copa wing 0083004 oh ene mth seam i ere om Eat 1 etme Ina cry ght csstians Nr gedeiwih ft Heck of Legitimacy could Be yy force "HS" pomble forthe jater 806 a sem to tok det“ ft ttn eta emt a Epis to inervee into” “gpaamestal amet a {hat always telling the truth ep only One a toes ship and thatthe act of Bins Soy “HHowever tM Woes aly ing the ows of Mc, on on eines pet sees tld By tH gen i al tay nt ‘he then reneged on. Du-Nuwes een Generally to have ected thus i time eatbfulness and kingship vpceity i simply one ‘or in the royal iy site, Sis oe xa le Bib his dream does not reem to be speci characteristic of the gond devotion and wisdom. In the BP in the choice made by Sot0®® sls. of tewhfuloes very fe is a clear example of nesta: Wma, a mythical tn he my ei Mg neg heHd ere a ea Tat a paris 1971, p. 252-291 se a The importance of truthfulness the mark ofthe authentic ting in the Irenian mentality con also be observed in mare recent historical texts in Derias” Snseriptions, on the rock of Beistan, the rates, the false kings are. depicted as Titra ‘Ths ey i persian drange, isthe exact opponte of the quality possessed by the authentic king Darius, arta, truthfulness. Even nearer to fur episode, in the Res Getae Doi Sopris, the Sssenian king Shapour desrbes the attack of the Romta emperor, Philip the Arab, as he lied again 9%. So the notion could stil have been ‘ivi in the Sassanian period Let us go back to our texte, Even if they are not the ‘genuine texts of Simeon ot Beth Arsham, they rely upon these Fetters ad certainly have transmitted some of hit expressions Now, according to Zachariah the Rhetor, Simeon was bishop td apoctisaroe of believer fom the country ofthe Persians". ‘Accordig to John of Ephests and Michel the Syrian, he_ wos Bishop of Beth. Arsham, neat SeleucniCesiphon. Even if we fallow Fiey In reguring th a8 hie place of birth rather than the seat of his bishopric, it seme. certain that be had close felatons with Persia, He could. have been luQaenced. by its ideology, 1h would then aot be surprising that, when reconstract- ing the discourses of the Jewish king, he would have lastted Sint wis in his eyes one of the tin ebaraceritic of bad King, Neturaiy, this is only an hypothesis, ul it seamed to me # 18, Res Guta Dial Sopot, Groek text 1,10. In Parthian, we fave MREDWe wlongly writen for MAADW, whieh eorree Ponds! to Persian dry" CL A. MARUCQ, «Clason et DGrientala 8», Syeta 38, 058, p. 08. 2 Zachariah the Rdstor, Minea VIM, chapter: E. W. BROOKS, i at Zhan Rel yap ea feomentin hiss aclenatcat Dlonge Temrenst, C300 CirTran 180" p. 68