E00252: After the death of *Pinhas (martyr in Persia, 4th/5th century, S00096) his relics are distributed miraculously amongst seven local monasteries. One bone is taken by a peasant, but, after appropriate miraculous chastisement of the perpetrator, reaches its proper destination, as the foundation-relic for a female monastic community. Account in the Story of Pinhas, written in Syriac sometime after the late 4th century.

Story of Pinhas 11-14

For a full summary of this Martyrdom, see $E00251.

ܘܐܬܘ ܐܢܫܐ ܡܢ ܦܕܡ ܩܪܝܬܐ܆ ܘܢܣܒܘ ܡܢܘ̈ܬܐ ܡܢ ܦܓܪܗ ܕܩܕܝܫܐ ܡܪܝ ܦܝܢܚܤ܆ ܘܣܡܘ ܐܢܘܢ ܥܡܗܘܢ ܒܒܝܬܐ ܕܝܠܗܘܢ. ܘܡܢ ܒܬܪ ܫܒܥܐ ܝܘܡ̈ܝܢ ܒܥܘ ܐܢܘܢ ܠܗܕܡ̈ܐ ܗܢܘܢ܆ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܐܢܘܢ. ܘܩܡܘ ܘܐܙܠܘ ܠܘܬ ܛܘܒܢܐ ܡܪܝ ܝܗܒ ܕܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܗܘܐ ܒܕܝܪܗ ܥܡ ܬܠܡܝܕܗ ܒܪܛܟܫܐ܆ ܠܥܠ ܡܢ ܙܘܝܬܐ ܩܪܝܬܐ܆ ܥܠ ܢܗܪܐ ܕܫܡܗ ܣܪܝܐ. ܘܟܕ ܐܬܘ ܠܘܬܗ ܐܡܪܘ ܠܗ܆ ܕܚܢܢ ܡܪܝ ܟܢܫܢ ܡܢܘ̈ܬܐ ܕܗܕܡ̈ܐ ܡܢ ܚܕ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܡܢ ܦܢܟ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ܆ ܘܣܡܢܢ ܐܢܘܢ ܥܡܢ ܒܒܝܬܐ. ܘܟܕ ܒܥܝܢ ܠܗܘܢ܆ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܢܢ ܠܗܘܢ܆ ܘܠܐ ܝܕܥܝܢܢ ܡܢܐ ܗܘܐ ܐܢܘܢ. ܘܗܘ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܡܪܝ ܝܗܒ ܐܡܪ ܠܗܘܢ܆ ܕܗܠܝܢ ܡܢܘ̈ܬܐ ܘܫܩܠܬܘܢ܆ ܠܫܒܥ ܕܝܖ̈ܬܐ ܐܙܠܘ ܒܐܝܕ̈ܝ ܡ̈ܠܐܟܐ ܩܕܝܫ̈ܐ܆ ܘܗܐ ܡܬܢܨܚ ܝܘܡܐ ܕܕܘܟܪܢܗ ܒܗܠܝܢ ܫܒܥ ܕܝܖ̈ܬܐ. ܘܬܘܒ ܡܘܕܥ ܐܢܐ ܠܟܘܢ܆ ܕܗ̇ܘ ܓܒܪܐ ܕܟܢܫ ܐܢܘܢ ܠܗܠܝܢ ܡܢܘ̈ܬܐ܆ ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܡܢ ܦܕܡ ܩܪܝܬܐ܆ ܘܗܐ ܫܩܠ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܚܕܐ ܫܪܝܬܐ ܡܢ ܐܝܕܗ ܕܝܡܝܢܐ܆ ܘܣܡܗ̇ ܒܡܐܢܘ̈ܗܝ. ܘܗܐ ܥܠ ܗܠܝܢ܆ ܥܬܝܕ ܒܪܗ ܕܡܬܢܣܐ ܡܢ ܣܛܢܐ ܫܒܥܝܢ ܝܘ̈ܡܝܢ.

ܘܗܘܐ ܗܟܢܐ. ܘܛܥܢܘܗܝ ܠܛܠܝܐ ܘܐܘܒܠܘܗܝ ܠܘܬ ܛܘܒܢܐ ܡܪܝ ܝܗܒ ܠܕܝܪܗ܆ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܘܗܝ ܬܡܢ. ܘܐܡܪ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܪܛܟܫܐ ܬܠܡܝܕܗ ܕܩܕܝܫܐ܆ ܕܪܒܐ ܕܝܠܝ ܡܪܝ ܝܗܒ ܐܙܠ ܠܘܬ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܡܪܝ ܐܚܐ܆ ܘܐܬܡܛܝܘ ܠܐܘܨܪ ܩܪܝܬܐ܆ ܘܗܝܕܝܢ ܐܬܢܣܝ ܗ̇ܘ ܛܠܝܐ܆ ܘܦܫܛ ܐܝܕܗ ܠܒܪ ܨܘܪܗ ܘܐܫܟܚܗ̇ ܠܫܪܝܬܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܕܡܢ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܦܝܢܚܤ ܘܐܡܪ ܠܐܡܗ܆ ܚܙܝ ܐܡܝ܆ ܕܗܕܐ ܗܝ ܫܪܝܬܐ ܕܚܢܩܐ ܗܘܬ ܠܝ. ܘܐܡܪܬ ܐܡܗ܆ ܕܗܒܝܗ̇ ܠܝ ܠܗܪܟܐ ܒܪܝ. ܘܫܩܠܬܗ̇ ܐܡܗ ܕܛܠܝܐ ܠܡܪܓܢܝܬܐ ܗ̇ܝ܆ ܘܐܪܡܝܬܗ̇ ܒܐܪܥܐ. ܘܒܪ ܫܥܬܗ ܐܬܚܠܡ ܛܠܝܐ.

ܘܡܢ ܒܬܪ ܕܡܛܘ ܠܥܘܡܪܐ ܕܙܪܢܘܩܐ܆ ܠܘܬ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܡܪܝ ܐܚܐ܆ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܐܢܘܢ ܬܖ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܟܕ ܝܬܝܒܝܢ ܘܡܡܠܠܝܢ ܥܡ ܚܕܕ̈ܐ܆ ܡܪܝ ܝܗܒ ܘܡܪܝ ܐܚܐ. ܗܝܕܝܢ ܐܡܪܘ ܠܗܘܢ ܐܢܫܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܛܠܝܐ܆ ܕܚܢܢ ܡܪܝ ܐܙܠܢܢ ܠܕܝܪܟ܆ ܐܘ ܐܒܘܢ ܡܪܝ ܝܗܒ܆ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܢܟ. ܐܡܪ ܠܗܘܢ ܛܘܒܢܐ܆ ܘܡܛܠ ܡܢܐ ܐܙܠܬܘܢ؟ ܐܡܪܝܢ ܠܗ ܡܛܠ ܕܗܢܐ ܛܠܝܐ ܐܬܢܣܝ܆ ܘܒܥܝܢܟ ܕܬܨܠܐ ܥܠܘܗܝ. ܐܡܪ ܠܗܘܢ ܗܘ܆ ܗܫܐ ܛܠܝܐ ܐܬܚܠܡ܆ ܡܢ ܗ̇ܝ ܫܥܬܐ ܕܫܕܝܬܘܢ ܠܗ̇ܝ ܡܪܓܢܝܬܐ. ܡܛܠ ܕܗܝ ܗܘܬ ܥܠܬ ܢܣܝܘܢܗ܆ ܘܗܝ ܚܢܩܐ ܗܘܬ ܠܗ. ܘܟܕ ܫܡܥܘ ܐܢܫܐ ܗܢܘܢ ܫܪܒܗ̇ ܕܡܪܓܢܝܬܐ ܗ̇ܝ܆ ܐܬܕܡܪܘ ܥܠ ܝܕܥܬܗ ܕܩܕܝܫܐ. ܘܬܘܒ ܐܙܠܘ ܕܢܒܥܘܢܗ̇܆ ܐܝܟ ܕܢܫܟܚܘܢ ܠܗ̇܆ ܘܢܒܢܘܢ ܥܠܝܗ̇ ܗܝܟܠܐ܆ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܘܗ̇܆ ܡܛܠ ܕܫܩܠܘܗ̇ ܒܓܢܒܘܬܐ.

ܘܗܝܕܝܢ ܐܬܛܝܒ ܓܒܪܐ ܚܕ ܡܢ ܩܪܝܬܐ ܕܫܡܗ̇ ܐܙܝܟ܆ ܕܥܒܪ ܬܡܢ ܕܢܐܙܠ ܠܐܘܨܪ ܩܪܝܬܐ ܒܥܠܬܐ ܡܕܡ܆ ܘܐܫܟܚܗ̇ ܠܡܪܓܢܝܬܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܘܫܩܠܗ̇ ܒܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ܆ ܘܒܢܐ ܥܠܝܗ̇ ܗܝܟܠܐ ܠܫܡܗ ܕܡܪܝܐ ܘܠܩܕܝܫܐ ܡܪܝ ܦܝܢܚܤ ܠܢܝܚܐ ܕܓܖ̈ܡܘܗܝ. ܘܐܝܬ ܗܘܐ ܠܗ ܠܓܒܪܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܚܬܐ ܕܝܪܝܬܐ ܒܪܬ ܩܝܡܐ܆ ܐܬܬ ܥܡܪܬ ܒܕܝܪܐ ܗ̇ܝ. ܘܐܬܟܢܫ ܚܕܪܝܗ̇ ܚܒܖ̈ܬܐ ܣܓܝܐ̈ܬܐ ܒܢ̈ܬ ܩܝܡܐ܆ ܘܐܬܩܪܝ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܝܪܐ ܕܢܫ̈ܐ ܥܕܡܐ ܠܝܘܡܢ ܥܠ ܫܡܗ ܕܡܪܝ ܦܝܢܚܤ.


'People from the village of Padam came and took relics from the body of holy Mar Pinhas and deposited them with them in their church. Then seven days later they searched for them but did not find them, so they set off for the blessed Mar Yabh, who was at the monastery with his disciple, Barṭaksha, above the village of Zawitha on the Sarya River. When they came to him, they said to him, “Sir, we gathered the relics of a certain saint from the city of Penekh and deposited them with us in the church, but when we looked for them, we did not find them, nor do we know what happened with them.” Holy Mar Yabh said to them, “These relics you took have gone out to seven monasteries at the hands of the holy angels, and now his memorial day is being celebrated in these seven monasteries. I make known to you also that the man that gathered these relics is from the village of Padam, and he actually removed from them a joint from his [Pinhas’] right hand and has kept it among his possessions, and now, because of these things, his son will be tempted by Satan for seventy days.”

And it was so. They carried the boy and brought him to the blessed Mar Yabh at the monastery, but they did not find him there. Barṭaksha, the saint’s disciple, said to them, “My master, Mar Yabh, has gone to see holy Mar Aḥa and to find out how he is.” When the boy’s parents heard this, they thought it over and said, “Come on, let’s go to both of them together.” When they went out to go see holy Mar Aḥa and arrived at the village of Awṣar, just then the boy was tempted, and he stretched out his hand to his collar and found the joint of St. Pinhas and he said to his mother, “Look, mother, for this is the joint that’s been choking me!” His mother said, “Give it here, son,” and she took the pearl and threw it to the ground. Immediately the boy got better.

After they reached the monastic community of Zarnuqa for holy Mar Aḥa, they found the two of them, Mar Yabh and Mar Aḥa, sitting together in conversation. Then the boy’s parents said to them, “Sir, we went to your monastery, Abuna Mar Yabh, but didn’t find you.” The blessed one said to them, “Why did you go there?” They answered, “Because this boy was tempted, and we looked for you so you could pray for him.” He said to them, “Now the boy has gotten better: right from the moment you threw that pearl, because that was the cause of his temptation, and it was choking him.” When his parents heard the part about the pearl, they marveled at the saint’s knowledge. So they went back to see if they might find it, to build a temple over it, but they were unsuccessful, since they had taken it in theft.

At that time, a certain man from the village called Azyak happened to be there – he was passing through on his way to the village of Awṣar for some reason or other. He found the pearl and took it in faith and built a temple over it to the name of the Lord and to holy Mar Pinhas as a resting place for his bones. That man had a sister, a nun, a daughter of the covenant; she came and lived at that convent. Many companions, daughters of the covenant, congregated around her, and the convent was named – as it is to this day – for Mar Pinhas.'

(ed. and trans. McCollum 2013, pp. 14-17, lightly modified)