Sultana Mahdokht

Sultana Mahdokht (d. January 12, 319) means "Princess Daughter of the Moon" when translated to English from Persian. Together with her brothers, Adorfrowa and Mehrnarsa, Sultana is a canonized Saint in the Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church. She was the daughter of Pholar, the Prince of Dorsas. Sultana and her brothers apostatized from Zoroastrianism at a time when apostasy was punished by death under Shapur II. Sultana and her two brothers were all martyred on January 12, 319 A.D.. The Church of the East as well as the Chaldean Catholic Church commemorate their Feast Day On January 12 every year. She is also the Patron Saint of the Chaldean village Araden, which is located in northern Iraq. A church that was built in the 4th century, which is still standing today, bears her name. It is a pilgrimage site for many Syriac Christians.

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In the ninth year of Shapur II's reign, the king of Persia (318 A.D.), the gospel had been spread throughout the entire Persian Empire, and zealous pastors were in charge of the numerous eparchies that had grown in that region. At that time, Mar Abda was the bishop for the city of Khirbat Jalal.[1] He was working tirelessly to bolster the Christian faith in that territory and to encourage the persecuted Christians to undergo the turmoil they faced with faith and confidence.

During this time, in the land of Dorsas , there was a prince Pholar, who was a subject to King Shapur II. Pholar had received orders to persecute all the Christians who were living under his jurisdiction by escorting them to Karkh Beth Slokh,[2] which at the time, was the biggest of the cities surrounding the area of Beth Garmai. There they were to be interrogated in front of the Emperor’s Representative and a death sentence was to be pronounced upon them for their belief in Christ.

Pholar had two sons, Adorfrowa and Meharnarsa, and a daughter named Sultana Mahdokht. Since their childhood, their father was careful to provide them with the best education money could afford at the time. As they grew up, they became highly educated, especially in the field of their native religion,[3] which was the religion of all the Persian princes and emperors at the time. They were extremely attractive and so they became a source of delight for their father. Hoping to notify the emperor of his children’s prestige and stature, Pholar decided to take them to the Emperor’s Representative. He took them to Karkh Slokh, where the Emperor’s Representative tested their knowledge and was extremely impressed with their abilities. He promised Pholar to notify the emperor of the stature his children had reached.

After this, Pholar sent his children to go back to their city and schooling. While on their way back, they arrived at a small village called Ahwan.[4] Before they had arrived to that village, they began racing with their horses. Meharnarsa, the youngest, fell off his horse. His thighbone had completely broken, almost detaching his leg from the rest of his body. Adorfrowa and Sultana fell into frenzy, and they began tearing their clothes due to their angst over their injured brother. They took their brother and entered the village wailing and crying over him. The villagers shared the princes’ grief over the young one. It had pleased God that at that hour, the bishop, Mar Abda, was on a pastoral visit to that village. As soon as he heard the wailing, he enquired the cause, and he was told what had happened to the three horse riders. Despite their persecution of Christians and their pagan beliefs, Mar Abda felt a great deal of sympathy for them. He immediately went to visit the injured man.

While Mar Abda was on his way, Meharnarsa went on a coma. Everyone thought he had died. In a vision,[5] he saw Christ, the King of kings, seated on a great throne that was scintillating with a great light and splendour. The heavenly hosts surrounded his great and majestic throne. In front of Him, stood legions of martyrs who wore shining bodies, and on their heads, they had crowns, which they had attained through the torture and pains they had endured. Two dignified men had a hold of Meharnarsa, one in his left and the other in his right. He turned to them and asked with fear, “who is this? Who are those standing in front of Him? And who are those people that are praising with such reverence as if they were slaves?” They answered, “This is Almighty Christ, the glorious King of all ages, upon whom those who rest their hopes will not be disappointed. As for those who honour His presence with reverence, these are angels, powers of light and spirit. Those who stand in front of His throne with clothes of light and splendour and a crown on their heads are the believers who wear the pearls of light and baptism and are crowned with martyrdom for the sake of their Master.” They said this to him and then they took him to another place and showed him a frightening darkness, bottomless pits, and a great fire that torments evildoers and unbelievers. As he began contemplating this horrific scene, the two men brought Meharnarsa back in front of the King’s throne. While he was looking around and meditating this majestic sight, he saw Christ’s priest, Mar Abda the bishop, approaching with confidence through the ranks of the heavenly host until he arrived at Christ’s feet where he knelt down and began petitioning Christ to grant him the soul of the boy, Meharnarsa. Two angels came near Mar Abda and brought him to Meharnarsa. They handed the boy to the bishop and said to him “Your request has been granted. Evangelize, baptize, and give offerings to your Master.”

While Meharnarsa was having this vision, the holy man arrived, kneeled down and began praying to his Master amidst the screaming and wailing of those present. Then he got off his knees and placed the dislocated leg back into its place, crossed it, and screamed with a voice empty of any doubt or hesitation and said to that lifeless body: “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, He whose name is blasphemed against and whose followers are persecuted, arise boy.” Immediately, the boy rose and came back to life. The wailing and weeping of those present turned into joyous laughter and ecstasy, and they began glorifying Christ the Lord.

When the boy came to his senses and remembered what he saw in the vision, he found the priest of Christ whom he saw in the vision standing next to him, he came and kneeled at his feet and said “my lord, priest of Christ, the King of all ages, offer to your Master that which has been entrusted to you as he commanded you, and do not forget that He answered your petition. Do not forget He granted your supplication. Evangelize, baptize and offer to your Master as you were commanded. Your Master is my Master, your God is my God; I do not have a king except the true King, upon whom it was said that those who rest their hopes will not be disappointed. There is no god except Him who created earth and heaven and everything in them according to His will. I renounce Satan and his evil teachings, which lead to hell.” Immediately, he began reciting all he saw in the vision to those present and to Mar Abda. Everyone was astonished at what they heard. Then Meharnarsa screamed at the top of his voice “I thank you Christ, do not close the door of your kindheartedness on me. O Good One who wants to give life to people, accept me a sinner and invite me to your heavenly light. Do not hold me accountable for the blood of your martyrs and saints, which my father’s sword has spilled. You promised, Lord, in your holy books, that you would not make the son liable for the sin of his father.[6] Shine the light of your knowledge upon the hearts of my siblings so they may know that you are the true God, along with your Father and Holy Spirit. Prepare me for the holy baptism that I may not be deprived of the good communion with your holy saints in heaven.”

He was speaking these words while he was lying on the ground and crying at the feet of Mar Abda. His brother approached him, raised him and said to him “Arise brother, we do not need to utter useless words when we can put them to action. Who else is capable of restoring deteriorated natural elements back to their original condition other than the Creator of these natural elements? Who can revive the dead, other than He who breathed a spirit unto him while he was in his mother’s womb? Why are we busying ourselves with useless talk rather than accepting Christ’s decree and be counted among His worshippers through His servant [Mar Abda] whom He chose to fulfill this mission?

When Sultana Mahdokht heard her brothers, she too announced loudly: “Blessed be Christ who brought back hope to the hopeless, blessed be Christ who, through my brother’s broken thighbone, has destroyed the chains of Satan and has captured us to perform His will.” Then she turned to Mar Abda and said “And you, Christ’s servant, whom the Master has sent to save us, why do you disregard our case? Our good Lord wants to bring us back to Him through you. He granted it to you to heal and revive the flesh that was destroyed. And now arise and revive our spirits that have been dead through sin and evil. Our spirits are more deserving than our flesh.” As soon as Mar Abda heard these words, he was overcome with mirth and joy, and he said to them, “rejoice in the Lord, beloved, because your names have been written in the book of life.[7] You have become heirs of the heavenly Jerusalem, and you are now counted among the firstborns whose names have been written in the heaven of the Church of the living God. The Father rejoices in you, the Son loves you, and the Spirit sanctifies you. The heavenly door is wide open for you; enter it joyfully. Put on the garment of light that befits the rank, to which you have been called. I have prepared for you crowns of victory through your death for the sake of your Master. Do not cringe from this glorious struggle through which you will be granted many benefits.” He said these words, and he gave to the priests of the village and its deacons everything that is necessary for the princes’ and the princess’ baptism. They received the holy baptism, and they partook of the spiritual banquet by eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Christ.

After all was done, and while those around them wanted to obtain the blessings of their presence, suddenly God’s Spirit took the newly baptized and brought them to a valley just above the village. In this valley, there was a cave with a small alcove that contained a little bit of water. They found themselves in this cave, and they rejoiced at God’s wonderful arrangements. They began saying to one another, “if it is God’s will that we should remain alive, then we will reside in this cave, which God had prepared for us in his loving care. If our end is near, then this cave will be our tomb.” They remained in that cave for a period of three years. As for their companions who were traveling with them, they stayed in the village for ten days awaiting their return. When they had grown tired of waiting, they went back to the father and told him everything that had happened. Prince Pholar wrote to emperor [Shapur II] immediately to let him know that his children have gone missing. Emperor [Shapur II] responded with a decree to search for the missing princes until they are found and to inform the emperor the moment they’re found. Pholar sent out searching parties everywhere through the villages, the mountains, and all accessible lands. Six months were spent in this search to no avail. Sadness and despair spread everywhere.

Sultanan Mahdokht and her brothers lived in that small cave with joy and happiness. What made them reside in that awful place without company for three years when they were used to living in spacious palaces with plenty of company? Did their clothes not get wet? Did the oppressive sun not scorch them, or did they not shiver from freezing cold? Did they not remember the comforts of their father’s house or the lavish foods they were used to eating? God’s grace,[8] which raised John the Baptist in the desert , also raised these saints, fed them, protected them and made them content. God’s grace[9] examined them throughout their endurance and fortitude, and it protected them from the Evil One who was attempting to end their lives. They were constant in their prayers and thanksgiving to the Holy Trinity. They were in this state of grace,[10] while their family was in anguish for its missing members.

God had bestowed upon them the gift of prophecy and seeing into the future. When their time for departure from this life and attain the crown of martyrdom had arrived, Adorfrowa, the eldest, said, “I see our good Father, Mar Abda, coming. He prepared everything, and he has come out to see us. The angel has shown him the way to us so that he can bring to us the Body and Blood of Christ. They began praying until Christ’s priest arrived along with a deacon named Adday. They all ran welcoming him joyfully in the same manner children run to see their real father. Mar Abda said to them, “Have courage and raise your heads. The time of your salvation has arrived. Petition the Lord so that He may have mercy on your elderly Father.” Meharnarsa sid to him, “No Father, you pray for us instead. You will depart this world three days before us.” Sultana Mahdokht said, “Pray for us Father, our persecutors will find us in seven days, and on the 15th we will win the crown of martyrdom.” Mar Abda marveled at this knowledge of future, which the Lord had bestowed upon his three children. He embraced them and kissed them. He left them in God’s grace.

On the 7th day after Mar Abda left them, their father’s horse became loose and came running to the cave where they were dwelling. When they saw the horse, they recognized it was their father’s. They hid in the cave to see if there was someone following the horse. They saw two stable boys who worked for their father, riding after the wandering horse. When the three saints saw the two stable boys, they fell on their faces, praying and petitioning the Lord. The two stable boys came to the cave and saw the three saints in that posture. They marveled and remained in their place for nearly an hour. They could not speak nor move because of their amazement. After finishing their prayer, the three saints rose and said, “Peace be with you. Why do you stand there in amazement?” As soon as the boys recognized the princes, they fell prostrate before them. The princes said, “Go and tell the prince that you have found those whom he was looking for but could not find, until God willed to reveal them.” The stable boys asked them to mount the horses and come back home, but the princes said, “First, go and tell the prince about us.” They took the lost horse and rode back to prince Pholar to notify him of their finding. On their way back, they said to one another, “What if after we tell the prince, they move somewhere else. Then, the prince will get angry with us and order our death. It is better if one of us stays here, while the other goes and informs the prince.”

After the sun had set and darkness engulfed the cave’s surroundings, the three saints were deep in prayer, knowing that their time of struggle had arrived. The entire hillside was filled with heavenly light. Suddenly, two angels descended from heaven, went into the cave and began encouraging the three saints. The angels said to them, “Have courage and do not be frightened, you have been given a power that cannot be overcome, and a weapon that cannot be conquered in your fight against your enemy. Heaven awaits you to go and reside there with the rest of its inhabitants.” The stable boy who remained in his place saw all this. He wanted to go near the cave, thinking these events were taking place by the art of Christian magic, which these princes had mastered. He went near the cave to have a better look. A spark of fire struck him as a rebuke, and also it served as a reminder for him that he was not imagining things. His body was smoldered. He ran for his life.

The other stable boy went back and told Pholar about his children. Pholar sent thirty knights to bring back his lost children. Immediately, he wrote to Shapur and told him that the three children had been found. Shapur II had heard about Sultana Mahdokht’s beauty. He wrote to Pholar telling him to send his daughter to the king so that he can wed her. The knights who were sent to retrieve the two sons and daughter of the prince, hurried to fulfill Pholar’s command. On their way, they met the fleeing stable boy who was smoldered by fire. He warned them, “Do not go. You cannot go near the cave.” He told the knights what had happened to him, and he showed them the burning marks he had received in his attempt to get near the cave. The knights showed no concern about the stable boy’s account. Instead, they continued to make their way towards the cave to investigate what they had heard. When they had arrived, the angels had departed, and there was nothing out of the norm at that moment. However, when they tried to pass through the cave’s entrance, their eyes were stricken with sparks of fire that rendered them blind so that they could not see the entrance. Meanwhile, they could hear the voices of the three saints praying. The knights said amongst themselves, “Let’s stay until morn, then we’ll be able to see the entrance.” Morning arrived and the sun had risen. The saints could see the party that was sent after them, standing at the door of the cave like blinded people who could not see the door. They were praising and glorifying Christ in a loud voice, which bewildered the knights.

After sunrise, the knights had not returned. Pholar ordered his horse to be prepared so that he would go and fetch his children himself. He took a good number of soldiers with him. On his way, he saw his knights coming back empty handed. They dismounted their horses and prostrated before him. He asked them angrily about his children. They said, “We found their whereabouts and we heard their voices, but our eyes were not able to see them.” Pholar ordered them to mount their horses and accompany him. At their arrival, the saints heard the galloping of the horses. They began praying. Pholar saw the cave from a distance and said to those accompanying him, “Isn’t this the cave you mentioned?” They answered, “Yes, this is the exact cave, but we are not sure whether your children are still inside.” At that moment, the horses stopped moving and could not go on any further towards the cave. They used the whip on the horses in an attempt to persuade them to move on. It was no use. Everyone was astonished. When they stopped whipping their horses, they began hearing the saints praising God with beautiful songs. Pholar ordered his knights to dismount their horses. They all walked together towards the cave. When they came closer to the cave, the same power that stopped their horses also prevented their feet from moving any closer to the saints. They remained near the horses while unable neither to mount them nor to move on by foot. Fear descended upon them. Pholar gestured towards his men to shoot three arrows towards the cave. Three archers shot their arrows. Suddenly, their arms, which were carrying the bows, fell off their bodies. The arrows they shot came back in their direction and stabbed members of their squad, who began wailing and screaming. Those who lost their arms and those who were hit by the arrows began begging the saints to heal them of their injuries.

The three saints extended their heads out of the tiny cave. A light was shining from their faces that surpassed the light of stars. Their father raised their voice, begging them, “Will you not come back to your father, my children? Did I not offer you the best of upbringing and education in different sciences? Did I not make your names known to king Shapur II so that he may raise your status? Why did you mistreat me in this manner? Why did you make all my efforts go in vain? Why did you turn your father into a mockery throughout the entire Persian Empire? They answered him politely, “We have a better Father than you, and He said to us, ‘he who does not leave his father and mother and follow me, does not deserve to be my disciple.’[11] As for the upbringing and the education you gave us, it is harmful to our real life, and we pray that it will be wiped out from our memory. And what you said about king Shapur’s honour, we now have a King whose kingship and rulership is grander than Shapur’s. We await an honour from our King that is more grandiose than that which Shapur was offering us. We are the servants of this King and not Shapur’s servants. Go back to your house with your soldiers, and stay there for six days until Shapur’s representative will come to you. Then come back here to us. Right now, the time of our martyrdom has not yet arrived. The injured men went to the saints and begged them to be healed. The saints asked them, “Do you believe in Christ, the Son of the living God, who can heal you without medicine?” The injured men responded, “Whoever can heal us, we believe that He is the true God, and no one else.” The saints prayed for them, and they were immediately healed. Then, they began shouting, “We profess your name, Christ, Son of the living God. Those who blaspheme against you let them be ashamed.”

When Pholar and those accompanying him heard and saw what was unfolding, they were all frightened. The prince wanted to prevent those who professed Christ’s name from baptism. However, they began screaming loudly that they are Christians. Many of those soldiers who accompanied Pholar joined them and were baptized. The total number of those baptized that day was 708 men. Pholar remained near the cave until the evening, unable to go inside. He asked the three saints to allow him entrance into the cave. They refused. Finally, he went back home with despair and misery. Soon thereafter, these incidents became known everywhere. Those who heard the news began visiting the cave. Visitors also brought with them the sick and they were healed at the touch of the saints. Along with physical healing, faith in Christ was also shining upon them, making them forsake the darkness of paganism to join the light of Christ.

On the sixth day, Shapur II’s representative, along with seven of the king’s high-ranking officers, arrived at Pholar’s house with a message from the king. When Pholar read the letter, he began weeping. When asked for the reason, Pholar did not respond. They said to him, “We were sent by king Shapur II to fetch your daughter.” Pholar responded, “I do not have a daughter to give to the king.” He then went on to tell of all that had happened. When they heard the story in its entirety, they were shocked. They said, “Let’s go to the cave to see and hear them.” They mounted their horses and rode to the cave, bringing along a big number of knights. When they arrived at the cave, they found a huge gathering. The king’s officers asked, “What is the reason for your gathering, and what is it that you want?” “We came to be healed,” the gathering responded. The officers made their way through the crowd, until they reached the three saints, who were praying with hands lifted to heaven. The king’s representative bestowed the king’s greetings upon the saints, but they did not respond. This agitated the officers. They said, “You who deserve death, won’t you respond to king Shapur II’s greetings?” The saints did not respond to this either. The representative took up a stone from the ground and cast it at the saints. The stone came back towards him and hit him and bruised him in the forehead. The crowd raised its voice and began praising Christ.

When the representative, whose name was Koshtazad , tasted the power of the saints, he treated his injury and was quiet until the saints finished their prayers. The saints turned to the crowd and said, “Peace be upon you and cures for your sicknesses.” Immediately, all those sick were healed. Everyone was giving glory to God. Koshthazad himself was ill with gout, which afflicted his hands and feet, and three fingers on his left hand were paralyzed for thirteen years. They were healed. He began, glorifying God involuntarily. The saints called on his name and said, “Koshtazad!” He was astonished that they knew his name even though they hadn’t met him before. “Here I am,” he responded. “We ask you to respond truthfully, who is greater, man or God?” the saints asked. He said, “Certainly God is greater.” “Then why did you get angry when we were speaking to God in prayer and we refrained to answer the greetings of Shapur, who is a mere human just like the rest of human beings?” they asked. After a short silence, Koshtazad said, “I have something to say to you in secret, ask everyone to leave.” The saints asked everyone to leave. Everyone had departed, except their father, Pholar, and Shapur’s messengers. Koshtazad spoke to them and said, “You know king Shapur II the beloved and his majesty, and all the miseries he inflicted, and still inflicts on the Christians. He was told of all the instruction you have received on Persian arts. It was his intention to honour you highly, and take your sister as a bride. I was sent to take her to him with a great stature that befits a queen. However, you lack one thing. You must forsake this great darkness that you have fallen into, and the king will grant you everything. What is your answer?”

Adorfrowa said, “Each one of us will answer for himself. My answer is this: my Lord and King and God is Jesus Christ. I have accepted a small deposit of the wondrous gifts that he will give me. Even Shapur II in all his glory and majesty does not compare with a tiny portion of these gifts. I have two witnesses for this, your injuries and your fingers. I am ready to undergo a great deal of pain for that which you have labeled as ‘darkness.’ And now, my brother and my sister will answer for themselves.” Mehrnarsa answered, “I am the youngest of Christ’s worshipers. Yet, let your king with his crown perform what Christ has just performed through me, the smallest of his followers. I am a Christian, a servant of Christ and his worshiper for eternity. I have no king, no lord, nor any god, except Him. You too will soon denounce Shapur’s kingdom and profess Christ’s Lordship.”[12] Sultana Mahdokht said, “It is befitting for a girl to remain modest, humble, and silent at all times, especially in front of men who are dignified and distinguished. Nevertheless, when it comes to faith, speech is better than silence, and courage and candidness do better than modesty. I thought my brothers’ answers are enough for you to know my answer as well. Yet, since my brothers wanted each of us to speak for ourselves, it would be best that I too give you my own answer. For my sake you have come thus far, and you long to hear my opinion and know my response. You are telling me to go from light and into darkness, from joy to despair, from decency to shame, from life to death, from Christ’s sweet-smelling perfume and into Shapur’s awful stench, from the glorious, heavenly bridegroom to an earthly bridegroom whose life is festered with worms and who will end up in a tomb. You tell me to descent from heaven to earth, from God to man. God forbid I should forsake the company of Christ, my Lord and my God whom I have followed in faith and love, and join the appalling company of Shapur. I also know that you will be decapitated for the sake of your faith in Christ, by a command from Shapur II himself. Blessed are you should you be found worthy of the heavenly delight. You have heard my opinion. Write to your master and let him know of our decision. You should also know that you will not be able to force us to abandon this dwelling, which was granted to us by our Lord in His grace.

When the soldiers realized they would not be able to capture them by force, they wrote to Shapur and told him of the saints’ response. Shapur read the response. He became furious and began roaring like a lion.[13] He wrote a message to Pholar and to Koshtazad, his representative, in which he said, “How is it that you stood by, listening to them offending my splendor and you did not annihilate them immediately? And how is it that you did not tie upose magicians and bring them to me so that I would slay them gruesomely? Since you wrote about their magic and how it protects them, I sent you the finest of magicians along with other top magicians to control them. Tie them up and bring them to me. If the best of my magicians cannot overcome their magic, then slay them and burn their corpses. Whoever supports them, crucify him in a visible place.”

Five days after Shapur II’s decree (12th day after the saint’s cave was found), his message along with the top magician arrived at the cave. When the message was read and its content became known, the leading knight commanded Mar Abda to be crucified according to Shapur II’s decree. The troops sent to fetch him found that he had already died, and his body was covered up. They went back empty handed. “Why did you not fetch the episcopate as you were commanded?” the saints asked the troops. The troops were amazed at the saints’ knowledge of the hidden message to fetch Mar Abda and of his death. “Let your magicians now approach and carry out what they were commanded,” said the saints. For two days and two nights the magicians performed their wicked ceremonies using blood, hair, meat, and different paints. As for the saints, they kept praying and pleading with the Lord.

A great multitude assembled in front of the cave, and they wanted to go near the saints to be healed from their sicknesses and receive blessings from them. Shapur’s knights prevented them from approaching the Saints in accordance with the magicians’ wishes. Among the multitude, there was a man who was born blind. He was forty years of age. He too wanted to go near the Saints, but the troops prevented him. The blind man asked the man guiding him how far of a distance separated them from the magicians. Then he picked up a rock and threw it at the top magician. The rock hit the magician in the head, and it wounded him. At that moment, the blind man’s eyes were opened and he began seeing. Everyone present gave glory to God for this great miracle. When the knights began chasing the man, he fled away. One of the knights fell of his horse, and his leg was broken. Shapur’s magicians attempted to heal him, but they were unsuccessful. Other knights carried the injured one to the cave where he began begging the saints to heal him. Adorfrowa said to him, “Why do you serve the enemy of Christ while you are a Christian?” He said, “All these knights are Christians, but we obey the king because we are knights.” The saints prayed for the injured man, and he was healed.

No sooner did the magicians get tired after two days of useless work than the Saints said to them, “Do you wish to see our strength? We will show you immediately.” They lifted their arms to heaven and said, “O undefeated Power, O Lord, embarrass Satan by destroying his associates, and exalt your Church by making your servants victorious.” Immediately a fire rose from the ground and the magicians were destroyed by the blazes.

While Koshtazad was watching these miracles, in his mind he became convinced of the Christian faith. On the night of the 15th day, the eve of the Saints’ martyrdom, he came to the Saints and said to them, “I am a servant of Christ, the true King. Pray for me that He may have mercy on me and accept me to be among His followers. Now I know that He is the righteous God who wants all people to come back to Him.”[14] The Saints became overfilled with joy, and they began embracing and kissing him as a true brother. Then they said to him, “Go to Mar Shemon Bar Sabbae to grant you the holy baptism, and you will win the crown of martyrdom one day before him. But pray for us to be taken out for our struggle where we will win victory. Do not become an obstacle in our battle. Instead, ask our father Pholar to carry out the decree issued by Shapur the king.” He embraced them and kissed them. Then he went back to his companions where they were asleep.

On the next morning, Koshtazad said to Pholar, “Fulfill the king’s decree and let’s go back. We wasted a great deal of time here.” While everyone was scared of going near the Saints, the three stood at the entrance of the cave and said to the troops, “Go on, free us from this flesh so that we may go to the true life. Our time to go to Christ, our King, has come.” At that time, the multitude had not scattered yet. Everyone heard the Saints’ request. They all began to weep. Their father tore his garment in mourning, and he started throwing ashes on his head. His troops were weeping bitterly as well. Then he commanded one of them to go and kill them. The soldier unsheathed his sword and approached the saints with great fear. The crowd accompanied the guard, while yearning to see to the Saints and to become martyrs just like them. But the saints were rejoicing for their fate. They said to the troops, “Give us a moment to pray to the Lord.” A silence fell upon the crowd. Everyone wanted to listen intently to the Saints’ prayer. At that moment, the Saints raised their eyes and arms to heavens and said, “O Lord Jesus Christ who gave us a new eternal life through partaking of His holy flesh, who saved mankind through His death on the cross, who rescued the world from darkness by bringing it back to knowledge of the Holy Trinity, who promised us a joyful eternity rather than life on this wretched earth, Lord, magnify your Church and grant it victory over its enemies. Lord, bless this land, on which we offer our lives for your name’s sake. Pour your grace and your blessings upon anyone who celebrates our memory, and remove all evil, seen or unseen, away from them, their families, and their properties. Bless, O Lord this gathering, have mercy on our murderers, and do not demand your servants’ blood from them. We offer our thanks to the Holy Trinity, now and forever.” The entire assembly responded, “Amen.” The Saints turned to all those present, and their faces were glowing like a flame of fire. All three proclaimed, “Let the peace, which Christ has left for His Church, be with us forever and ever, amen.”

Adorfrowa, the oldest brother, approached the decapitator and offered his neck to him. The decapitator beheaded him. Mehrnarsa saw this and ran to his brother and splashed his blood on his face. He too offered his neck, and the decapitator beheaded him as well. Immediately, the decapitator became infected with leprosy. His hand began trembling and the sword fell off. He did not want to kill their sister. Sultana Mahdokht said to him, “Finish your work, and do not keep me from joining my brothers.” The decapitator said to her, “I wish I hadn’t killed these two.” Then he ran to a nearby brook and washed his sword. Sultana Mahdokht called on him again and said, “As Christ, before whom I prostrate, lives, if you swear an oath that you will kill me, I will heal you from your leprosy.” He swore an oath for her. She said to him, “Go and wash in the same water that you washed you sword just now and you will be healed.” He did as we he was told, and he came back healed from leprosy. He fulfilled his oath and beheaded her as well. The pagans wanted to burn their corpses, as Shapur had ordered them, but they disappeared. When the persecutions against the Christians died down, a church was built on this ground in their name to commemorate the memory of these holy Saints. Many miracles occurred in this church through their intercession. The date of their martyrdom was January 12, 319 A.D.

Adi Sheer says, right now there is a church in a village named Araden, near Amadiya, which holds the name of Sultana Mahdokht and her brothers. In this church, there is a grave, which the villagers say contains the belongings of these saints. The villagers commemorate these saints every year.

Plot Summary

During the reign of Shapur II, Christians living in Persian territories were beginning to feel the fury of the emperor’s wrath. The story takes place in 318-319 A.D. approximately 5 years after Constantine has issued the Edict of Milan. Prince Pholar, who is a subject to the Persian emperor, had two sons and a daughter. Their reputation for beauty and good upbringing makes its way to the emperor who decides to consider Pholar’s daughter, Sultana Mahdokht, for a future wife. After they see the emperor’s counsellor, Koshtazad, who was extremely impressed with Sultana, they return home while their father tends to other affairs. On their way home, they begin racing. Meharnarsa, the youngest son, falls off the horse and his leg is almost detached from the rest of his body. The other siblings and the accompanying guards carry the son and enter the nearby village of Ahwan, where Mar Abda, the bishop of Khirbat Jalal, happens to be on a pastoral visit. While Meharnarsa is in a comma, he sees a vision of Christ surrounded by throngs of angels. Then he sees an old, grey-headed man, advance through the ranks of angels, kneels in front of Christ, and petitions him for the life of the injured man. Christ grants it to him. While this vision is taking place, Mar Abda arrives and kneels beside Meharnarsa and prays. Then, he gets up, puts the leg back in its place, crosses it, and commands the boy in the name of Lord Jesus Christ to rise. When he opens his eyes, Meharnarsa recognizes Mar Abda as the man in his vision and he, along with his siblings, declare their faith in Christ and ask to be baptized. All three are baptized, and when the ceremonies were over, the Spirit of God carries them to a nearby cave where they live a hidden life for a period of three years. Those accompanying them remain in the village for ten days. Having heard nothing from their masters, they return home without them. Pholar informs Shapur of everything, who in turn issues a search warrant to be carried out throughout the whole empire. After six months, the search parties are unsuccessful; Pholar calls them off. The cave is eventually discovered, and guards are sent to fetch them. The attempt is unsuccessful because supernatural forces prevented the guards from approaching near the cave. Pholar and Koshtazad both make their way to the cave to fetch the three siblings. After numerous signs and miracles that rendered the armed guards helpless, the three saints surrender themselves to be beheaded. Adorfrowa, the oldest, goes first followed by Meharnarsa. At this point the swordsman’s hand becomes leprous, and he refuses to continue with his task of beheading the princess. Sultana promises she will cure him if he does his job. Once he agrees, his hand is cured and he decapitates her. The Persian guards attempt to burn the bodies of the three saints, but suddenly they disappear.

Sources

The story of St. Sultana Mahdokht and her brothers, St. Adorfrowa and St. Meharnarsa below is translated from an Arabic version, which is published in Fr. Alber Abouna’s two volume hagiographical collection called “Shuhada’ Al-Mashraq,” or “Martyrs of the East.” Fr. Alber depends on two distinct sources to compile the story in its final condition as it appears in his book, which is published in Baghdad, 1985. His first source is the original Syriac version, published in Paris, France by Fr. Paul Bejeen towards the end of the 19th century. It appears there along with the stories of other Eastern Saints in a book called “Haye D’Qadeeshe,” or “Lives of the Saints.” The second source is Mar Adi Sheer’s version of “Shuhada’ Al-Mashraq,” or “Martyrs of the East,” which is another two-volume story collection of Eastern martyrs. This latter version is written in Arabic and it is published in Mosul, Iraq, between 1900 and 1906. As noted above, the story is written in the hagiographical genre. Fr. Alber notes that some of these stories are originally passed down by eyewitnesses who are present at the event as it is unravelling, while others may be embellished by the piety and extreme reverence Christians have always connected to stories of their heroes. He readily admits that his object is not to offer a critical study of the narratives, but the edification of those seeking to imitate the heroes of the Christian faith. The two volumes provide a general overview of the history of Christianity in Iraq, the Disciples who bring the faith to Mesopotamia, and the martyrs who sustain that faith throughout the centuries.

Genre

The genre of hagiography may evoke a sense of pejorative dismissal of the story since, as stated above, it is often considered the product of Christian fancy which can neither be verified scientifically nor can it be distinguished from the tales of pagan heroes, who in like manner of the Saints, would engage and conquer ridiculously powerful natural/supernatural beings, command the natural elements to suit their purposes or the hero’s birth is often accompanied by a sign to distinguish him from the average human beings. Nonetheless, the contemporary sceptic will find today’s Christian well equipped in dealing with these difficulties since the genre has been subjected to a severe historical criticism by an association of scholars who are also ecclesiastics themselves, the Bollandists . In short, when dealing with hagiography, the aim of historical criticism is twofold. First, it is to establish the text by analysing the written tradition. Second, it is to determine the historicity of the text by looking into the sources . More of this as it is related to our current subject matter, Sultana Mahdokht, will be discussed below.

Characters

Sultana Mahdokht

Sultana is a young, beautiful princess (her name in Persian means Princess Daughter of the Moon) who is well-educated and whose endowments place her in a fast track when ascending the imperial hierarchy, possibly all the way to the queenly throne. Historical records make no mention of her, nor would they be expected to do so if the events of the story were true. In Sultana, the reader finds the actualization of every girl’s dream. She is young, beautiful, the daughter of a prince, educated, highly spoken of, and the object of desire of the emperor himself. No girl in her right mind would even dream of rejecting these endowments to obtain promises that would be fulfilled not in this lifetime, but in the next. However, unlike all girls, this heroin easily overcomes her initial content with her current status quo as well as the bright future prospects which await her as a potential future empress of the Persian Empire. She begins to seek eternity with a Bridegroom who cannot be perceived through the natural senses immediately after her encounter with him. A distinct change is noticeable in Sultana’s attitude after the climax of the story, or her encounter with Christ who heals her injured brother. Her hidden character, which is overshadowed by the male presence of her father and two brothers, indicates a disinterested young lady, whose loyalty and love for her family make her content and well-satisfied with anything that would expedite the happiness of those whom she loves the most. This idea is further bolstered when she is prompted to respond to the invitation of returning to her old religion. She states, “It is befitting for a girl to remain modest, humble, and silent at all times, especially in front of men who are dignified and distinguished.” Maintaining perpetual silence is a clear sign of a lack of agency, which typically accompanies most females living in the 4th century A.D. It also indicates that Sultana is ready to live out the rest of her life, not as a result of personal reflection on a potentiality, which is based upon realistic self-assessment and intimate self-knowledge, but rather she seeks to grow into a mould shaped by parental expectations or perhaps social constructs. In other words, Sultana needs an inward journey of self-discovery, her only way to a happy and fulfilled life. When the moment of climax transpires, all this changes. Peering inwardly at herself, she discovers that she is hungry and thirsty, naked and cold, sick and imprisoned. The discovery itself takes place at the moment of Meharnarsa’s healing at the hands of Mar Abda. Her brother’s unrestrained praise and exultation of the person of Christ and the healing of his injury effect a change in Sultana that uncovers the dire need inside of her for the unconditional love of the Creator/Redeemer. After gazing into her soul, no longer is she concerned with living a princess’ life, surrounded by comfort, ease, grandeur, fame and glory from her kinsmen. All this becomes superfluous, even repugnant in her eyes to the extent that she contrasts “Shapur’s awful stench” to “Christ’s sweet-smelling perfume.” Now that she has gained this new intimate knowledge of herself, she is able to acknowledge and express articulately her true desires, something which she had not been able to do prior to her moment of conversion. In essence, it takes Sultana a single revelatory moment to make an inward journey that surpasses in its magnitude and consequences that of the greatest explorer human history has known.

Adorfrowa and Meharnarsa

The oldest sibling, Adorfrowa, does not mind listening to a testimony given by the youngest brother. Instead, even before his sister, he is willing to embrace his brother’s account of the vision he sees. Of course, there is the accompanying miracle that would settle any doubt, but the idea of forsaking his family’s heritage so quickly, when being the oldest it is his task to guard and protect it, is a signal to the reader that Adorfrowa himself was not happy with the trajectory of his life. Growing up in contemporary social dynamics, the reader may easily be tempted to think it is no big deal that the oldest son would reject his father’s religion and way of life, and choose instead to follow his own path. This notion has a disastrous consequences for a family living in 4th century Middle East. It is also worth noting that being the oldest son automatically puts him in a position of direct inheritance of all his father’s wealth and stature. Adorfrowa’s words are highly esteemed by his two siblings. When his brother finishes conveying his account of the vision he had, the first to speak and approve was Adorfrowa. Again, when all three are told to forsake Christ and come back to their old religion, the first to speak was also Adorfrowa. Nonetheless, he makes sure that his two siblings also speak for themselves rather than voicing their opinion presumptuously through his own. The youngest, Meharnarsa, could easily be seen as the protagonist of this tale. However, no church has survived bearing his name, which clearly attaches his fame among the Christian audience to his sister’s reputation for working miracles and safeguarding the famous church under her patronage in northern Iraq. Meharnarsa’s role is indispensable to the development of the narrative since it is his vision that sets everything in motion. Interestingly, no one dismisses his account as a flight of fancy of a delusional and injured young boy. Instead, his story is immediately received with great confidence and trust. This reveals the reliability of his character and his sound judgment that has proven itself prior to this event for it to be taken so seriously at this drastic moment. There is the accompanying miracle that secures his siblings’ convictions. Nonetheless, his story could have easily been dismissed as a hallucinatory by-product of a juvenile imagination and a severe head trauma. Instead, his tale is taken at face value, thereby proving his long track record of mature

Pholar

The Prince of Dorsas is a loyal subject to his emperor. His aim in life is to excel, not only in producing a household faithful to the empire and its traditions, but also in achieving the aspiration of every Persian citizen, which is to gain the favour of Emperor Shapur. There may be ulterior motives behind his desire to please Shapur aside from patriotic sentiments that stir any loyal subject to act in accordance with the will of the head of the state. These motives may include self-aggrandizement, financial riches, or even greater political power. Whatever ill-will that may be ascribed to Pholar, the reader cannot deny the conflict in him that makes him oscillate between following the social norms and public guidelines dictated by the emperor on one hand, while desiring what is seemingly best for his children on the other. These two choices are conflicted because following the former means he must put his children to death since it is the law of the land that apostates from Zoroastrianism must be put to death. Visible signs of this conflict begin to manifest themselves when the Koshtazad arrives at his house to inform him of the emperor’s decision to marry Sultana. Pholar begins “weeping,” and says “I do not have a daughter to give to the king.” In his response, he does not attempt to pacify the king or even indicate an apologetic tone, but rather he laments the loss of his daughter. This signifies that his primary care is the wellbeing of his daughter. A second incident that also demonstrates the extent to which he cares about his children is when they offer themselves to be beheaded, Pholar tears his “garment” and throws “ashes” on his head, a Biblical gesture which expresses extreme sorrow and pain. The next line states that Pholar “commanded” a soldier to “go and kill them.” It is almost impossible to reconcile the two sentiments because of their conflicting nature. On one hand, he loves them, while on the other hand he is bound by his duty to carry out the sentence of their death. It is also important to note that one may argue about the nature of Pholar’s love. The notion of sacrificing children for any reason indicates the existence of a disorder in the human psyche. Pholar’s idea of love for his children is that their happiness can only be achieved through his vision for their future. If they do not surrender to this vision, then their death, though difficult, is warranted. In the end, the dutiful subject in Pholar overcomes the caring parent.

Koshtazad

It is almost certain that Koshtazad is a historical character. He also has his own hagiographical account in a later part of “Shuhada’ Al-Mashraq.” The authority a king’s counsellor bears is not a trifle that can easily be dismissed. For this reason, his conversion at the end of the story has a great significance to the Christian community and to the pagan one as well. The three siblings become “overfilled with joy” when they hear of his conversion. Despite the numerous conversions that took place throughout the confrontation, none of them is said to have “overfilled” the saints with “joy” except for that of Koshtazad, a fact which perhaps may denote the significance of his social status and its consequences on the community of believers. Koshtazad is able to hide his newly professed faith from Pholar, and continue being the king’s counsellor for the time being. Though wise, his course of action indicates a rift in him, that while embracing the faith, to some extent, he still desires to maintain his status quo. The two directions, of course, are at odds with one another. The story ends while this rift between Koshtazad’s interiority and exteriority has newly been discovered, signifying that Koshtazad’s character is neither fully developed nor has it been given a resolution to help clarify things about him.

Analysis

The story begins with temporal and geographical references specifying the time and place of the events about to unravel. A major historical character, Shapur II, is also named in the introductory paragraph. These are clear indications that the reader is expected to accept the historicity of the narrative albeit some discrepancies need to be resolved in order for the writer’s attempt of convincing the reader to be taken seriously. The most obvious problem is found in the chronology. The story begins in the year 318 A.D. and ends in 319 A.D.. However, after the siblings convert into Christianity, they reside in a cave for three years before they are found. In an attempt to exhaust all possibilities before ascribing a chronological error to the narrative, it may be possible to reconcile the discrepancies in the time frame the reader is given. Shapur was born a king in the year 309 . During his childhood, his mother would have ruled the empire until her son would reach the age of reason. It is possible that the year in which the story begins is when Pholar’s children are found after spending three years in the cave. This would place the event of Pholar’s travel to Karkh Beth Slokh to appear before the king’s representative in the year 315/6 A.D., in which Shapur II would be 6 or 7 years old. This is not an impossible scenario since the practice of securing marriages for monarchs at that time at an early age is common enough to at least entertain the possibility [sources needed]. A second objection to the historicity of the account is that most historical records indicate that Shapur’s fierce persecution of Christians in Mesopotamia, the Forty-Year Persecution, took place between the years 339-379 , while Sultana Mahdokht’s story takes place in 318 A.D. The second objection to the historicity of the narrative has to do with the claim about the location of the church built in honour of Sultana, which will be discussed later. As for the first objection, while it is true that Shapur unleashes his deadly assault on Christians in 339 A.D., he grows suspicious of the growing sect because of its commonality with the creedal affiliations of the Roman emperor beginning in 315 A.D. when Constantine sends him a letter commending the Christians to the “care” and “protection” of the Persian emperor . Constantine has just issued the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., legalizing Christianity in Rome . His gradual embracement of Christianity culminates in his baptism into the faith in 337 A.D. shortly before his death . Having a faith that is favoured by the leader of the rival empire naturally makes Christians the subject of all sorts of accusations including collaboration with the enemy. Also, Shapur’s attempt to unify his empire under the banner of one religion makes him not only hostile to Christianity, but also to other sects of Zoroastrianism, which can potentially render Persia divided. Once the final redaction of the Avesta is done under Shapur’s rule, Zoroastrian orthodoxy is used as a unifying force, and both heresy and apostasy are punished by death . Against this backdrop the story of Sultana Mahdokht and her brothers takes place. While it is true the Great Persecution has not commenced yet, sporadic incidents building up to the brutal massacre of Christians begin within a very short time after the declaration of the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D.

The opening paragraph is also reminiscent of the historical books found within the Bible, which also bolsters the historicity of the narrative . A theme that constantly appears in the historical books of the Bible is the ongoing contrast and comparison between the worldly kings and the Heavenly King, Christ. An earthly king can take one of two routes. He may acknowledge the authority of God, the King of heaven and earth, or he may rebel against God, which would naturally result in an inflated self-image . Shapur belongs to the latter group, which rejects God’s authority, not only over his kingdom but also over his soul.

The writer makes a comparison between Christ the King and Shapur II. While Mehrnarsa goes on a coma, he sees Christ as a King. The image of Christ in Mehrnarsa’s dream evokes not just the splendour of any king. Rather, it suggests a prototype after which all kings strive to imitate and resemble. Christ is depicted as “seated on a great throne,” which is “scintillating with great light and splendour.” It is no surprise that He should be labelled as the “King of kings” since the title is ascribed to him in the New Testament . Surrounding his “majestic throne” are “legions of martyrs” who symbolize the great armies every king yearns to have. The wealth and majesty of this King are so abundant that even His soldiers wear “crowns” on their “heads.” Anyone reading this description cannot help but compare this king with Shapur. The king of Persia is also labelled as “king of kings,” a title which he inherits from his father, Shapur I . He has his own loyal subjects, including the Prince of Dorsas, Pholar. In his response to Pholar, whose soldiers are incapable of apprehending the three siblings, Shapur marvels at the inaction of his troops while his “splendour” is offended. His counsellor Koshtazad threatens Pholar’s children with Shapur’s “majesty.” The two kings are definitely alike. When compared to Christ, Shapur’s image as a king appears to be a counterfeit depiction of the true King of heaven and earth. This becomes even more pronounced as the writer contrasts the two kings with each other.

When Shapur is contrasted to Christ, it is clear that his kingship is only an imitation or a copy of the true Kingship of Christ. Shapur’s attempt to acquire Sultana Mahdokht to be his queen is thwarted by Christ’s wish for Sultana to consecrate herself as His bride. Koshtazad informs Sultana that Shapur indeed wishes to make her his queen. Responding to this proposal, Sultana refuses to exchange Christ, the “glorious” and “heavenly bridegroom,” whose “sweet-smelling perfume” would draw all virgins to him, with Shapur, the “earthly bridegroom,” whose “life is festered with worms,” and whose “awful stench” she finds repulsive. Christ is “light,” while Shapur is “darkness.” Life with Christ is “joy” and “decency,” but with Shapur “despair” and “shame.” With Christ, there is “life;” with Shapur, “death.” The contrast between the two kings reveals the counterfeit nature of Shapur’s kingship.

On the Iraqi-Turkish border, approximately 60 km northeast of the city of Dohuk, there is a valley called Sapna. The valley is towered by Matena Mountain from the north and Cara Mountain from the south. Nestled in this green valley is an old Chaldean village called Araden. The name of the village comes from old Aramaic language meaning the Land of Eden or Garden of Eden, signifying the beautiful natural scenery that adorns the area. There is a church in this village that dates back to the early 4th century. It is named after St. Sultana Mahdokht, whose Feast Day is celebrated on January 12 in the liturgical calendars of the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Assyrian/Ancient Church of the East. It is suggested that this church is built on the same location where the three siblings are martyred. There are also tiny caves where hermits have dwelled in the past in this village. However, the location of these caves does not correspond to the one described in the story if the account of the church’s location is to be accepted. In the story, the reader is told that the three Saints are martyred just outside of the cave where they spend the last six months of their lives. Contrary to this account, the caves that are alleged to belong to Sultana and her brothers are much farther from the church that is purportedly built on the same location of their martyrdom. If this discrepancy remains unresolved, then it may be possible that either the age of the church is exaggerated or its location is not where the three Saints are martyred. Neither of these two possibilities jeopardize the integrity of the narrative.

References

  1. ↑ A city on the banks of Little Zab River
  2. ↑ Moder-day Kirkuk
  3. ↑ Zoroastrianism
  4. ↑ Near modern-day village of Araden
  5. ↑ vision (spirituality)
  6. ↑ The Book of Ezekiel
  7. ↑ The Gospel of Luke and The Book of Revelation
  8. ↑ Grace of God
  9. ↑ Grace of God
  10. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_(theology) State of Grace in Christianity
  11. ↑ The Gospel of Mathew
  12. ↑ Koshtazad's account of martyrdom also appears in the same book, Shuhada' Al Mashreq (Martyrs of the East)
  13. ↑ 1 Peter 5:8
  14. ↑ 1 Timothy 2:4