Mazgaba Maṣāḥəft

Titles

• ገድል፡ ወስምዕ፡ ዘቅድስት፡ ባርባራ፡, Gadl wa-sǝmʿ za-qǝddǝst Bārbārā, Vita and Martyrdom of St Barbara
• Martyrdom of Sts Barbara and Juliana (Barbārā and Yolyānā)
• Martyrdom of Sts Barbara and Juliana (Arabic version)

Description

This holy woman Barbara was the daughter of a judge, who was exceedingly great in the palace, and he lived in the days of the infidel Diocletian; he came from the country of the East and his name was Dioscurus. And Dioscurus made for his daughter a strong palace so that no one should ever see her; and he commanded [the builders] to make two windows, which would open in the bathhouse, and they did so. And when Saint Barbara saw the two windows she commanded the builders to make a third window, [and they did so] and then she made over the bath, with the water in it, the sign of the Life-giving Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. When her father came into the dwelling he saw what the builders had done, and that they had transgressed his command. And he asked them about this, and they said unto him, “Thy daughter Barbara commanded us [to do] this and we did it.” When he asked her, “Why hast thou done this?” she said unto him, “Know, O my father, that everything is completed in the Holy Trinity, and I have made three windows in the Name of the Holy Trinity. And this cross is a copy of the Cross-of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein was the salvation of the whole world. Turn, O my father, from thy error, and worship thy God Who created thee,” When her father heard these words he was wroth, he drew his sword and ran after her, but she fled from him; and there was a rock in front of her, and that rock split and she entered into it and was protected. And after this she returned and her father took her and handed her over to the governor, who tortured her severely. And there was there a certain woman whose name was Juliana, and she was looking at Saint Barbara when she was being tortured, and she wept for her. And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saint Barbara and strengthened and comforted her. And after this her father commanded his men to cut off her head, and the head of Juliana, and they cut off the heads of both of them with the sword, and the two women received crowns of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens; and fire came down from heaven and burnt up her father and Marcianus, the governor. And the bath which Saint Barbara had made for herself in the bathhouse, and on which was the sign of the Cross, became a means of healing unto the sick, for all those who bathed therein were healed of their diseases. Then [certain believers] took the bodies of the holy martyrs and laid them in the church outside the city which is called Galalya; and the bodies of these holy women and martyrs are this day in the church of Saints ‘Abuker and John the martyr in the city of Mesr (Cairo). Salutation to Barbara. Salutation to him that made strong her mind, namely ‘Anba Merena.