# Shemon bar Sabbae

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Patriarch of the Church of the East

Saint Simeon bar Sabbae Born 3rd century Died Good Friday, 345 Sassanid Empire Venerated in Assyrian Church of the East Ancient Church of the East Catholic Church Oriental Orthodox churches Eastern Orthodox Church Feast 14 April (Syriac Christianity) 17 April (Greek Orthodox Churches and Greek Catholic Churches) Sixth Friday of Qaitha (Summer) (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church) 17 April and 21 April (Latin Church) variable date in August (Assyrian Church of the East)

**Mar Shimun Bar Sabbae** ([Classical Syriac](/source/Classical_Syriac_language): ܡܪܝ ܫܡܥܘܢ ܒܪܨܒܥܐ, romanized: *Shemʿon bar Ṣabbaʿe*;[1] died [Good Friday](/source/Good_Friday), 345) was the [Bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon](/source/List_of_Patriarchs_of_the_Church_of_the_East) from Persia, the *de facto* head of the [Church of the East](/source/Church_of_the_East), maintaining this position until his death. He was bishop in the [Sasanian Empire](/source/Sasanian_Empire) during the persecutions of [Shapur II](/source/Shapur_II) against Christians and he was executed along with many of his followers. He is revered as a [saint](/source/Saint) in various Christian communions.

## Biography

Shimun Bar Sabbae was born the son of a [fuller](/source/Fulling). He had two sisters, one of which was named [Tarbula](/source/Tarbula).

There is some scholarly debate on what "bar Sabbae" means. In Syriac, his native tongue, *bar* translates to “son of”. *Ṣabbā’ē* means dyers, so altogether his name means “son of the dyers.” [Butler](/source/Alban_Butler) stated that Simeon was surnamed Barsaboe and that it signified that he was the son of a fuller according to the naming customs of the area.[2]

In 316, he had been named the [coadjutor bishop](/source/Coadjutor_bishop) following his predecessor, [Papa bar Gaggai](/source/Papa_bar_Gaggai), in Seleucia-Ctesiphon (now [al-Mada'in](/source/Al-Mada'in)). He was later accused of being a friend of the [Roman emperor](/source/Roman_emperor) and of maintaining secret correspondences with him. On that basis, [Shapur II](/source/Shapur_II) ordered the execution of all Christian priests. It is also thought that a reason for this order was that Shemon had supposedly converted the king's mother [Ifra Hormizid](/source/Ifra_Hormizd) to Christianity.[3]

Since Shemon would not convert to [Zoroastrianism](/source/Zoroastrianism), he was beheaded along with several thousand Christians, including bishops, priests, and the faithful. These included the priests Abdella (or Abdhaihla), Ananias (Hannanja), Chusdazat (Guhashtazad, Usthazan, or Gothazat), and [Pusai](/source/Pusai) (Fusik), Askitrea, the daughter of Pusai, the eunuch Azad (Asatus) and several other companions, numbered at either 1150 or 100. [Sozomen](/source/Sozomen), a historian of the 5th century maintained that the numbers of the dead martyrs was registered at 16,000. Another historian, Al-Masoudy from the 10th century, claimed that there were around 200,000 Christians killed. They are commemorated on:

- 17 April (2004 [Roman Martyrology](/source/Roman_Martyrology)) and 21 April (1956 Roman Martyrolgy) in the [Roman Rite](/source/Roman_Rite) of [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church)

- the Friday after [Easter](/source/Easter) in the [Syriac Orthodox Church](/source/Syriac_Orthodox_Church)

- 17 April in the [Eastern Orthodox Churches](/source/Eastern_Orthodox_Churches) and [Greek Catholic Churches](/source/Greek_Catholic_Churches)

- 17 August in the [Assyrian Church of the East](/source/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East)

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Shemon Bar Sabbae](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Shemon_Bar_Sabbae).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Shemʿon bar Ṣabbaʿe"](https://gedsh.bethmardutho.org/Shemon-bar-Sabbae). [Beth Mardutho](/source/Beth_Mardutho), Gorgias Press. Retrieved 2023-12-04.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Butler, Alban (1821). [*The lives of the fathers, martyrs, and other principal saints*](https://books.google.com/books?id=YHgTAAAAQAAJ&dq=Seleucia-Ctesiphon++simeon+saint+fuller&pg=PA175).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Neusner, Jacob (1969). [*A History of the Jews in Babylonia*](https://books.google.com/books?id=eJw3AAAAIAAJ&dq=neusner+ifra+hormizd+converted&pg=PA36). Brill Archive.

- Holweck, F. G. *A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints*. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1924.

Church of the East titles Preceded by Papa (c. 280–317) Vacant (317–329) Catholicos-Patriarch of the Church of the East Bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (329–341) Succeeded by Shahdost (341–343)

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