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Acts of St Hiztibouzit

tr. Conybeare, 1894

hiztibouzit

During the reign of Khosrow, son of Kavat, the King of Persia, the confession of Christ was more than ever persecuted; and not a few were martyred in Persia and at the royal court. At that time there was a certain man Makhosh, a Magus of that same land, from the region which is called Bershapouh, from a village of the name of Kounarastan, whose parents were ministers of the fireworship, and who was himself from childhood trained in Magism. And he was strong in counsel and learned in all the lore and wisdom of the fire-worshippers. He by a certain chance came to the camp of the king, and witnessed the sufferings of a certain holy martyr, whose name was Gregorius; and he marvelled at the boldness of the champion of faith, and was emulous thereof, and said, in his heart: “O Lord God of the Christians, look upon me and shew me a path on which to set my feet, and open to me the door of pity along with Thy champion; in order that I may become worthy of Thy kingdom, who art Lord of heaven and earth.” But on the same night a wondrous vision appeared to him; for he was as it were in a holy church, and a certain man robed in white appeared to him and said: “Blessed art thou, that thou hast become worthy of the light-giving church; for thou shalt believe, henceforth in God the Creator of heaven and earth, and in His Son of like power with Him, and in the Spirit who shares His works, and thou shalt learn thereof from the tradition of the holy gospel.” And he marvelled and understood the dream, and believed with whole heart and said: “The God of the Christians is a true God”; and thenceforth he repented of his magism.

He went thence into the land of Siuni, devoting himself to the hearing of the holy scriptures; and after being there a few months he came to Armenia; and having come into the region of Ararat, he dwelt in the chief town of the Armenians in Dvin, accompanying a certain Armenian who believed with¹ the Magi and whose name was Khosrow Peroz. But he (the saint) treated his Magism with contempt and neglected it. And it was in the winter time, in Mehekan,² at the beginning of the Persian month, and according to their custom, they were offering fatty sacrifices to the fire in the palace of their co-religionist. And the blessed Makhosh was standing with them at the spectacle, with his mouth closed with a mask. But the flame leaped up from the fat and reached the roof of the house and blazed up. Then the Magi gathered up the sacrifice, and tried to extinguish the fire, but could not; and then they ran out and told what had happened. But he that was governor of the Armenians, when he heard the sound of the tumult, came in haste to the door of the church, and began to urge the officiating priests to take the Holy Cross and bear it to the palace, if, peradventure, the fire might be driven back; for he in his straits believed against his will. Then the ministrants took the symbols of the holy cross and came quickly to the spot; and when the cross was come opposite the palace, the flame had spread and was dying out everywhere. This great sign was wrought by the precious holy cross in the land of Armenia, to the joy of the true worshippers and confusion of idolatry. Now the wife of the co-religionist, when she beheld, sent a great thankoffering to the attendants of the wonder-working holy cross. But the blessed Makhosh took to heart such wonders and broke the rod³ wherewith he divined and cast it away, likewise, also, the mask for his mouth; and he took and placed his censer in the hands of the deacon and scattered incense before the holy cross, so making manifest the faith which he had in Christ. And he followed the attendants of the cross and said: “Pray to God for me, because I too am a Christian.” But when the Magi saw this, they said to him, “Why hast thou dared to do this?” The blessed one said: “For a long time I have confessed to the Christians, and was, with reluctance, a Magus; but now I openly preach the faith which is in Christ; and I will not any longer minister to fire, now that I have seen all those wonders.”

The next day at dawn the Magi came before the governor of the Armenians, who was called Nikhorakan, and accused the saint. And when he was brought before him, the judge said: “Woe to thee, wretch, why dost thou forsake the Magism of thy forefathers to become a madman and a breaker of vows?” The blessed one made answer and said: “I tell thee truly, O judge, concerning myself, that during twenty-five years I have professed a vain heresy; but now I have come to learn of the true God, and have put away the polytheism of my forefathers. Wherefore, henceforth, the deceits of life shall not part me from this faith, for I am ready to bear the appointed⁴ tortures.” Then the governor was angry and ordered the blessed saint to be scourged twelve times over; and he shaved off his beard and hair and wrote out his sentence,⁵ and, binding him hands and feet, he cast him into prison. But in the prison the saint found a sharer of his plight in one whose name was Nerses, who had been bound for a long time in the prison because of God. And from him the blessed one learned the holy faith and twenty psalms; and thus he worshipped without ceasing and prayed to God.

After a little time one named Nakhapet⁶ succeeded to Nikhorakan; and when he had taken his seat in the court of judgment, they brought Makhosh before him. Said the Nakhapet: “How hast thou dared to abandon the god of thy fathers and to put thy faith in the unknown Christ?” The blessed one replied: “There is one Creator of all, who hath regard to all doers of good works; Who saw that my soul was weary of the ceremonies of polytheism, and guided me to a knowledge of the true God.” Then the Nakhapet was wroth and ordered him to be violently scourged, and they bound him with iron fetters and cast him into prison. And he remained in prison for another three years, and he besought the priest that he might receive of him the seal of the Lord (i.e. baptism), and that he might be named Hiztibouzit, which is, when translated, Given by God: that is to say, saved by God, which name the Holy Spirit pictured to them. By the which Spirit also he was strengthened in prison, and he took and gave his garments to the poor, and himself wore goatskin and coarse sandals. And thus he continued to watch with prayer and fasting, singing without ceasing the psalms of his fair religion. But after the lapse of another three years, the Nakhapet was succeeded by one whom they called Knaric. A certain scribe of his came to the prison and tried to ensnare the blessed one, and said to him: “For thee alone the land of the Arians was not sufficient, that thou hast gone astray from Magism, driving thyself a captive from the whole land, and straying from thy religion.” The saint gave answer and said: “All who lack knowledge by nature wait upon the craftsmen who have it, and the animals are the slaves of their owners. Even so men ought to serve God alone, their Maker. Wherefore I, also, in my negligence have been the servant of vanity; but when God took pity on me, He took my thoughts and enchained them with the love of His commandments, and bathed them in the hope of His grace, which the temptations of life will not avail to change.” But when the scribe of the court heard this, he leapt to his feet with rage, and began to beat him mercilessly with a club. And he inflicted many other tortures of various kinds upon the saint, that he might persuade him to keep his Magism.

At that time the king heard of the much violence and sufferings which his officers inflicted upon the land of the Armenians, and he sent three rulers, trusty men, to inspect the country; the name of one was Nati, which is called Drowandacan, and of the second Peroz, who was chief Magus of the district Rêi, and of the third Choyap, who was a royal minister; and these came into Armenia and worked many reforms. But on a certain day they held a public assembly, and were sitting in the court of justice about the edict of the king. At that same time some impious men gave information to the rulers, saying: “There are three men in prison who have abandoned our religion and have embraced Christianity; one Nerses, a Rajik, and one Sahak, from Atropatacan, and Hiztibouzit, a Persian.” And they commanded that they bring them before them. The chief Magus said to Nerses: “Why hast thou become a Christian?” The saint answered: “My mother was a Christian, and from my childhood I was brought up in the Christian faith; I know not your religion at all.” Then they put the question to Sahak, and he said: “From my childhood I had become a Christian.” But the blessed Hiztibouzit stood behind, and in a weak voice he was singing the sixth Psalm: “O Lord rebuke me not in Thy anger, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure.” And the judge separated them, and said to Hiztibouzit: “Woe to thee, wretch, why hast thou abandoned the religion of light and believed in the dark and obscure faith of Christianity, and that after thou hadst zealously sacrificed to fire?” The saint replied: “Aye, after sacrificing, and I know Magism better than thyself; and if thou command me to speak and make it clear, thou shalt learn how much better is Christianity than all the ceremonies which I have explored and clearly comprehended. Christianity alone has the power to save from the terrible death.” And when the chief Magus heard this, he ordered his servants to rend the saint’s tunic and to tear off his cowl; and they beat the head of the blessed one and tore out his beard by the roots. And once more they ordered that the three blessed ones be kept safe for three days; and after that they brought them up, but could not persuade them. Then they confined them in a single house without food; and the chief Magus gave orders to send up smoke all the night.⁷ The saints, in their torment, cried out and said: “O God, look upon us to help us, and, O Lord, hasten to assist us.” And thus they continued to sing hymns until the dawn. And they remained in the prison ten days; but on a certain night, on the Lord’s day, on the which Hiztibouzit was to suffer martyrdom, a vision appeared to him. A certain man had in his hand a rod, and touched him on the head therewith; and the blood flowed down between his eyes. And then there appeared three radiant men, who drove away the man who struck him, and bringing a crown of choice pearls set it on his head. But he was overjoyed and told his companions; and they knew that his hour was come. And at early morn there came trusty men to take the saints to the prison, and the chief executioner came to the prison to lead him away, and he bade farewell to his brethren and departed. But as he went he continued to sing the fourth Psalm, beginning it as he left the prison, and going on till he came to the place where was the court: “When I cried out Thou didst hear me according to Thy righteousness, from my tribulation didst Thou give me peace.” And having finished the psalm he came to the place of the court. And when the Christians heard, they all ran together to behold the combat and victory of the saint. But the holy Hiztibouzit stood up before the four judges. And they prepared three crosses for those condemned to death. And when these were brought forward, the chief Magus said to the saint: “Dost thou behold yon trees, upon which thou art about to die? Have pity on thyself, neither persist in thy obstinacy.” The saint made answer: “Nay, all the more am I set firm in Christ, who is my hope; but do thou fulfil that which is commanded thee concerning me.” And he ordered him to be crucified; and the saint with ready heart and joyful mind went to the cross, and they took from him and deprived him of what poor raiments he had. The blessed one said: “This is as it should be, for my Lord’s Son, the only-born Saviour, when by His own will He was crucified, was nailed naked upon the Cross, in order that He might put on the nakedness of our first father, who will give me also strength to overcome in my body the deceits of Satan.” And having stretched himself out upon the tree he began to say the forty-third Psalm: “Arise, O Lord, and help us and save us because of Thy name; we were numbered as sheep for slaughter.” But when the cross was set up the chief of the Magi sent to him, in the hope that he might be converted. But the saint spurned his message and gave no answer; and remained tied to the cross in the crowded court, and they pierced his side with arrows (or javelins).

It chanced upon the same day that they crucified two men condemned to death, and these they crucified along with him. One of them was of the tribe of Khoújik; and he when he was brought to the cross kissed the feet of the holy martyr, and taking up the clay mixed with the blood which trickled from the martyr, he plunged it in his bosom. But the chief executioner struck him on the head with his fist, and they crucified him on the right hand of the martyr, and into him they drove the javelin⁸ and so he yielded up his spirit. But the other one was a Jew, who when they brought him to the cross, cried out to the judges: “Destroy me not, I embrace Magism.” But the judges did not understand him, and they hung him on the tree to the left of the saint. And the blessed one was thus offered up as a sacrifice between two malefactors on a hill top, opposite the sun and before all the multitude.

And therein lay a wonderful mystery; for there was remembered unto him the word of the Lord, according to the true promise which says that: “He who believeth in Me, the work which I do, he also shall do, and still greater things than that.” And the apostle says: “Whom Thou foreknewest, Thou didst predestine to be sharers of the likeness of the image of Thine own Son.” And thus the holy Hiztibouzit bravely suffered martyrdom in the forty-third year of King Khosrow, on the second day of the month Kalotz, on the Lord’s day, at the third hour. And it was ordered that they should keep the body of the blessed one upon the tree. But the faithful, by the help of God, took the body of the saint and wrapped it in precious raiment and deposited it in a resting-place with brilliant honours, celebrating as a festival with great joy the day on which the light thus shone and rejoiced the souls of orthodox believers; inasmuch as it is meet to render to the Saviour of all, Jesus Christ our Lord, together with the one Almighty Father and Holy Spirit, glory and honour now and for ever.

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