Saint Saint Behnam

Saints Behnam, Sarah, and the Forty Martyrs were 4th-century Christians who suffered martyrdom during the reign of Zoroastrian King Shapur II. They are venerated as saints in the Oriental Orthodox Churches. According to their hagiography, Behnam and Sarah were the children of Sennacherib, King of Nimrud, who ruled under the Shahanshah Shapur II of Iran. Behnam was separated from his companions during a hunting expedition and was forced to spend a night in a cave. An angel then visited Behnam and instructed him to see Saint Matthew the Hermit, who lived in a cave on Mount Alfaf. Behnam met with Matthew and was taught Christianity by the hermit. Behnam demanded proof and thus Matthew told him to bring Sarah to him to be healed of her leprosy. Behnam and his entourage returned to the city and told his mother of his dream and the saint. His mother allowed Behnam and Sarah to return to the saint in secret, and he healed Sarah of her leprosy, after which Behnam, Sarah, and the forty slaves were baptised. Matthew used water from a spring that appeared after he hit the ground with his staff. The king learned of his children's conversion and threatened to punish them if they did not abandon Christianity. Stalwart in their faith, Behnam, Sarah, and the forty slaves, fled to Mount Alfaf, but were slain by soldiers sent by the king. Sennacherib was afflicted by madness after the death of the martyrs. An angel appeared before Behnam's mother and told her the king would only be cured of his madness if he converted to Christianity and prayed at the site of the martyrs' death. Behnam's mother and Sennacherib followed the angel's instructions, and the king was cured. They were then baptised by Saint Matthew at Assur. At the request of Saint Matthew, Sennacherib constructed a monastery atop Mount Alfaf, that would later become known as the Mar Mattai Monastery. The king also constructed a monument on the site of the martyrs' death called gubba ("pit" in Syriac).