Coptic Synaxarium (Coptic Orthodox Calendar)

8 Masra
(The Eighth Day of the Blessed Month of Misra)

 

The Martyrdom of the Sts. Lazarus, Salomi, His Wife, and Their Children

On this day, the nine saints: Lazarus the Elder, his wife Salomi, and their children; Abeem (Animo), Antonius, Hosea, Lazarus, Aniana, Semuna, and Marcolus, were martyred. Lazarus was one of the teachers of the Jewish Law. His father was one of the Seventy Elders who translated the Torah by the order of Ptolemy, King of Egypt. This just man taught his children the Law of Moses.

    When Antiochus, King of Rome, reigned over the Syrian land, he besieged Jerusalem and afflicted the Jewish nation with cruelty. He compelled them to break the Law of their fathers and to eat what was forbidden them such as pork meat and the like. Many of them feared his might and obeyed him. Nevertheless, these righteous persisted on keeping the Law, which had been given to them by God. Antiochus tortured them severely, by flogging them, crucifying, burning, and plowing their bodies with metal combs. The righteous woman Salomi, encouraged them until they had fulfilled their martyrdom. Then, she also cast herself in the fire without waiting for them to throw her into it. Thus, they received the crown of martyrdom.

May their prayers be with us. Amen.

Days of  the month of Mesori: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30

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