Zambdas

CONCERNING ST. ZAMBDAS, OR ZABDAS, BISHOP OF JERUSALEM.

A.D. 304.

Zambdas, or Zabdas, Bishop of Jerusalem (St.)

By G. H.

[1] The period of this holy Bishop's tenure and succession is certain; his name has been variously written: Zambdas, Zabdas, Labdas, Bazas. St. Epiphanius, in his Panarion, heresy 66, no. 20, enumerates all the Bishops of the city of Jerusalem down to his own time and places Hymenaeus as the thirty-seventh Bishop under the reign of Aurelian, when the heresy of the Manichaeans, of which he treats in the same place, arose. He then adds: "And from that time to the present day, the remaining Bishops: Bazas, Hermon," etc. — "From which time to this day the remaining bishops: Bazas" — the very same who is called Zambdas — "Hermon, Macarius, Maximus, Cyril, Herennius, a second Cyril, Hilarion, who now presides over the Church." Thus, after various editions had been collated with the Vatican, Parisian Royal, and Basel manuscripts, Dionysius Petavius, our confrere, preserved the name both in Greek and Latin. Eusebius Pamphilus, a contemporary author, writes in his Chronicle under the consulship of Faustus II and Gallus, in the year of Christ 299: "The twenty-seventh bishop was appointed to the Church of Jerusalem, Sabdas." This is translated by St. Jerome in Scaliger, Pontacus, and Miraeus as follows: "Zabdas is ordained as the twenty-seventh Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem." He lived until the year 303, when, under the eighth consulship of Diocletian Augustus and the seventh of Maximian Augustus: "Hermon, the twenty-eighth, presided over the Church of Jerusalem." St. Epiphanius likewise makes Hermon the successor of Zabdas, whom he called Baza by transposing the syllables and omitting the letter d. Our manuscript codex, formerly that of Abraham Ortelius, and another of the Most Serene Queen of Sweden, call the latter Thermo and the former, together with the editions already cited, Zabdas; but the chronicles printed at Paris in 1518 and at Basel in 1529 call him Labdas and the other Thermo.

[2] The same Eusebius, in book 7 of his Ecclesiastical History, chapter 26, treats of St. Zabdas and his predecessor and successor in these words: "After Hymenaeus, the Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem indicated a little before, Zambdas received the ministry. Not long after this man had fallen asleep, Hermon, the last of those who sat until the persecution directed against us, received the Apostolic throne preserved there to this day." Nearly the same words are found in Rufinus, book 7, chapter 29; but the one who is here called Sambdas in Greek is called by Rufinus Zabdas and Zapdas. The same is also called Sabdas by Nicephorus the Bishop in his Chronology of the Bishops of Jerusalem, and ten years are attributed to his tenure — which should indeed be called many. We have already said from the Chronicle of Eusebius that he did not attain beyond the fourth year of his episcopate. But by Nicephorus Callistus, in book 6 of his Ecclesiastical History, chapter 34, he is called Sabdas, "and after some years of his tenure, he rested in the sleep that befits the just" — where Langus translates "after many years," which we have already rejected on the basis of the Chronicle of Eusebius.

[3] This Bishop is recorded in the tables of the Roman Martyrology under February 19 in these words: "At Jerusalem, St. Zambdas, Bishop; by whom (adds Galesinius) the Theban soldiers, noble Martyrs, received baptism." In the Acts of these Martyrs, which St. Eucherius, Bishop of Lyons, compiled from more ancient documents, only this is read: "The Theban Legion had six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six men, strong in spirit and equipped with arms, following the example of the ancient Romans. These soldiers, then, had received the rite of the Christian religion by Eastern tradition from the Bishop of the city of Jerusalem, and placed their sacred faith above their valor and all their arms." These are to be illustrated in the Life from various manuscript and printed codices on September 22. Baronius observes, at the year 297, no. 5, that it was for this reason that the Theban soldiers were imbued with the Christian faith by Zambdas, Bishop of Jerusalem — because that same legion used to have its winter quarters in Palestine, where it might be at hand with other legions stationed in Syria to suppress the disturbances of the Parthians and Persians. Peter Steward in his notes to the Life of the Theban Martyrs, chapter 1, no. 5, and our Rosignolius in his Sacred History of the Thebaid, published in Italian under the name of William Baldesanus, book 1, pages 15, 16, and 67, ascribe this conversion of the Theban legion to the same Zambdas or Zabdas, whom they also call Labdas. Rosignolius adds there that those soldiers were baptized by the holy Bishop Zabdas — which will need to be examined more precisely on September 22. Ludovico Zacconi, in his Lives of Saints written in Italian, composed a brief eulogy of him, in which he also writes that his feast is celebrated on February 19.

CONCERNING

THE HOLY AFRICAN MARTYRS PUBLIUS, JULIAN, MARCELLUS, MARUBIUS, LIKEWISE

JULIAN, BARACEUS, TULLIUS, LAMPASIUS, MAIULUS, JULIUS, PAUL, AND MAXIMILLA.

Historical Compendium.

Publius, Martyr in Africa (St.) Julian, Martyr in Africa (St.) Marcellus, Martyr in Africa (St.) Marubius, Martyr in Africa (St.) Julian, Martyr in Africa (St.) Baraceus, Martyr in Africa (St.) Tullius, Martyr in Africa (St.) Lampasius, Martyr in Africa (St.) Maiulus, Martyr in Africa (St.) Julius, Martyr in Africa (St.) Paul, Martyr in Africa (St.) Maximilla, Martyr in Africa (St.)

By G. H.

[1] This is an illustrious crown of twelve champions of Christ, who merited the palm of martyrdom in Africa. The manuscript Martyrology of the Church of St. Mary at Utrecht presents them in these words: "In Africa, Sts. Publius and Julian, Martyrs, and ten others." Those two, as the leaders of the rest, are mentioned in the very ancient manuscript Martyrologies of St. Riquier, St. Maximin, St. Lambert at Liege, and by Usuard himself in the principal handwritten and printed copies: "In Africa, Sts. Publius and Julian." Wandelbert agrees with these in this verse:

"Publius and Julian together adorn the eleventh."

He means the eleventh before the Kalends of March. But the manuscript of the monastery of Marchiennes places these same two on the day before.

[2] The manuscript of the Cologne Carmelites, omitting Julian, joins another companion to Publius in these words: "In Africa, Sts. Publius and Marcellus." These are listed together with St. Julian in the Trier and Brussels manuscripts, and in several manuscript copies of Usuard augmented for use in the Belgian churches, in the Ado manuscript of the Queen of Sweden, which belonged to the Church of Toulon in Provence, in the manuscript Florarium, likewise in Bellinus, Felicius, Molanus, and Greven: "In Africa, Sts. Publius, Julian, and Marcellus," who are called Martyrs by Peter of Equilinus in book 11, no. 72, and in the Martyrology of Maurolycus and another printed at Cologne in 1490. In the Roman Martyrology, more companions whose names are not expressed are indicated in these words: "In Africa, the holy Martyrs Publius, Julian, and Marcellus, and others."

[3] The name of the fourth is expressed differently by various sources. In the small but very ancient manuscript of St. Maximin, it reads thus: "In Africa, of Publius, Julian, Marcellus, and Lampasius." But with this name omitted, another is substituted in the manuscripts of Laetum and the St. Martin's of Tournai: "February 19. In Africa, the birthday of Sts. Publius, Julian, Marubius, and Marcellus" — though in the Laetum manuscript, Marcellinus is written in error. To these four a fifth, a second Julian, is added in the Aachen manuscript; and with him omitted, Tullius appears in the Cologne manuscript of St. Mary ad Gradus, in which Manubius is used for what is elsewhere Marubius. With the latter omitted, Galesinius adds another companion along with Tullius from a manuscript codex, and Canisius follows him in the German Martyrology: "In Africa, Sts. Publius, Julian, Marcellus, Tullius, and Julius, who, having completed the contest of confession, migrated to the crown in heaven." These same five, together with Marubius, are inscribed by an ancient hand in the manuscript Martyrology of Ado preserved in the monastery of St. Lawrence at Liege.

[4] Seven are inscribed in the manuscript of St. Cyriacus in this order: "February 19. In Africa: Marubius, Publius, Julian, Marcellus, Tullius, Jamnasius (that is, Lampasius to others), and Julius." The names of Victor and Corona were appended, whose feast is on February 20, although they are also assigned to this day in some calendars. To these seven we added another Julian, as mentioned above. But with Julius omitted, another set of eight are expressed in the printed Bede as follows: "In Africa, the birthday of Sts. Publius, Julian, Marubius, likewise Julian, Marcellus, Tullius, Lampasius, and Inaulius" — who in the manuscript Bede of the monastery of Suben in Bavaria is called Maulus, but should be read as Maiulus. Hermann Greven, besides the above-cited Publius, Julian, and Marcellus, then adds Marubius and a second Julian, and on the immediately preceding day had Tullius, Lampasius, and Maiolus, and in a separate class Berethous and Marcellus — the former of whom appears to be Baraceus.

[5] Rabanus in his Martyrology names nine in this order: "February 19. Birthday of Saints in Africa: Publius, Julian, Marulius (that is, Marubius to others), likewise Julian, Marcellus, Tullius, Lampasius, Maiulus, and Julian." This last is called Julius by others; he is written as Julian through an error of the copyists, for otherwise Rabanus would have repeated the word "likewise," as before. In the ancient manuscript Roman Martyrology that bears the name of St. Jerome, ten Martyrs are enumerated in these words: "February 19. In Africa: Publius, Marubius, Julian, Bareceus, likewise Julian, Marcellus, Tullius, Lampasius, Maiulus, and Julius."

[6] To these, Notker and the manuscript Bede of the monastery of Richeberg in Bavaria add an eleventh in this order: "In Africa, the birthday of the Blessed Publius, Julian, Marubius, likewise Julian, Baracheus, Paul, Marcellus, Tullius, Lampasius, Maiulus, and Julius." Maiulus, with transposed letters, is read as Mauilis in our copy of Bede. The Martyrology of St. Martin's at Trier indicates these eleven with these words: "In Africa, Publius the Martyr, and ten others." But we have said that, besides Publius and Julian, there were ten others, from the Utrecht codex. The manuscript of Reichenau, or Augia Dives near Constance, completes the stated number by adding Maximilla to those Martyrs with these words: "In Africa: Publius, Marcellus, Julian, Baraceus, likewise Julian, Tullius, Lampasius, Mauilus, and Maximilla." From this list are absent Marubius, Paul, and Julius, who are listed by others. In the Irish Festilogy of the manuscript of Marianus Gorman, Publius, Gabinus, Julian, and Julius are recorded. But Gabinius does not belong here, for we have treated of him separately.

[7] Masini, in his survey of Bologna, relates that on this day relics of St. Marcellus are preserved in the church of St. Francis, as well as in that of St. Gabriel, and that Gerard, Bishop of Bologna, in the year 1192, on June 14, placed relics of St. Marcellus and many other holy Martyrs in a Cross erected before the church of St. Paul of the Barnabites, and that for this reason it was called the Cross of the Saints. These last details are also found in part 1 of the History of Bologna by Cherubino Ghirardacci, book 4, page 102, and among the other holy Martyrs mentioned are Sts. Theodore and Marcellus, but without any mention of the day of February 19.