Abadir and Iraja
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Abadir and Iraja (Ter and Erai) | |
|---|---|
| Saint | |
| Died | Roman era Antinoe |
| Venerated in | Coptic Church Roman Catholic Church |
| Major shrine | Asyut, Egypt |
| Feast | September 25 (Gregorian Calendar), October 8 (Julian Calendar) |
Abadir and Iraja are saints in the Coptic Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
Legend[edit]
They are reported to have been children of the sister of Basilides, "the father of kings".[1] According to their legend, Abadir and Iraja fled from Antioch to Alexandria. They were arrested there and brought to Antinoe in Upper Egypt, where they were beheaded along with Cluthus, a physician and priest, and another 3,685 companions.[2] These included the following priests:
- Apa Paphnutius of Tentyra
- Apa Isaac of Tiphre
- Apa Shamul of Taraphia
- Apa Simon of Tapcho
- Sissinus of Tantatho
- Theodore of Shotep
- Moses of Psammaniu
- Philotheus of Pemdje
- Macarius of Fayum
- Maximus of Vuchim
- Macroni of Thoni
- Senuthius of Buasti
- Simeon of Thou
- Ptolemaeus, son of the Eparch, and
- Thomas of Tanphot.
Abadir and Iraja had a church dedicated to them in Asyut in Egypt.[3] Their feast day is on September 25 (Gregorian Calendar) and October 8 (Julian Calendar). The text of their Passion exists in both Sahidic and Bohairic Coptic and fragments can be found at the National Library, Vienna, Wiener Papyrussammlung, K2563 a-l, ed. Orlandi, 1974, the National Library, Paris, Copte 129.16.104 and the Vatican Library, Rome, Copti 63, fols. 1-65, ed. Hyvernat, 1886–1887.[4]
A summary of their lives, commemorated on Tout 28 (October 8), can be found in the Copto-Arabic Synaxarion.[5]
Hagiographer and church historian Frederick George Holweck considers the story "spurious".[3]
References[edit]
- ^ Odden, Per Einar. "De hellige Abadir og Iraja av Antinoë og deres 3.685 ledsagere", Den katolske kirke, June 4, 2008
- ^ St. Abadir Retrieved on 5 Feb 2018
- ^ a b Holweck, F. G. A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints St. Louis, Mo: B. Herder Book Co. 1924., p. 1
- ^ Orlandi, T. "Ter and Erai, Saints." Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia. Claremont: Claremont Colleges. 1991
- ^ "Tout 28 : Lives of Saints : Synaxarium - CopticChurch.net".