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ABOUT the same period, the queen was attacked with a disease, and
Tarbula, the sister of Symeon the bishop, a holy virgin, was
arrested with her servant, who shared in the same mode of life, as
likewise a sister of Tarbula, who, after the death of her husband,
abjured marriage, and led a similar career. The cause of their arrest
was the charge of the Jews, who reported that they had injured the
queen by their enchantments, on account of their rage at the death of
Symeon. As invalids easily give credit to the most repulsive
representations, the queen believed the charge, and especially because
it emanated from the Jews, since she had embraced their sentiments,
and lived in the observance of the Jewish rites, for she had great
confidence in their veracity and in their attachment to herself. The
Magi having seized Tarbula and her companions, condemned them to
death; and after having sawn them asunder, they fastened them up to
poles and made the queen pass through the midst of the poles as a medium
for turning away the disease. It is said that this Tarbula was
beautiful and very stately in form, and that one of the Magi, having
become deeply enamored with her, secretly sent a proposal for
intercourse, and promised as a reward to save her and her companions if
she would consent. But she would give no ear to his licentiousness,
and treated the Magi with scorn, and rebuked his lust. She would
rather prefer courageously to die than to betray her virginity.
As it was ordained by the edict of Sapor, which we mentioned above,
that the Christians should not be slaughtered indiscriminately, but
that the priests and teachers of the opinions should be slain, the
Magi and Arch-Magi traversed the whole country of Persia,
studiously maltreating the bishops and presbyters. They sought them
especially in the country of Adiabene, a part of the Persian
dominions, because it was wholly Christianized.
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