Abdas of Susa

Abdas, (also Abda, Abdias, and Audias) was bishop of Susa in Iran (Socrates also calls him "bishop of Persia" ). Engaged in a dispute with the local Zoroastrians in AD 420 he burnt down one of their temples, a pyramid of Ahura Mazda. King Yazdegerd ordered the bishop to restore and repair the building at his own expense, upon Abdas' refusal the King ordered the destruction of the churches. These events soured the relationship between the Christian church and the Persian government which had previously been good, and caused a wave of persecution against the Christians in Persia . Other than he is supposed to have helped Maruthas in driving out a demon from Yezdegerd's, nothing else certain is known of him. Tradition adds to this that he was one of the first martyred in the persecution (he was clubbed to death), and for this he is considered a saint. His companions in the killings included the priests Hashu and Isaac, the secretary Ephrem, the hypodeacon Papa, the laymen Daduk and Durdan, and Papa, a brother of Abda himself. His feast day is 5 September or 16 May in the Roman Catholic Church, and March 31 in the Syrian church.
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