E01087: The 9th c. East Syrian writer Thomas of Margā reports the stealing of the casket with relics of unnamed *Apostles from a church in Antioch, by the East Syrian bishop of Nineveh Īshō‘yahb, that took place in the year 630, and its following bringing to the monastery of Bēt ‘Ābē in Mesopotamia.

Thomas of Margā, Book of Governors II.5

ܥܠ ܓܠܘܣܩܡܐ ܕܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܕܫܠܝ̈ܚܐ ܕܐܝܬܝ ܡܪܝ ܝܫܘܥܝܗܒ ܥܡܗ ܘܣܡܗ ܒܥܘܡܪܐ ܗܢܐ.

ܒܡܥܒܪܬܗܘܢ ܗܟܝܠ ܕܩܕܝܫ̈ܐ ܕܐܬܐܡܪܘ ܒܐܢܛܝܘܟܝ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ: ܟܕ ܫܪܘ ܒܚܕܐ ܡܢ ܥܕ̈ܬܐ ܕܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܗܕܐ: ܘܩܘܝܘ ܒܗ̇ ܝܘ̈ܡܬܐ ܣܓܝ̈ܐܐ: ܚܙܐ ܡܪܝ ܝܫܘܥܝܗܒ ܗܢܐ ܕܝܠܢ ܓܠܘܣܩܡܐ ܕܫܝܫܐ ܚܘܪܐ ܕܐܝܬ ܒܗ ܪܘܫܡܐ ܕܨܠܝܒܐ ܣܓܝܕܐ: ܘܠܗܢܐ ܟܕܝܢܝܢ ܬܚܝܬ ܡܪܟܒܬܐ ܕܐܝܩܪܗ ܬܪܝܢ ܦܖ̈ܨܘܦܐ ܕܟܖ̈ܘܒܐ: ܘܚܙܐ ܚܝ̈ܠܐ ܕܬܡܢ ܡܣܬܥܪܝܢ ܒܡܨܥܝܘܬܗ: ܘܝܠܦ ܕܡܢܘ̈ܬܐ ܐܝܬ ܒܗ ܡܢ ܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܘܪܘܟܒ ܗܕܡ̈ܐ ܕܫܠܝܚ̈ܐ ܛܘܒ̈ܢܐ: ܟܕ ܒܟܠܗ̇ ܝܥܢܘܬܐ ܐܬܚܡܡ ܕܪܚܡܬܗ ܕܗ̇ܘ ܓܠܘܣܩܡܐ ܕܣܝܡܝܢ ܒܗ: ܨܠܘܬܐ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܡܪܟܠ ܒܟܘ̈ܫܦܐ ܣܓܝ̈ܐܐ ܩܪܒ: ܕܬܬܝܬܐ ܒܘܪܟܬܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܒܡܨܥܝܘܬܗ ܠܦܢܝܬܐ ܗܕܐ. ܟܕ ܕܝܢ ܒܟܠ ܦܘܖ̈ܣܝܢ ܡܫܬܢܩ ܗܘܐ: ܘܠܐ ܝܕܥ ܗܘܐ ܡܢܐ ܢܥܒܕ: ܝܗܒܗ̇ ܠܨܒܘܬܐ ܗܕܐ ܠܐܠܗܐ. ܕܟܕ ܗ̣ܘ ܡܢ ܡܪܝ ܝܫܘܥܝܗܒ ܢܣܥܘܪ ܐܢܫܐܝܬ: ܢܣܬܪ ܕܝܢ ܘܢܚܦܐ ܥܠܘܗܝ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܐܠܗܐܝܬ. ܗ̇ܝ ܕܐܦ ܗܘܬ. ܘܓܢܒܗ ܘܐܝܬܝܗ ܥܡܗ ܠܗܪܟܐ: ܒܟܠܗ ܐܝܩܪܐ ܕܡܬܚܝܒ ܠܡܖ̈ܓܢܝܬܐ ܩܕܝܫ̈ܬܐ ܕܒܠܓܘܗ. ܘܐܝܬ ܠܢ ܫܘܪܪ ܬܪܥܝܬܐ ܘܚܘܫܒܐ ܕܗܕܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܐܣܬܥܪܬ: ܕܥܕܡܐ ܠܝܘܡܢܐ: ܡܬܡܠܠܐ ܡܠܬܐ ܕܥܠܝܗ̇ ܒܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܐܢܛܝܘܟܝ: ܐܝܟ ܕܐܦ ܒܝܘܒܠܐ ܪܕܬ ܘܐܬܝܒܠܬ ܠܘܬܢ: ܒܝܕ ܐܢܫ̈ܐ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܩܕܝܡܝܢ ܠܢ ܒܥܘܡܪܐ ܗܢܐ.


'On the casket of the bones of the apostles which Mār Īshō‘yahb brought with him, and placed in this monastery.

Now while these holy men who have been mentioned above were passing through the city of Antioch, and while they were resting in one of the churches of this city in which they tarried many days, this Mār Īshō‘yahb of ours saw a white marble casket upon which was the sign of the adorable Cross, and to this, united to the chariot of its honour, were two figures of cherubs. And he saw the mighty deeds which were wrought there by means of it, and he learned that there were inside it some of the bones and parts of the bodies of the blessed apostles, and being hot with all the desire of his love for that casket in which these were laid, he offered up prayers to God, the Lord of all, and frequent entreaties, that by means of himself it might be brought to this country. And having vexed and tortured himself [by scheming] all manner of devices, and not knowing what to do, he gave this matter to God, [asking] that while he, that is Mār Īshō‘yahb, used all human efforts, Christ would protect and defend him in a Divine manner. And this actually happened, for he stole (Syr. gnav) it and brought it with him here with all the honour due to the holy pearls which were therein. And we are certain in our opinion and judgment that this matter was wrought thus, for it is spoken of to this day in the city of Antioch, even as also it came down by tradition, and was handed on to us by those men who were before us in this monastery.'

Ed. Budge 1893, vol. 1, pp. 70-71 (Syr.), vol. 1, pp. 127-128 (trans., lightly adapted).