—the bishop of Niryār— a mimra (homily) on the Nativity of Christ. He began the discourse with the words: “The Lord was born already circumcised; therefore take Christ from heaven and welcome Him upon the earth.” When he read it to them they scoffed and laughed at him.

Then, when the Feast of al-Hamīm arrived, he composed another mimra for that celebration. In it he tore apart the Sabian religion, exposed its falsehood, and strengthened the Christian faith.

He said: In the days of Julianus, the pagan king, the first monk settled in the Egyptian desert; he built monasteries and gathered monks around him. Another appeared in al-Shām—the first to inhabit the wilderness of the Jordan—who likewise assembled monks and founded monasteries.

He also related that this impious king set out to fight Shapur, king of the Persians. Because of his perverse creed, his corrupt religion, and his attempt to restore idol-worship, the Persian king gained the upper hand over him