ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the traditions on the Jews' participation in Shapur's persecution of Babylonian and Mesopotamian Christianity. Evidence on Shapur II's persecution of Christianity derives from three sources. First, and most reliable, are Aphrahat's Demonstrations; second are the Syriac Acts of the Persian Martyrs, conventionally attributed to Maruta, Bishop of Maipherqat and Roman envoy to the court of Yazdegird I in ca. 410; and third, the Byzantine and Christian-Arabic historians, in particular Sozomen. Aphrahat's Fifth Homily, written in 336-7, provides a glimpse into the Christian mind of the day. Aphrahat supplies the best evidence concerning the Jewish attitude toward Shapur II's persecution of the Christians. On the eve of Shapur's war against Constantine's sons, Aphrahat thus assured the Church of Iran that Rome would triumph over Shapur. Roman recognition of Christianity as the most favored religion was bound to cause difficulties for the Iranian church as soon as Rome and Iran resumed their continuing struggle for Armenia and Mesopotamia.
