Benjamin, a Deacon of the Church of Christ, in the Year 456

This Benjamin was a deacon of the Christian church in Persia, who, when opportunity offered itself, also proclaimed the doctrines of the holy Gospel to the people. Geroranes, the King of Persia, took such offense at this that he had him cast into prison, where he remained without deliverance for two years. After this a certain ambassador came to the King to transact some state business. Having heard of Benjamin and his dreary confinement, he begged the King to set him free. The King consented, but on the condition that the prisoner should not speak to any of his magi or priests about the Christian religion, or dispute with them. The ambassador promised the King in Benjamin's name that his command would be heeded. But when he came to Benjamin and urged this upon him, Benjamin answered: "I do not wish to do what you have promised in my name. I cannot withhold from others the doctrine of the light of the Gospel, which I have received from God, keeping it from being shared with them; for I have learned from the Gospel how severely those will be punished who bury in the earth the talent given them to gain something with it."

In the meantime the King, knowing nothing of the answer Benjamin had returned to the ambassador, gave command to release him from his confinement. Benjamin, once more free, did not stop exhorting the people as before, and setting the light of the holy Gospel on the candlestick. When this had continued for about the space of one year after his release from prison, new complaints were brought against him before the King, who had him brought before him and commanded him to renounce the God whom he served, on pain of bodily punishment. Then Benjamin asked the King: "What punishment, beloved King, does he deserve who deserts and renounces you and your government, and submits himself to another lord and serves him?" The King answered: "Such a man deserves punishment on body and property, indeed, the severest penalty of death." Benjamin asked again, saying: "What punishment does the man deserve who forsakes his God, the Creator of all things, in order to exalt one of his servants as God, and to give to a creature the worship due to God alone?"

These words so incensed the King that he commanded his guards to sharpen twenty reeds and to thrust them between the flesh and the nails of his fingers and toes. But when the King saw that the pious martyr endured all this with steadfastness, and indeed regarded it very little, he, after other torments, ordered the executioners to prepare a knotty stick, which by cutting away the branches was made as sharp as a stick of thorns. This he had thrust into the lower part of his body, and then pulled backward and forward, until the faithful servant and professor of Christ ended his life under the hands of the executioners, like a defenseless lamb that is led to the slaughter and does not open its mouth. Compare the account of Abr. Mellinus, 2nd book, folio 260, columns 1, 2, taken from Theod., book 5, page 38, and Merul, Graec., with the annotation of P. J. Twisck, Chron., 5th book, page 191, column 1, from Hist. Eccl. Tripart, 2nd part, book 11, chapter 33, Hist. Andr. Hondorff, folio 20.