David of Aleppo

Holy Martyr David of Aleppo was a Rum (Greek) Orthodox, married, with four children and an aged mother whom he supported, a well-⁠off man, a former tax collector, known by all as upright. He had a sharp temper, was steadfast in conviction and told the truth whatever it cost. At his death he was fifty years old.

His place in the collection of taxes was taken by an unjust and envious man, Joseph, who hated David because people praised his predecessor. Joseph sent David an agent with two Muslim witnesses, who demanded an unpaid tax, the fez tax. Christians were allowed to wear only the blue fez with white stripes. Provoked and beaten with rods, David threw his fez to the ground and cried out that he was worse off than the Turks because he was a Christian. At home he found that a green fez had been put on his head, forbidden to anyone but Muslim Turks; the judge's men came with drums and pipes to congratulate him on his conversion to Islam and to prepare him for circumcision. David cried out that he was a Christian, trampled the fez underfoot and said he would die in the faith of Christ.

Led in chains before the governor and the judge, he rejected all their promises. He spent two months in prison, was beaten on the soles of his feet, and his mother and wife were brought to urge him to yield at least in appearance and stay a Christian in secret, but he did not give way. The pasha offered him honour or death. David said he had never accepted the religion of Muhammad. The executioner blindfolded him and struck three times with the sword: first on the right shoulder, then on the left, then he cut off his head. It was 28 July 1660.

The next day Patriarch Macarius ibn al-⁠Za'im (1647-1672) celebrated the martyr's service in the presence of the Syriac and Armenian patriarchs and five bishops, and four Orthodox bishops buried him. He is commemorated on 28 July.