Joseph of Persia

Saint Joseph the Martyr of Persia was a disciple of Bishop Narses and received the crown of martyrdom in Persia, in the time of King Shapur II, between the years 343 and 350. The Orthodox Church commemorates him on 20 November, by the old calendar.

Narses was a bishop in Persia and had Joseph as a disciple. As true servants of Christ they led a Christian life full of virtue, fulfilling the law of Christ. Bishop Narses made Joseph his successor on the episcopal throne. The Persians of their time were pagans, worshipped the sun as a god and gave themselves over to various passions. Saint Narses and Joseph zealously preached the Gospel of Christ and turned many pagans to faith in the true God and taught them a pious life.

The Persian king Shapur II, who had then begun a great persecution of Christians, forced them to worship the sun and fire as gods. Hearing that the bishops Narses and Joseph were exposing the error of the Persians and turning many of them to Christianity, the king ordered them to be seized and brought to him. When they were brought, the king ordered them to worship fire or prepare for torment and death, and the saints answered fearlessly. Hearing such an answer, the king was angered and ordered their heads cut off at once.

A Russian source refers to another article on the hieromartyr Joseph of Persia, which shows that two different persons may be meant.