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In the name of the goddess Sharbel the male epithet Bel is expressly added to the name of the goddess, which is given in an abbreviated form as Šar for Iššar (= Ištar).
Chronicle of Arbela 14:
And back then there was in the city of Arbela a priest of the goddess Šarbel, whose name was Italaha. And his blood flowed like the menses of women. And as he on one of those days yelled in the temple of the goddess’ idols because of the hardiness of his pain, a Christian walked past and heard his voice. And he believed that someone was dying there. And he went into the temple of the idols and asked Italaha what pestered and plagued him. And as he experienced all that was ailing him, he said to him: “Go to a man of the Christian religion, whose name is Maran Zeka, and he – through the power of God - will heal you.” And he got up thereupon, that with it he go to him. And as he was still far from the church, the flowing of his blood stopped, and he was healed. And he stepped closer and went in to the Bishop, which was together with all of the students of Christ. They were, however, very afraid, because they knew him as the priest of the goddess Šarbel. But as he bid their trust and calmed them through his story and informed them of everything, which happened to him, and like him, even before he arrived, was healed through the God of the Christians, they all praised God, who wanted, that he showed his power in these troubling days over the chiefs and priests of the heathens, which has slaughtered them without mercy. And he was with them a few days. But the Megušes (= Magians) noticed him and wanted that they seize him and have him die an evil death. But he fled that very night and went to Šahrqat to the bishop Habbiba. But even from there he feared the Megušes and he took flight to the Christians of Mahoza d-Ariwan and taught there exhaustively the Christian faith, for which he after a short while shall give his blood as a sacrifice. And there he was baptized and went in his land, that he disseminate the Christian faith in the one God of three persons. This was in truth an astounding event. This man was a second Šawol (= Saulus), which, after seeking at first to kill the Christians, learned the Christian faith and shed his blood for it.
Source (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Chronicle of Arbela 14
Bibliography
| Kawerau 1985, 85-86 | Kawerau, Peter. Die Chronik von Arbela. Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 468. Leuven: Peeters 1985. |
Amar Annus
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