Archimandrita
Carved by Hand
But who were the 318 fathers? Were they the fathers of the fourth ecumenical council, or were they other people? Some further digging revealed this:
"Virtually all of them, Marutha says, “were more or less maimed…Some had the nails of their fingers or toes torn out; some were otherwise mutilated.” Thomas of Marash, he says, had been imprisoned for 22 years, and each year his captors had cut off a finger, put out an eye, or wounded him some other way in an attempt to make him deny Christ. . . ."
The above quote I found in reference to the 318 fathers of the First Council of Nicea, so I presume that this shrine is here as a monument. If I am incorrect in my assumption please let me know the real back story.
Inside
Inside the cave it is fairly cramped. Fading murals adorn the walls, and there is a caged recess in one wall.
Sacred Bones
If anybody could translate this it would be appreciated.
Mural Closeup
Speaking of murals, the picture I showed on the first page of the blog also appeared in the article about the 318 fathers I linked to.
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