Story Time: The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

In 318 AD the Eastern Roman emperor , Lucinius issued a decree for every Christian to renounce their faith. 40 Roman soldiers from the famous "Thundering Legion" refused and were arrested.

Angering the prefect, he condemned the 40 soldiers who refused to worship and sacrifice to the roman gods. The prefect ordered the soldiers to be exposed naked upon a frozen lake near Sebaste(Armenia) on a bitterly cold night, that they might freeze to death. Along the banks of the lake, warm baths lit by fire were prepared to entice the soldiers to leave the cold and renounce their Christianity. Among the soldiers, one yielded and, leaving his companions, sought the warm baths.

One of the guards set to keep watch over the martyrs witnessed a supernatural brilliancy overshadowing them with golden crowns and at once proclaimed himself a Christian, threw off his garments, and placed himself beside the thirty-nine soldiers of Christ. Thus the number of forty remained complete.

The next morning the 40 frozen soldiers still showed life and their bodies then burned. Their bodies were thrown into the dark river so their bones could not be found and collected as relics by the locals. But the local Christians were able to find the relics due to the bones glowing in the dark river.

The 40 Martyrs of Sabaste, Pray for Us!!!!!