James Intercisus


James Intercisus, commonly known as Mor Yaqoub M’Pasqo Sahada, also called James the Mutilated, James the Persian or Jacob the Persian, was a Christian saint born in Beth Huzaye in the city of Beth Lapat. His Latin epithet, Intercisus, is derived from the word for "cut into pieces," which refers to the manner of his martyrdom. His death, along with the persecution of other Christians in the Sasanid Empire, started the Roman-Sassanid War.

Life

Tradition states that he was a military officer and courtier to Yazdegerd I who had apostatized after this ruler began to persecute Christians. Under the influence of his Christian family, however, he expressed his faith to Yazdegerd's successor, Bahram V, leading to his execution.

Death

He was killed in Beth Lapat. The ruins of this city are near Dezful, Iran.
At his execution, he survived the loss of limbs until he was beheaded. His followers requested to receive his remains as relics, but this request was denied; according to some they went on to steal them, after which they were sent to the Portuguese cathedral of Braga and put into a sarcophagus in the Relics Chapel.

Legend

James' story is recounted in The Golden Legend.
According to Katherine Rabenstein, he may be a composite character of James of Beit ; Mar Peros ; and James of Karka.

Relics, churches and monasteries

Guillermus Ludovicus, bishop of Salpi, gifted to the abbey of St Paul in Cormery, the place where he had been a monk, several relics, including the head of James, on 19 July 1103.
A piece of bone from the finger of James the Mutilated is kept in a golden casket in the holy cross dedicated to the saint in the Orthodox Syrian Old Church of St Peter & Paul in Pengamuck, Kerala, India. It was dedicated by Gregorios Geevargese and metropolitan Dionysious Joseph, a native of Pengamuck, who had received the bone at his consecration as metropolitan by the patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Yakoob II.
Several churches and monasteries are dedicated to Saint James:
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