Bishop
Saint Maruf was the bishop of Tagrit, the main city of the Mesopotamo-Sophosene region, where he preached Christianity and interceded for Christians before the Persian kings. During the reign of Theodosius the Younger, he was twice sent to King Izdegerd to negotiate peace between the empires. After healing the king from an illness, the magi, displeased with his favor towards the saint, attempted to harm Maruf, but their plot was uncovered, and they faced punishment. In 414, while serving as an envoy, he regained the king's trust by healing the possessed son of Izdegerd, which led the king to consider baptism and to openly profess Christianity in Persia. Saint Maruf restored churches and gathered the relics of martyrs, transferring them to Tagrit, where he passed away around 422. His writings in the Syriac language, including Commentary on the Gospel and History of the Persian Martyrs, remain significant for the Christian tradition.
