Mart Shmuni and the Mystery of Her Martyrdom

Dr. Samir Jamil

By Dr. Samir Jamil

Many years ago, during one of my visits to Telkaif, I came across a small, weathered stone structure—no more than 100 square feet in size—about a mile east of the village. I was told it was dedicated to a martyr named Mart Shmuni and her seven sons. No further details were shared, and at the time, it seemed few people knew the story behind this ancient relic.

Recently, I came across the account of this mother and her seven sons, which traces back to 167 B.C. during the Maccabean Revolt—a Jewish uprising against the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The revolt lasted seven years and was sparked by efforts to impose Hellenistic culture and religion on the Jewish people, including the desecration of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

The Book of 2 Maccabees tells of a holy man named Eleazar, who was tortured and killed for refusing to eat pork (2 Maccabees 6:18–30). In the very next chapter, the text recounts the story of a mother and her seven sons who endured the same fate for their refusal to break Jewish dietary laws (2 Maccabees 7:1–42).

Notably, 2 Maccabees does not provide the name of the mother or her sons, nor does it mention where their martyrdom occurred. However, Christian tradition—particularly among communities in northern Iraq, eastern Turkey, and Armenia—has long identified the mother as Mart Shmuni. The name “Mart Shmuni” is widely venerated in Syriac Christian heritage. In fact, at least 14 churches across the region bear her name, including those in Qaraqosh, Araden and Ba‘shiqa.

In Syriac tradition, she is honored as Saint Mart Shmuni, and a longstanding local belief holds that she and her sons are buried in Qaraqosh. Jewish sources, by contrast, do not agree on the burial location. Some say Safed, others Jerusalem. The mother’s name also varies across Jewish texts—she is referred to as Hannah, Miriam or Solomonia.

Could the local Mesopotamian tradition be accurate about the site of the martyrdom? Consider the following points:

The Book of 2 Maccabees does not identify the mother or sons by name.

The book also does not specify a geographic location for the martyrdom.

The region of Adiabene, an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia, claims to be the site of the martyrdom. Adiabene, which had many Jewish inhabitants, was a vassal state of the Seleucids but not under their direct control in the second century B.C.

The strong and enduring veneration of Mart Shmuni across northern Iraq, Turkey and Armenia supports the idea that this tradition may be rooted in a historical event.

There is no consensus within Jewish tradition regarding the names, location, or burial place of the martyrs.

This brief reflection is my humble attempt to explore a compelling story that links the Bible with our Chaldean and Syriac traditions—particularly as we approach the feast day of these martyrs on August 1.