It was stated in the book “History of the Church” by Ephesus (+340), in Book VI, Chapter 43, the following: “Some sources report that the Roman Emperor Philip, when he was a Christian, wanted, on Easter night, to participate with the crowds in the church prayers, but the bishop prevented him because of... The many crimes he committed unless he made an explicit confession of his sins and was counted as repentant. The Emperor had no choice but to submit to the situation...”

This brave bishop whom Ephesus spoke about and who has become an example throughout the ages is Saint Babila.

We don't know much about Babila. Perhaps he assumed the throne of the Bishopric of Antioch in the year 237, succeeding Zabinus. He became the twelfth bishop of the great city after Saint Peter the Apostle. It is said that his bishopric extended for thirteen years, from 237 to 250, during the days of the Roman Emperors Gordian, Philip the Arab, and Decius.

As for Philip, he was from the country of Hauran, from a village near the city of Busra. It seems - as some ancient sources indicate - that he and his wife, Safira, were Christians. But this was not at all evidence of the good behavior he followed in his life, because Philips was a military careerist who did not hesitate to kill and conspire to get what he wanted. It is reported that he poisoned Gordianus' uncle Caesar in order to take his place in power, then he pressured Gordianus and gave him the title of Caesar. When Gordianus feared his side, he gave him his young son as a token of unity and peace between them. But Philip soon attacked Gordianus, killed the boy, and seized the throne. It seems that news of his crimes was on every lip and tongue. This is what prompted Bishop Babila to stand up to him and prevent him from entering the church unless he confesses his sins and repents for them.

A number of Church Fathers mentioned Babila with great reverence, especially Saint John Chrysostom, who said that he was a great and wondrous man. He also said about him: “Is there a person in the world that Babila could have feared, after he stood up to the Emperor with such authority? Thus, he taught the kings a lesson not to try to extend their authority beyond the extent permitted by God, and he also gave the men of the church an example of how they should use the powers given to them.

As for the martyrdom of Babila, it is believed that it was like this: In the year 249 AD, Decius killed Philip Caesar. Then, in the year 250, he launched a persecution campaign against Christians. His soldiers arrested Babila and threw him in prison, where he died as a result of the ill-treatment he received. It is said that Babila asked before his death that the chains be thrown into the grave with him because he considered them a tool for his victory. Christians built a church over his shrine.

In addition to Babila, the tradition mentions the martyrdom of three nephews who were like a father: Urbanus (12 years old), Berldian (Brelidianus) (9 years old), Hippolynus (7 years old), and their mother, Amatullah (Theodoula).

About a hundred years after the martyrdom of Babila, and more precisely in the year 351, Gallus Caesar, brother of the ungrateful Julian, was residing in Antioch. He was a pious and devout prince and honored the martyred saints in a distinctive way. This worried him because in “Dafne,” a suburb of Antioch, there was a rich temple in which there was a statue of Apollon. It was widespread among the people that he predicted the future, and it caused quite a stir, especially among the believers. When Gallus Caesar wished to purify that area from the works of Satan and the practices of entertainment and immorality, he established, opposite the Temple of Apollon, a church to which he transferred the relics of Saint Babila. Immediately, the devil of the statue became silent and his voice was no longer heard, and the people became afraid and anxious.

The situation remained like this until the ungrateful Julian came to Antioch in the year 362, wanting a word of prophecy regarding his war against the Persians. When he found the statue of Apollo silent, he slaughtered hundreds of animals and offered them on the idol's altar, hoping that Apollo would return to his previous prophecies, or at least, say why he stopped speaking. Satan did not want to mention the relics of Saint Babila by name, but rather simply said that in “Dafne” there were many corpses that must be removed first so that “Apollon” could return to speaking. Julian understood that what was meant was Saint Babila, nearby. He ordered the Christians to remove the saint's remains from the place. As soon as they did, a lightning bolt struck the pagan temple, setting it on fire. Then the lightning bolt was followed by an earthquake that crushed what remained of the walls, turning them into a pile of stones.

Our Orthodox Church celebrates him on the fourth of September, and the Latin Church on January 24

Troparia in the fourth tune
You became similar to the apostles in their circumstances and a successor in their chairs, and through your work you found promotion to the Theorist, O you who meditate on God, for this reason you followed the word of truth uprightly and struggled for the faith until blood, O martyr among the priests Babila, so intercede with Christ God to save our souls.

Qandaq with the fourth tune
O martyr among the priests, Babila, you have placed in your heart the greats of faith and cherished them, and you were not frightened by the usurper, so protect us, O servant of Christ.