Jews and the Sasanian Queen

The Martyrdom of Tarbo, a martyrological account written in Syriac, tells a story about a certain Christian named Tarbo, the sister of Simeon, a well-known Christian martyr executed amidst the persecutions led by King Shapur II (r. 309–379 CE). This account includes a brief and unfavorable mention of Jewish interference at the royal court. The narrative suggests that the queen—presumably one of Shapur’s wives—listens to advice from Jewish counselors, who accuse Tarbo of harming the queen. Although the persecutions and martyrdoms of Christians under certain rulers during the Sasanian period were a historical reality, this account’s negative portrayal of Jews as conspiratorial and slanderous and its painting of the Sasanian queen as reliant on their evil counsel are uncorroborated.