Abdecalas was a Persian priest who lived during the 4th century. He was martyred in Iran in 345 under the rule of Shapur II. Along with a fellow priest named Ananias and roughly one hundred other Christians, including bishops and clerks, he was executed on Good Friday. These individuals had been imprisoned following the arrest of Simeon, the bishop of Seleucia, who had refused to worship the sun.
Martyrdom
While held in a cramped prison, Abdecalas and his companions witnessed the strangulation of many fellow prisoners. Following these deaths, Abdecalas and Ananias were beheaded. Their deaths occurred during a period of intense persecution, as the historian Sozomen noted that nearly 16,000 Christians were killed during the forty-year reign of Shapur II.
Veneration
Abdecalas is recognized as a saint in the Assyrian tradition. He is commemorated annually on April 21. His memory is preserved within the pre-schism Christian history of the Persian region.