Paul Dilley (PhD, Yale, 2008) is an assistant professor of ancient Mediterranean Religions at the University of Iowa, with a joint appointment in the departments of Classics and Religious Studies. His research interests include early Christian asceticism, Manichaeism, and the Syro-Mesopotamian borderlands.
The Martyrs of Mount Ber’ain is the poignant tale of three noble Iranian siblings who are martyred under Shapur II. Composed in the seventh century, it demonstrates enduring concerns of Christian self-definition in Iran, especially with respect to the Zoroastrian priesthood.