Saint Jacob was the son of prince Gefal,[3] and was born in the city of Nisibis in Mesopotamia in the 3rd century AD.[2] It is claimed that he was a relative of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.[7] According to Gennadius of Massilia, Saint Jacob became a Confessor of the Faith for his suffering during persecution by Emperor Maximian.[7] Saint Jacob became an anchorite in c.