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Relics were found several hundred years after the church was built. In fact the Monastery was dedidated to the Transfiguration of Christ before it was rededicated to Saint Catherine.
Maximinus, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to entice her with the promise of riches and fame. Having received an angry refusal, the emperor gave orders to subject the saint to terrible tortures and then throw her in prison. The Empress Augusta, who had heard much about the saint, wanted to see her. Having prevailed upon the military-commander Porphyry to accompany her with a detachment of soldiers, Augusta went to the prison. The empress was impressed by the strong spirit of St. Catherine, whose face glowed with Divine [[grace]]. The holy martyr explained the Christian teaching to the newly-arrived, and they in believing were converted to Christ.
On the following day they again brought the martyr to the judgement court where, under the threat of being broken on the wheel, they urged that she recant from the Christian faith and offer sacrifice to the gods. The saint steadfastly confessed Christ and she herself approached the wheels; but an [[angel]] smashed the instruments of execution, which broke up into pieces with many pagans passing nearby. Having beheld this wonder, the empress Augusta and the imperial courtier Porphyry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone, and they were beheaded. Maximinus again tried to entice the holy martyr, proposing marriage to her, and again he received a refusal. St. Catherine firmly confessed her fidelity to the heavenly Bridegroom, Christ, and with a prayer to him she herself put her head on the block under the sword of the executioner. The [[relics]] of St. Catherine were taken by the angels to Mount Sinai. In the 6th 9th or 10th century, through a revelation, the venerable head and left hand of the holy martyress were found and transferred with honour to a newly-constructed the church of the [[St. Catherine's Monastery (Sinai)|Sinai monastery]], built by the holy emperor [[Justinian the Great]]in the 6th century.
==Commemoration==
