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ÕÐÈÑÒÈÀÍÑÒÂÎ Â ÀÐÌÅÍÈÈ |
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Êàòåãîðèÿ: Armenian Church |
Íîâîñòü îò: Admin | 18.01.2006, 08:36
A number of historical sources in Armenian, Syrian, Greek, and Latin witnesses to the fact that the Christianity began to extend in Armenia under the Christ`s contemporary-king Abgar. Acording to a legend Abgar fell ill with a grave diseas-leper. He had heard on the grapevine of Lord Jesus Christ and great miracles performed by Him. He sent a messenger to Christ with a request of healing. The message was handed over to Christ but the Saviour himself was not able to arrive, so he sent the apostles Phadeus and Bartholomew over to Edessa (now Urfa), which in Abgar`s reign was the Armenian capital. In fact, St. Phaddeus healed him, and the king alongside his court took the baptism from him. According to the historical evidence St.Phaddeus stayed on mission for eight years (35-43), while St. Bartholomew`s mission lasted sixsteen years (44-60).
Some time later, under armenian king Sanatruk who was Abgar`s nephew, another apostle named Thaddeus but was known under the alias Judah Levius, visited Armenia. In Edessa he carried on the cause initiated by the above apostles. He converted many Armenians to Christianity, thus turning them away from idolatry. Because of that the pagan priests siezed him, hanged on the cross and pierced with arrows. Apostle Thaddeus who preached in the province of Artaz, and Sanatruk`s daughter Virgin Sandukht died in town Shavarshavan. Later on here was erected the St. Thaddeus monastery which stays preserved on the territory of Iran. At present this monastery being a famous shrine is being restored by the iranian authorities. Apostle Bartholomew taught mainly in the province of Vaspuracan and died there in the province Arbak. The St. Bartholomew Church built on the site of his death, was leveled to the ground in 1915. Today the Armenian Church houses the remains of holy apostles and keeps them in golden artefacts. According to historical documents, after the martyr`s death of the apostle Thaddeus, his disciples led by Vosky arrived in Armenia. They continued preaching the gospel. The Christianity indefatigably preached by apostles and theri disciples for over two centuries,was graduall permeating the souls of the people and its rulers.
In the1-st century the dissemination of Christianity in Armenia was largely shored up by a number of internal and exernal factors.
One of them was that back in those years this religion was extremely popular in some neighboring countries with which Armenia sustained commercial, political, and cultural ties. Besides that, in the 1-3 centuries Armenia Minor politically was a part of a Roman province and naturally, through this area Christianity could easily expand also over Great Armenia.
A major precondition which facilitated the extension of the Christianity in Armenia were the Jewish colonies populating the country. As is known, the first christian preachers usually began their activities precisely in those areas. So, after arriving in Edessa apostle Thaddeus stayed with an influential Jew.
Although the transcaucasian terrain had been visited by some holy apostles, almost all of them having a remarkable success, it can`t be argued that this religion caught on here back in that time and was accepted unconditionally. Here like in the rest of the world it faced a lot of hindrances from the pagan indigenous who were zealots to the faith of their fathers, to say nothing of the heathen priests, kings and rulers, who from time immemorial were used to acting in the capacity of protectors of popular religion. Christianity was long severely persecuted, and although not completely uprooted, still remained in quite a squalid condition.
In 287, according to the chronicles of armenian historians of the V-th century, for the purpose of getting back the paternal throne,king Tiridat came to Armeina. On arriving in home country he commited the pagan ritual of sacrifice to goddess Anahit. One of the kings favorites Gregory, being a Christian, refused to partake in offering sacrifice to the idol. It also transpired that Gregory`s father had been among those who had killed Tiridat`s father. So Gregory was thrown into a deep dungeon in town Artashat where he was kept around 14 years. A widow would throw him a piece of bread every day which was the only way for him to support his life. After Gregoty`s enjailment the king passed two decrees: the first one ordrering the arrest of all the Christians residing in Armenia, the second one was to put to death those who were hiding Christians.
Adoption of Christianity in Armenia is inextricably connected with martyrous death of Hripsymean Virgins. Saint Hripsime along with her Lady-Superior and sisters escaped to Armenia, having turned down the marriage proposal by the emperor Dyoclytian (284 - 305) enticed by her beauty. So the emperor brought this to king Tiridat`s knowledge advising him either to send her back or marry her himself. However, Hripsime appeared to be indomitable also towards Tiridat wherefore the latter ordered to put her to most atrocious tortures,then blind and put to death by dismembering. The Lady-Superior called Gayana alongside the rest of the nuns, for having encouraged Hripsime and siding with her in this conflict, likewise were martyrized and subsequently beheaded. After what had happened Tiridat lost his mind. And now in her dream the king`s sister saw a "terrible man" and said Tiridat was not going to be healed unless he freed Saint Gregory. Then Gregory, livid and hirsute, meagre and exhausted, was taken out of the dungeon The holy martyr got washed, dressed in new clothes, fed and after that he was taken to the king. He was given a warm accord by everybody; people threw themselves down to his feet and begged him to ask his God to cure the king, the military leaders and the whole troops. Gregory first of all inquired about the corpses of the killed virgins who were burried over ten days. A celestial ray in the dead of night pointed to the tomb of Hripsime ( Eufrosinia) for which reason the place where the ray had fallen Gregory called Shighakat (effluence of light).
The Saint ordered to gather the remains of the mutilated virgins; they were buried with all due respects, and on the burial site the church was erected. Precisely to that church did Gregory take the possessed king and ordered them to pray to the virgins. Tiridat got healed and having his deeds against God, with all his kinship received the holy baptizm. Following the king`s example, also all of Armenian people got baptized. A legend runs that afterwards Gregory had a dream: Christ in halo is descending from heaven and with a golden hammer is pointing to the place where the first Armenian church was to be built. Exactly for that reason the temple built here which later on became the cathedral, was called Echmiatsin which is Armenian for "the Only Born has descended" thatis Jesus Christ.
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