History of Armenia

thanks to the research of G. Ter-Mkrtchyan ¹), it is possible not only to have this information but also to determine the genealogical connection of these copies with the existing manuscripts known to us.

In the library of Holy Etchmiadzin, there are two manuscripts of Ghazar’s History. The first is No. 611 (former No. 2463), and the second is No. 1688, 1 == Karinean index No. 1646, 1. The first manuscript "is leather-bound, written on smoothed yellowish paper, in bolorgir round script, an excellent calligraphy; at the beginning, it has one parchment leaf in erk'at'agir iron-hand/uncial script (from the Gospel). The size is 19x25 cm. This thick manuscript is a collection of Histories. The content is: Agathangelos’s History, The Letter of Confessions, Life of the Great Nerses, History of Movses Khorenatsi, History of Eghishe, History of Ghazar P'arpetsi, Letter of Ghazar to Vahan Mamikonyan, History of Sebeos, History of the Life and Death of St. Mesrop by Koriun. These last two have no headings... This same manuscript also has several images and numerous ornaments in the margins and at the beginning of the chapters" ("Ararat", 1891, p. 148).

This manuscript has many hishatakaran colophons/memorial notes. We provide the most important ones.

"At the end of the Letter of Confessions, there is the following colophon: 'Now, I, Vardan Vardapet of Baghesh, desired the good days that stirred the grace of the Holy Spirit in those worthy of it; I yearned for their love and prayers. And I gave [the order] to write the history of the holy catholicoses and kings, so that through their prayers, Christ God may have mercy on us and all of ours, my father Eghia and my mother Gharib, and my brothers Khachatur and Hojapapar, and their offspring. And even more so for my spiritual father and teacher, Khachatur the great-wise and philosopher vardapet, Khachatur of Baghesh, who, in this year that I gave [the order] to write the book, ten years ago had passed away to the Lord. And the newly sprouted...

¹) "Study of Khorenatsi’s History", III, "Ararat" 1891, p. 147–155, and "The Manuscripts of Ghazar P'arpetsi", "Ararat" 1901, p. 542–549.

spiritual sons of mine, Abraham Vardapet of Hamtets and Sargis the little youth, and all the brother monks who are in the holy vow of John the Baptist, in the service of these holy altars and in the service to us, which is called by the nickname Amrdolu Monastery. Now, I beg you, O our fathers and brothers, who read and benefit from spiritual words in these holy books, with full faith say: God have mercy on me, Vardan Vardapet, and the writer of this, my spiritual son Lord Poghos the priest of Gavrots, and may you, the rememberer, be remembered before Christ, Amen. Written in the year 1121 == 1672...'"

After the History of Eghishe and the interesting long colophon, which in the opinion of G. Ter-Mkrtchyan was copied from an ancient manuscript into this manuscript, "the calligraphy changes, although it continues to remain bolorgir, but more unskilled and ugly."

The scribe of this second part of the manuscript (P'arpetsi’s History and Letter, Sebeos, Koriun) is Grigor the priest, whose main colophon, at the end of Gh. P'arpetsi’s letter, is as follows:

"Yes, holy vardapet, whatever you have said is true, for even now it happened and happens always. O holy readers and brothers, this book was old and [so was] the copy. Yunan Vardapet had read the copy and renewed it, and the missing part of the letters, which was missing, was not found, and I could not find it. I beg everyone, if this book is found anywhere, write the missing part of the letter and put it in it. First, the beginning of the book, and then in three places a letter is missing. And if an error is found in it, ask for forgiveness for me from Christ for my sins and my parents', Amen. For our nation and the previous holy ancestors who copied these books for the sake of remembering the saints for our pride, and for the despiser—in the mercy of misery and in eternal shame. May the brave be strengthened in Christ, and may the weak-minded perish. And may those who hear lament the sufferings of our nation.—This book of Ghazar Vardapet P'arpetsi was finished by the hand of the many-sinful and unworthy scribe Grigor the priest, under the instruction of the holy and brave vardapet Vardan the ditapet overseer/warden. Now I beg the..."