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VAHAN OF GOGHTN

(MARTYRDOM)

In that place, among those who had been gathered original: "gathered" refers to Armenian youths taken captive by the Arabs, was found a child from the district of Goghtn, Vahan by name, the son of Khosrov, the lord of Goghtn, still a mere child of about four years of age. Having appeared to be exceptionally gifted, it was commanded from the royal court to turn him away from our great and true mysteries toward falsehood, by renouncing the hope of our truth. And when they had done this, they called him Vahap. He grew and became wise, and was found to be superior to all his councilors, a teacher to those of his own age, and a royal scribe. And then, after the passing of the time of Abd al-Malik, his son Walid, and his brother Sulayman, this story was familiar to the Tachiks Arabs/Muslims, who had committed this falsehood against us.

And when Umar (717–720) sat in the leadership of the Tachiks, God placed in his heart to remember the injustice done to the Armenians. He gave an order to gather the captives with great insistence, and upon gathering them, he released everyone. Vahan also came, the one who had been named Vahap. He was well-versed in their learning and laws, spoke with boldness and vigor, and made his own difficulty known original: "difficulty" refers to his deprivation of his homeland. These words seemed difficult to the great Umar, for he saw no one like him in wisdom. He asked for witnesses, yet he did not wish for anyone to testify about him. And those who came from the Armenians as witnesses were not received.