Elisæus of Albania: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox saint|name= |
{{Infobox saint|name=Eliseus of Albania|image=St._Eeliseus.jpg|imagesize=|caption=[[Icon]] of St. Elisæus ([[Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral]], [[Baku]])|titles=Patriarch, Illuminator of [[Caucasian Albania]]|birth_date=c.1st century [[AD]]|birth_place=|death_date=74 or 79 [[AD]]|death_place=[[Gelmets]], [[Rutulsky District]], [[Dagestan]]|feast_day=Same day as [[Ascension Thursday]]|venerated_in=[[Church of Caucasian Albania]]|beatified_date=|beatified_place=|beatified_by=|canonized_date=|canonized_place=|canonized_by=|major_shrine=|attributes=|patronage=[[Azerbaijan]]|issues=|suppressed_date=}} |
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'''Saint Elisæus''', '''Ełišay''', ''' |
'''Saint Elisha''', '''Elisæus''', '''Ełišay''', '''Ełišē,''' or '''Yeghishe''' ([[Latin]]: ''Elisaeus'', {{Lang-hy|Եղիշա}} ''Yeghishe'', {{Lang-udi|{{em|Yelisey}}}}, {{Lang-az|Yelisey, Eqişe}}) was the first [[patriarch]] of the [[Church of Caucasian Albania]] by local tradition. |
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== Legend == |
== Legend == |
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=== Life === |
=== Life === |
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First attested in the [[Classical Armenian]] work ''[[The History of the Caucasian Albanians]],'' he was considered the illuminator of Albania. The legend about |
First attested in the [[Classical Armenian]] work ''[[The History of the Caucasian Albanians]],'' he was considered the illuminator of Albania. The legend about Elisha has two versions. In one version he is presented as one of five disciples of [[Jude the Apostle|St. Thaddeus]] (or, of [[Addai of Edessa|Thaddeus of Edessa]]). According to this version, he returned to [[Jerusalem]] after the martyrdom of Thaddeus by [[Sanatruk]], and was appointed as head of the church by [[James, brother of Jesus|James the Just]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Record {{!}} The Cult of Saints |url=http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E00130 |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=csla.history.ox.ac.uk}}</ref> However, another version which was mentioned in context of a debate with the Armenian Catholicos [[Abraham I of Armenia|Abraham I]] (607–615) recounts Elisæus as "disciple of the Lord" without mentioning Thaddeus and referring to James as "patriarch of Jerusalem". The former version records the apostle's journey from Jerusalem to [[Maskut]] lands through [[Parthian Empire|Persia]], reaching Sahar̄n in [[Utik]] along with three disciples. Story follows with martyrdom of one disciple, other two deserting him. Legend is continued with Elisæus reaching [[Kiş, Shaki|Giš]], establishing the first mother church of East. Elisæus was later ambushed in Zergoyn plains and his remains was thrown into a pit in Homēnk.<ref name=":0" /> Latter version just describes a movement from Jerusalem to [[Kiş, Shaki|Giš]] and establishing a church there. Albanians believed that Albania was evangelized 270 years before Armenia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vacca |first=Alison |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uRYuDwAAQBAJ |title=Non-Muslim Provinces under Early Islam: Islamic Rule and Iranian Legitimacy in Armenia and Caucasian Albania |date=2017-09-21 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-18851-8 |pages=55 |language=en}}</ref> |
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=== Relics discovery === |
=== Relics discovery === |
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=== Reinterpretation === |
=== Reinterpretation === |
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Some researchers, including [[Jean-Pierre Mahé|Jean-Pierre Mahe]] and [[Zaza Aleksidze]] considered the latter version to be the original Albanian version of the legend, while earlier one to be gradually Armenized version in order to legitimize the subordination of the [[Church of Caucasian Albania]] to the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Aleksidze |first=Zaza |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/319126785 |title=The Caucasian Albanian palimpsests of Mt. Sinai |last2=Gippert |first2=Jost |last3=Schulze |first3=Wolfgang |last4=Mahe |first4=Jean-Pierre |date=2008–2010 |publisher=Brepols |isbn=2-503-53116-4 |location=Turnhout |pages=xii-xiii |oclc=319126785 |author-link=Zaza Aleksidze |author-link2=Jost Gippert |author-link3=Wolfgang Schulze |author-link4=Jean-Pierre Mahé}}</ref> If Elisæus was disciple of Jesus himself and consecrated by James, he would be equal to Thaddeus, thus making the Albanian church of equally apostolic origin.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rapp |first=Dr Stephen H. Jr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T8VIBQAAQBAJ |title=The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature |date=2014-09-28 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |isbn=978-1-4724-2552-2 |pages=116 |language=en}}</ref> Suggesting that the Elisæus legend was changed under influence of Armenian Church, Mahe and Aleksidze offered that [[Kiş, Khojavend|Kish, Khojavend]] was founded later to transfer the legend from left bank to Armenian populated [[Artsakh (historic province)|Artsakh]].<ref name=":1" /> Several Armenian authors argued that |
Some researchers, including [[Jean-Pierre Mahé|Jean-Pierre Mahe]] and [[Zaza Aleksidze]] considered the latter version to be the original Albanian version of the legend, while earlier one to be gradually Armenized version in order to legitimize the subordination of the [[Church of Caucasian Albania]] to the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Aleksidze |first=Zaza |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/319126785 |title=The Caucasian Albanian palimpsests of Mt. Sinai |last2=Gippert |first2=Jost |last3=Schulze |first3=Wolfgang |last4=Mahe |first4=Jean-Pierre |date=2008–2010 |publisher=Brepols |isbn=2-503-53116-4 |location=Turnhout |pages=xii-xiii |oclc=319126785 |author-link=Zaza Aleksidze |author-link2=Jost Gippert |author-link3=Wolfgang Schulze |author-link4=Jean-Pierre Mahé}}</ref> If Elisæus was disciple of Jesus himself and consecrated by James, he would be equal to Thaddeus, thus making the Albanian church of equally apostolic origin.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rapp |first=Dr Stephen H. Jr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T8VIBQAAQBAJ |title=The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature |date=2014-09-28 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |isbn=978-1-4724-2552-2 |pages=116 |language=en}}</ref> Suggesting that the Elisæus legend was changed under influence of Armenian Church, Mahe and Aleksidze offered that [[Kiş, Khojavend|Kish, Khojavend]] was founded later to transfer the legend from left bank to Armenian populated [[Artsakh (historic province)|Artsakh]].<ref name=":1" /> Several Armenian authors argued that Eliseus was merely an invention by Albanian monks to get rid of Armenian ecclestical dominance. According to Aleksan Hakobyan, the legend was invented by [[List of Caucasian Albanian catholicoi|Catholicos of Caucasian Albania]], [[Eghiazar]] (683–689) in order to establish his own church independent of the Armenian one.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hakobyan |first=А.А. |title=Албания-Алуанк в греко-латинских и древнеармянских источниках |publisher=Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of Arm. SSR |year=1987 |location=[[Yerevan]] |pages=196–199 |language=ru |trans-title=Albania-Aluank in the Greek-Latin and Ancient Greek Sources}}</ref> |
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=== Journey === |
=== Journey === |
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Elisæus' cult had a strong following in [[Udi people|Udi]] populated regions. In a letter dated to 20 March 1724 sent to [[Peter the Great|Peter I]] by the Udi people of [[Shaki Khanate|Shaki]], he was identified as illuminator of "Albanian nation".<ref>{{Citation |last=Schulze |first=Wolfgang |title=Caucasian Albanian and the Question of Language and Ethnicity |date=2018 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvbkk3np.11 |work=Sprachen, Völker und Phantome |pages=275–312 |editor-last=Mumm |editor-first=Peter-Arnold |series=Sprach- und kulturwissenschaftliche Studien zur Ethnizität |edition=1 |publisher=De Gruyter |access-date=2022-04-30 |last2=Sallaberger |first2=Walther}}</ref> His disciples Vlas the Martyr (considered to be a localized version of [[Saint Blaise|St. Blaise]]) and Komrad were also revered. According to legend, the [[Church of Saint Elisæus (Nij)|Church of Saint Elisæus in Nij]] was built on the tomb of Vlas in 1823.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yeghiazariants |first=Vardan |date=1887 |title=Some Information on the Uti |language=hy |work=Ardzagank' |url=http://tert.nla.am/archive/NLA%20TERT/Ardzaganq/1887/1887%2812%29.pdf}}</ref> Other churches named after Elisæus were [[Church of Kish]],<ref name="RAA1">{{cite web |last=Karapetian |first=Samvel |title=Kish |url=http://raa.am/Kish/KISH_E_1.htm |access-date=2009-06-20 |work=[[Research on Armenian Architecture]]}}</ref> [[Church of Saint Elisæus (Oghuz)|Church of Saint Elisæus in Vartashen]] and St. Eliseus of Khoshkashen (modern [[Qarabulaq, Oghuz]]). Respectively, Elisæus' feast was considered to be on same day as [[Ascension Thursday]], Komrad's feast was 3 days later. However, in Bum village, it was a week later.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1888 |title=Nor Dar |language=hy |pages=3 |url=http://tert.nla.am/archive/HGG%20TERT/nor-dar%20tiflis/1888/62.pdf}}</ref> |
Elisæus' cult had a strong following in [[Udi people|Udi]] populated regions. In a letter dated to 20 March 1724 sent to [[Peter the Great|Peter I]] by the Udi people of [[Shaki Khanate|Shaki]], he was identified as illuminator of "Albanian nation".<ref>{{Citation |last=Schulze |first=Wolfgang |title=Caucasian Albanian and the Question of Language and Ethnicity |date=2018 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvbkk3np.11 |work=Sprachen, Völker und Phantome |pages=275–312 |editor-last=Mumm |editor-first=Peter-Arnold |series=Sprach- und kulturwissenschaftliche Studien zur Ethnizität |edition=1 |publisher=De Gruyter |access-date=2022-04-30 |last2=Sallaberger |first2=Walther}}</ref> His disciples Vlas the Martyr (considered to be a localized version of [[Saint Blaise|St. Blaise]]) and Komrad were also revered. According to legend, the [[Church of Saint Elisæus (Nij)|Church of Saint Elisæus in Nij]] was built on the tomb of Vlas in 1823.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yeghiazariants |first=Vardan |date=1887 |title=Some Information on the Uti |language=hy |work=Ardzagank' |url=http://tert.nla.am/archive/NLA%20TERT/Ardzaganq/1887/1887%2812%29.pdf}}</ref> Other churches named after Elisæus were [[Church of Kish]],<ref name="RAA1">{{cite web |last=Karapetian |first=Samvel |title=Kish |url=http://raa.am/Kish/KISH_E_1.htm |access-date=2009-06-20 |work=[[Research on Armenian Architecture]]}}</ref> [[Church of Saint Elisæus (Oghuz)|Church of Saint Elisæus in Vartashen]] and St. Eliseus of Khoshkashen (modern [[Qarabulaq, Oghuz]]). Respectively, Elisæus' feast was considered to be on same day as [[Ascension Thursday]], Komrad's feast was 3 days later. However, in Bum village, it was a week later.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1888 |title=Nor Dar |language=hy |pages=3 |url=http://tert.nla.am/archive/HGG%20TERT/nor-dar%20tiflis/1888/62.pdf}}</ref> |
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As opposed to the left bank of the [[Kura (river)|Kura River]], the cult of |
As opposed to the left bank of the [[Kura (river)|Kura River]], the cult of Elisaeus was not as widespread in [[Karabakh]]. On the right bank, only two Christian holy sites bear his name: [[Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery]] and Yeghishe Arakel monastery of [[Gishi, Nagorno-Karabakh|Gishi]]. According to one view, the name for the former is a folk etymology and the monastery in fact is named after a young brave man named Yeghish, who was martyred by a local tyrant while fighting for the honor of his wife.<ref name=":2" /> |
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== Sources == |
== Sources == |
Revision as of 21:39, 23 November 2022
Eliseus of Albania | |
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Patriarch, Illuminator of Caucasian Albania | |
Born | c.1st century AD |
Died | 74 or 79 AD Gelmets, Rutulsky District, Dagestan |
Venerated in | Church of Caucasian Albania |
Feast | Same day as Ascension Thursday |
Patronage | Azerbaijan |
Saint Elisha, Elisæus, Ełišay, Ełišē, or Yeghishe (Latin: Elisaeus, Armenian: Եղիշա Yeghishe, Udi: Yelisey, Azerbaijani: Yelisey, Eqişe) was the first patriarch of the Church of Caucasian Albania by local tradition.
Legend
Life
First attested in the Classical Armenian work The History of the Caucasian Albanians, he was considered the illuminator of Albania. The legend about Elisha has two versions. In one version he is presented as one of five disciples of St. Thaddeus (or, of Thaddeus of Edessa). According to this version, he returned to Jerusalem after the martyrdom of Thaddeus by Sanatruk, and was appointed as head of the church by James the Just.[1] However, another version which was mentioned in context of a debate with the Armenian Catholicos Abraham I (607–615) recounts Elisæus as "disciple of the Lord" without mentioning Thaddeus and referring to James as "patriarch of Jerusalem". The former version records the apostle's journey from Jerusalem to Maskut lands through Persia, reaching Sahar̄n in Utik along with three disciples. Story follows with martyrdom of one disciple, other two deserting him. Legend is continued with Elisæus reaching Giš, establishing the first mother church of East. Elisæus was later ambushed in Zergoyn plains and his remains was thrown into a pit in Homēnk.[1] Latter version just describes a movement from Jerusalem to Giš and establishing a church there. Albanians believed that Albania was evangelized 270 years before Armenia.[2]
Relics discovery
According to The History of the Caucasian Albanians his relics were rediscovered sometime later by 'pious men'. His relics were first transferred to church of Ur̄ekan, then taken to Jrvshtik monastery which later became Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery during reign of Vachagan III.[3]
Reinterpretation
Some researchers, including Jean-Pierre Mahe and Zaza Aleksidze considered the latter version to be the original Albanian version of the legend, while earlier one to be gradually Armenized version in order to legitimize the subordination of the Church of Caucasian Albania to the Armenian Apostolic Church.[4] If Elisæus was disciple of Jesus himself and consecrated by James, he would be equal to Thaddeus, thus making the Albanian church of equally apostolic origin.[5] Suggesting that the Elisæus legend was changed under influence of Armenian Church, Mahe and Aleksidze offered that Kish, Khojavend was founded later to transfer the legend from left bank to Armenian populated Artsakh.[4] Several Armenian authors argued that Eliseus was merely an invention by Albanian monks to get rid of Armenian ecclestical dominance. According to Aleksan Hakobyan, the legend was invented by Catholicos of Caucasian Albania, Eghiazar (683–689) in order to establish his own church independent of the Armenian one.[6]
Journey
There has been several attempts to identify milestones of Eliseus' trip. Hieromonk Alexy (Nikonorov) suggested to identify Sahar̄n with Zrykh, Zergoyn with Yargun and Homēnk with Gelmets.[7] Zaza Aleksidze identified the latter with Kurmukhi Church, explaining its name as combination of Udi: ḳur, lit. 'rock' and Caucasian Albanian -𐕌𐕒𐕡𐕀 (-mux, plural suffix).[4] Makar Barkhudaryants[8] and H. Arakelyan[9] on the other hand, identified Homēnk with formerly Udi populated village of Bum.
Cult
Elisæus' cult had a strong following in Udi populated regions. In a letter dated to 20 March 1724 sent to Peter I by the Udi people of Shaki, he was identified as illuminator of "Albanian nation".[10] His disciples Vlas the Martyr (considered to be a localized version of St. Blaise) and Komrad were also revered. According to legend, the Church of Saint Elisæus in Nij was built on the tomb of Vlas in 1823.[11] Other churches named after Elisæus were Church of Kish,[12] Church of Saint Elisæus in Vartashen and St. Eliseus of Khoshkashen (modern Qarabulaq, Oghuz). Respectively, Elisæus' feast was considered to be on same day as Ascension Thursday, Komrad's feast was 3 days later. However, in Bum village, it was a week later.[13]
As opposed to the left bank of the Kura River, the cult of Elisaeus was not as widespread in Karabakh. On the right bank, only two Christian holy sites bear his name: Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery and Yeghishe Arakel monastery of Gishi. According to one view, the name for the former is a folk etymology and the monastery in fact is named after a young brave man named Yeghish, who was martyred by a local tyrant while fighting for the honor of his wife.[9]
Sources
- Barkhudaryants, Makar (1893). Agvania and its neighbors (in Armenian). Typography M. Sharadze.
References
- ^ a b "Record | The Cult of Saints". csla.history.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
- ^ Vacca, Alison (2017-09-21). Non-Muslim Provinces under Early Islam: Islamic Rule and Iranian Legitimacy in Armenia and Caucasian Albania. Cambridge University Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-107-18851-8.
- ^ "E00130: The History of the Albanians, written in Armenian, recounts the discovery and burial of the relics of *Ełiša (student of Apostle Thaddeus and missionary to Albania, S00594), and the erection of a pillar where the relics were found. Written probably in Caucasian Albania, possibly in the 6th c. or 7th c." figshare. 2014-11-01. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
- ^ a b c Aleksidze, Zaza; Gippert, Jost; Schulze, Wolfgang; Mahe, Jean-Pierre (2008–2010). The Caucasian Albanian palimpsests of Mt. Sinai. Turnhout: Brepols. pp. xii–xiii. ISBN 2-503-53116-4. OCLC 319126785.
- ^ Rapp, Dr Stephen H. Jr (2014-09-28). The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-4724-2552-2.
- ^ Hakobyan, А.А. (1987). Албания-Алуанк в греко-латинских и древнеармянских источниках [Albania-Aluank in the Greek-Latin and Ancient Greek Sources] (in Russian). Yerevan: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of Arm. SSR. pp. 196–199.
- ^ Nikonorov, Aleksij (2021). История Церкви Кавказской Албании по Моисею Калантакуйскому [The History of the Caucasian Albanian Church According to Moses Kalankatuatsi] (in Russian). Moscow: Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. pp. 72–84. ISBN 978-5-907384-41-5. OCLC 1303907595.
- ^ Barkhudaryants 1893, p. 254-256.
- ^ a b Arakelyan, H. "Культ апостола Егише среди удин и к вопросу о провинции Утик" [Yeghishe Apostle's cult among Udis and to the questioո of Utik province]. Вестник общественных наук АН Армянской ССР: 69–86. ISSN 0320-8117.
- ^ Schulze, Wolfgang; Sallaberger, Walther (2018), Mumm, Peter-Arnold (ed.), "Caucasian Albanian and the Question of Language and Ethnicity", Sprachen, Völker und Phantome, Sprach- und kulturwissenschaftliche Studien zur Ethnizität (1 ed.), De Gruyter, pp. 275–312, retrieved 2022-04-30
- ^ Yeghiazariants, Vardan (1887). "Some Information on the Uti" (PDF). Ardzagank' (in Armenian).
- ^ Karapetian, Samvel. "Kish". Research on Armenian Architecture. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
- ^ "Nor Dar" (PDF) (in Armenian). 1888. p. 3.