P'arnawaz designated one sparapet
and eight officials: one in Lex where he built two fortresses,
Sharan and Dimots'; the second he sent to Kaxet'; the third to
[the area] stretching from Berdahaj to Tiflis, and K'ajenk' which
is Dardaban; the fourth he sent to Shamshoylte and gave him [territory]
from Skakuret' to Tashir and Apots'k'; the fifth he sent to Tsunda,
from P'arawna to the head of the Kur river, which is Jawaxet'
and to Artahan; the sixth he sent to Unjerxis giving him Tayk'
[17] to Arsian and from the head of Ostan to the sea; he sent
the eighth to K'uchaet' and Eger. He set up a sparapet
at Tiflis and from Arago river to the border of Tayk', which is
Lower K'art'li. All paid taxes and were obedient to the kingdom.
They married P'arnawaz to Durtska from the line of Kovkas. The
land was patterned after regulations of the Iranian kingdom. The
Greeks did not oppose this since they were occupied with the Romans.
P'arnawaz walled the city of Mts'xet'a as well as those fortresses
destroyed by Alexander. [P'arnawaz] had fashioned a large idol
named after himself, that is, Armaz. For in Persian they called
P'arnawaz Armaz. He erected this idol at the head of K'art'los
and until today the mountain is called Armaz. He was twenty-seven
years old at his accession, he ruled sixty-five years peacefully
and happily; and he served king Antiochus. He spent fall and spring
in Mts'xet'a city, summer in Jawaxet', winter in Ganch'enk' and
in season (zhamanaki) he entered Klarjk' and Eger concerned
about the welfare of the lands, for he was a sagacious, learned
man. He divided up among the districts of Iberia those thousand
men who had come to him from Azon, [g24] naming them Azonians
and doing well by them. All Iberia offered sacrifices to [his]
image: "Satisfaction of our hope, for we have a king from
the line of K'art'los our ancestor". P'arnawaz had a son
whom he named Sayurmak. P'arnawaz was [18] the first king from
the line of K'art'los. It was he who ordered the entire country
to speak Georgian. He died and was buried before his idol Armaz.
His son became king the same year. But
the princes of Iberia planned to kill Sayurmak [Sauromaces/ Saurmag
I 234-159 B.C.] so that they not serve one of their own people,
rather a foreigner. [They planned] that someone should cut off
his head. However Saurmag found out about this. He took his mother
and went to her brothers at Durdzuket'. Now the troops called
Azonians went to him out of gratitude to his father. He called
to him in aid the Ossetian king and went and easily mastered the
country. [Saurmag] killed his enemies, pardoning some, and he
elevated the Azonians and demoted the Iberians. He then took half
the people of Kovkaswho had multiplied - and settled them at Mt'shulet',
which is Suanet'. From their number he made naxarars(lords),
calling them loyal. He had four idols fashioned, Ardzinina and
Danana on the Mts'xet'a road. And he married the daughter of the
prince of Partaw, of Iranian nationality. Two daughters were born
to him; one he gave to his Iranian wife's cousin (mother's sister's
son) Mruan and called him his son; the other [daughter] he gave
to K'ajis' son who was his father's sister's son. Saurmag lived
for many years and then died.[19] [g25]
Mruan [Mirvan I, Meribanes 159-109 B.C.],
a wise, brave and personally handsome man, ruled as king in [Saurmag's]
place. Now the Durtsukets'ik', having forgotten their oath , came
forth united with the Ch'art'aghk' with inhabitants of Kovkas,
and they captured Kaxet' and Bazalet'. Then Mirvan assembled the
cavalry and infantry of those loyal to him and went against the
Durtske. A difficult battle ensued. The Durtsukets'ik' were defeated
[with the king]. Mirvan entered the country, took Durtsuk', Chart'al,
the Krazm gate which is there by Darbal, and happily [g26] came
to Mts'xet'a. Antiochus the king of Syria and Babylon died; in
Armenia, Arbak ruled as king. Mirvan gave his daughter to the
son of Arbak and then he himself died.
[Mirvan's] son P'aranjum [P'arnajom,
109-90 B.C.] then ruled [Iberia] as king. It was he who built
the fortress Aden and erected an image at Aden, and likewise built
the city of Nerkres in Kaxet'ia. After this he elevated the mages
(zmogsn) of Iranian faith, built a place for them, presently
called Mogt'a (House of the Mages) and established a fire-temple.
The Iberians were angered. They asked Arbak (Varbak) [20] king
of Armenia, to give them his son as king, "for", they
said, "our king has become an Iranian and forgotten the faith
of our mothers and worships [his] patrimonial religion".
The king of Armenia happily sent the emissaries back. But P'arnajom
had heard about this. He got troops from the Iranians and wherever
else he was able, assembled them and arose against the king of
Armenia. With Armenians and Iberians [in his army], Varbak battled
with P'arnajom in the Tashir district, killing him and totally
destroying his army. His established his son Artak --who was married
to Mirvan's daughter--as king of Iberia. His reign was successful.
He built numerous strongholds and fortified the walls of the city
of Tsunda in Jawaxet'. Thus, having reigned with success, he died.
[g27]
His son Artak [Artoces/Artog, 78-63
B.C.] ruled over the Iberians as king for two years. In his day
the Iranians came to avenge the blood of P'arnajom. However, because
of their multitude, Artog was unable to encounter them; rather,
he secured himself against them. Whomever [the Iranians] found
in open places, they took, and departed.
After Artog his son Barton [Pharnabazus
II/Bartom, 63-30 B.C.] ruled. Now P'arnajom's son, who had been
nourished in [21] Iran, took [Iranian] auxiliaries and came against
Bartom. He sent a message to the Iberian princes to stand away
from Bartom. But they did not heed him. Instead they fought for
a month under Mruan [Mirvan II] near Xunan. But they were defeated
and Bartom died in battle. He had no son, only one daughter whom
he had married to a descendant of K'ujis so that there would be
an heir for his kingdom. And he did this to please the Iberians
who did not want the reign of a foreign people but only of the
Pharnabazids. However [the would-be heir], named K'art'am was
likewise slain in the same battle. Now his wife, Bartom's daughter,
being pregnant, went to Armenia and bore a son, naming him Adrik.
Mirvan entered Iberia, mastered the entire land, violently subdued
those fortified in keeps, and brought [resisters] out of impregnable
places by oaths. He removed Bartom's wife (the daughter of the
Arbakunis) from Shamshute, and married her. He had a son whom
he named Arbak. After Mirvan lived a few years, he died and his
son Arbak [Artaxias/Arsaces/ Arshak II, 20B.C. - 1 A.D.] reigned.
Now Adrik, who had been nourished in
Armenia, was a personable man, and one successful in the wars
[occurring] between Armenia and Syria, slaying many of the Mumberiz
among them. Taking Armenian troops, he battled with Arshak in
the T'reghk' country, which is Tsaghikk'. Fighting for an [22]
[g28] entire day using swords, they crushed [the Iberians]; and
none of them turned back. They rested that night, but the next
day they fought with iron clubs, raining down blows like a blacksmith
striking the anvil. But they did not part from each other [content]
with that. So taking up bows, they shot at each other with arrows.
Adrik struck the breast of Arshak with an arrow and killed him,
his mother's brother. The Iberians took to flight. Beseeching
the Armenians, Adrik prevented [them] from killing Iberians, saying:
"From now on, thanks to you, I am their king". All the
Iberian troops fell to the ground and revered Adrik [Pharasmanes
I/Aderk, 1-58 A.D.] and placed Arshak's crown on his head; and
the Armenians, Iberians, and Aghbanians were one. [Aderk] was
thirty years of age at his accession and ruled the Iberians as
king for forty-five years, marrying the daughter of the Armenian
king.
In the first year of [Aderk's] reign,
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, Judea. News came to the Jews
of Mts'xet'a that kings had come from Iran and captured Jerusalem;
and the Jews mourned. But after two years they heard that [those
kings] had not come to capture Jerusalem but to bring gifts to
a child born of a virgin; and they rejoiced exceedingly. Thirty
years later emissaries came to the northeast [saying that][23]
the child to whom the mages had given gifts, having come to full
maturity, preached that he was the son of God. "Now",
they said, "whoever of our people are wise and learned in
our faith, let them come forth and go [to find out about] this
matter". Having heard this, Elios of Mts'xet'a [and] Lunkinos
Karsnets'i went. They arrived on the day of the great Friday of
the Lord's torment. And they brought back to Mts'xet'a the Lord's
robe. [g29]
In the days of this same king Aderk,
two of the Twelve Apostles, Andrew and Simon the Caananite, came
to Ap'xazet' and Eger. Saint Simon was martyred in the city of
Nikop's on the Greek border. Saint Andrew, having converted Eger,
went on to Klarjk'. When Aderk heard of this, he grew angry. He
sent and turned Eger from that [faith] back to the idols. And
they hid the Cross and the image of the Cross. The ostikan
of Klarjk' was blamed for peacefully setting Andrew free.
In these times the Iranians rebelled
from the Macedonians and set up the learned Azhia as their king.
Aderk crowned his two sons, dividing the country between them:
to Bartom (Bartos) he gave K'art'li with many borders, and to
K'art'am (K'art'aman) he gave [territories] from Xunan to Klarjet'.
Then he died. During the reign of these [two sons], Spasianos
Caesar [Vespasian, 69-79 A.D.] of Rome captured Jerusalem.[24]
Thence came Jews as fugitives and they joined the first Jews of
Mts'xet'a. Among them were the sons of Barabbas the robber whom
the Jews had requested from Pilate in place of our Lord. Bartom
and K'art'am were obedient to the kings of Armenia, [a practise
which had] commenced with Aderk. Furthermore the kings of Armaz
aided the Armenians against their enemies, doing battle with them.
[g30]
Subsequently Eruand ruled Armenia and took from the Iberians Artahan to the Kur river and the city of Tsonda. And he settled devil-speaking (diwaxos) men there, and named it K'ajatun [Home of the Braves]. The Iberian kings P'arsman and Kaos (Kayos) died sadly. Now Smbat Biwrat killed Eruand and enthroned his brother Artaban. [g31]
Then Azork (Azuk) and Armazel (Azmayer),
the kings of Iberia, called on the two brothers Bazuk and Anbazuk,
kings of the Leks and Ossetians, for aid. And they gathered with
them the Pachanik', Jikk', Durdzukk' and Didok'. The entire' Iberian
army assembled at one place and unexpectedly entered the land
of Armenia while it was unprepared. They captured Shirak and Vanand
as far as Basen, then turned to the plain[25] of Naxjawan taking
much booty. They passed through the P'arisos Gate and hurriedly
crossed the Kur river. Then, going to Kambech, they encamped on
the Iori river. Smbat assembled the Armenian army and went after
them, as far as the Kur river. He [g32] dispatched emissaries,
saying to them: "You are forgiven for those Armenians you
have slain, and you may keep the loot and booty taken, but return
the living captives you have". However [the Iberians] having
grown arrogant, replied very sternly to him, saying that they
were coming against [the Armenians] to capture [Smbat] as well.
When Smbat heard this he crossed the Kur river and went against
them like a lion. The Ossetian king Bazuk wanted single combat
with [Smbat], and died at his hands --the spear penetrating through
his breast a cubit's length. His brother Anbazuk went against
[Smbat], but he too was struck by the spear and fell dead. [Smbat]
said: "Let this be revenge for the Armenian women and innocent
children you killed". Then both armies clashed in a frightful
way and until evening countless [soldiers] fell on both sides.
The defeated northerners fled, and the Armenian army mercilessly
cut them down until very few were left; [the survivors] were saved
by the night. Both Iberian kings, wounded, escaped to Mts'xet'a.
Smbat successfully entered K'art'li and destroyed the country.
He built the fortress of Samts'xe in the Undzerxe country and
left there auxiliary Tsunda troops which had submitted to him.
[26] Now the Iberian kings Azork and
Armazel, taking the Ossetians along, struck the Armenian country
by the Nuste river and by the Parxar [mountains], that is, Tayk',
and also by the Ashots' road. Then Artaban, king of Armenia, went
against Iberia and besieged Mts'xet'a for five months, pulling
the land apart until they beseeched him for reconciliation so
that the Iberians and Ossetians would serve them [the Armenians].
[Artaban] heeded them, set taxes, and then the Armenian king departed
and assaulted the Greeks and Iranians. [g33] Left alone, the Iberians
and Ossetians commenced raiding Armenia. Artaban sent his son
Zareh against them with few troops. Having gone, [Zareh] was captured
by them like a child, at a place called lake Ts'ilx. The Ossetians
wanted to kill him to avenge the blood of their kings, but the
Iberians prevented this so that by means of [Zareh] they might
regain the territories of theirs which the Armenians had taken.
So they imprisoned him at Dalara. Now the Armenians did nothing
for three years, but then Smbat went to the T'reghk' country with
the king's sons Artawaz and Tigran and the entire Armenian army.
The Iberian kings fortified themselves and left the country gaght'ets'in
zerkirn)and requested peace giving them the king's son
as a surety. They promised the following service: "to use
money struck in the language and name of [your] Armenian king,
and should an enemy come against you, both of us Iberian kings
will live [27] and die [aiding] you; and should you go to war
against another people, ten thousand armed Iberians shall accompany
you". The Armenians agreed to this and returned to the Iberians
those territories they had taken: Tsunda, Dmuis, Jawaxet' and
Artahan. And the Armenians, Iberians and Ossetians became one
nation. [g34]
The above-mentioned kings died. Hamazasp
ruled at Armaz and Derok in K'art'li. After them P'arsman [Pharasmanes/
P'arsman II the Good, 116-132] and Mihrdat [ruled]. This Mihrdat
married an Iranian woman of the royal line. At the urging of the
Iranians, he grew to hate P'arsman of Armaz and plotted to kill
him while in his cups in his own home. When P'arsman learned about
this he did not go to [answer Mihrdat's] summons. The affair was
exposed and the two became enemies. P'arsman was a good man, handsome
of looks and stature, merciful, wise and as brave a warrior as
an incorporeal [hero]. All the Iberians liked him and loathed
Mihrdat. As a result of this, the latter fled to Iran and P'arsman
set up in his place an intrepid man named P'arnawaz, his own sparapet,
milk-brother, and age-peer. Mihrdat took Iranian [troops] and
came against P'arsman. P'arsman, taking Armenian troops went before
him at Hrinsi Xeri, which is [28] Iron Valley (Erkat'adzor).
Iranian single-combatants requested [combat with] P'arsman and
his sparapet. P'arsman killed seventeen men and the sparapet,
[g35] twenty-three. Then a truly gigantic Iranian named Jiwansher
sought [combat with] P'arsman; the latter went against him, delightedly.
The battle between them lasted for many hours and resembled the
thundering of clouds. But the handsome, mighty P'arsman struck,
felled, and killed that monstrous giant. Then he shouted to the
army: "Oh braves, oh sleeping lions, approach these sheep
beaten by the hail". Then the Armenian and Iberian troops
mercilessly made carnage of all the Iranians throughout the country.
Mihrdat escaped to Iran. The next year he came against P'arsman
with an army twice as large, coming to Mts'xet'a, which he besieged.
Once again the Iranian champions sought [combat with] P'arsman
and his sparapet. P'arsman killed twelve of them, while
his sparapet killed sixteen men; attacking with sword,
he crushed and destroyed the multitude of them. Mihrdat fled to
Iran. Then the brave P'arsman himself, with Armenian power, destroyed
and demolished Iran. [The Iranians] made a stratagem and sent
a destructive man (to whom they had given poison) as an emigrant
so that he would kill P'arsman unawares. He did so, treacherously
slaying the all-triumphant brave; and he made all of Iberia weep,
from the lowly to the grandees. P'arsman's sparapet P'arnawaz
took P'arsman's wife and son and went to Armenia. With their aid
he set up a district chief (gawarapet) [29] [g36] at Armaz
and in all of his sector, people who remained loyal to P'arsman.
Now Mihrdat, taking Iranian [forces] came to Iberia and took his
sector. The king of Armenia, having been reconciled with the Greeks,
went against the Iranians and Mihrdat. He encountered them on
the Lex river, killed Mihrdat and the Iranian prince, and enthroned
in Iberia P'arsman's son, Admi [Radamistus/Adam, 132-35]. Radamistus
lived for three years and then died leaving an infant son. Through
him P'arsman's wife ruled Iberia.
After him, his grandson Hamazasp [Amazaspus/Amazasp
II, 185-89] reigned, a brave and martial man. In his day an Ossetian
multitude very unexpectedly came through the Dualet'. For eight
days they encamped by the Lex river and relaxed. Then they went
and besieged the city of Mts'xet'a. Now Amazasp, with 16,000 cavalry
and 30,000 infantry arose and battled them from afar with arrows.
He himself by the strength of [his] bow shot fifteen of [their]
select champions. The next day he felled an Ossetian man named
Xonaxwa and broke his back. The third day, since the Iberian army
had grown, [the two sides] fought each other. The Ossetians were
defeated, their king was killed, and the rest of them fled back
to their own land. The second year Amazasp took Armenian troops,
crossed to the other side of the mountain, against the Ossetians,
captured the whole land and returned to his home. [g37]
[30]After this,Amazasp grew arrogant and rebelled from Armenia. He killed his notables and took refuge in the Iranians. For this reason the Iberians hated him and requested as king Vroy [Rev I the Just, 189-216], son of the Armenian king [Vologases II, 180-191] and Amazasp's sister's son. The king of Armenia acceded to their request and came to Iberia. The five princes of the western region, the prince of Undzrxe and the prince of Tsunda came to him. They also summoned the Ossetian army and came delightedly because of the blood-feud which Amazasp had obligated them to. Amazasp called on Iran for aid. There ensued a severe battle in which Amazasp was defeated and killed in war, and the Iranian army was beaten.
Rev ruled Iberia. He was married to
Sep'elia, daughter of Loghot'ats'i from the country of Greece.
She brought an image of Aphrodite and erected it at the head of
Mts'xet'a. The king was merciful and an avenger of the oppressed.
Having been somewhat informed about the dispensation of our Lord,
he loved Christ. He prohibited human sacrifice in Iberia. Nonetheless,
he worshipped the idols and had cows and sheep sacrificed. He
was called Rev which means Triumphant. His son Vach'e [ A.D. 216-234]
succeeded him. [g38]
[32]When the king of Iran heard about
this, he came to Mts'xet'a ... [lines missing].He swore an oath
to them and enthroned the five year old lad Mihran [Meribanes/Mirian
III, 284-361], and designated his dayeak Mirvanos [Mirvanoz]
[g40] as district-chief and the boy's nourisher. [Artashir] left
with him 40,000 select Iranian cavalry and stated that 5,000 of
them should remain with the king while the rest should camp in
Heret' and fight the Khazars. [Furthermore he said] that his son
should worship fire as well as the idols of Iberia, since the
Iberians had requested that they not be removed from their religion.
"For", they said, "it is better that we die than
abandon the precepts of our fathers".The Iranian king arose
and went to his own land via the base of [mt.] Caucasus, capturing
the mountain valley. Now Mirian, who had grown up and reached
manhood, loved the Iberians. He used their language and worshipped
the five images near the fire-temple. In his fifteenth year, his
wife died, so they brought him a woman from Pontus, Anna [Nana],
daughter of Ulitos [?Olympus]. Mirian was always fighting the
Khazars, because the latter were trying to take Darband, to open
that gate and descend on Iran. But Mirian did not allow them to
do so.
In the fortieth year of [Mirian's] reign,
his father [33] Artashir died and his younger brother Bartam reigned.
When Mirian heard this he went to Baghdad with a multitude of
troops and he himself attempted to take the Iranian kingdom, as
the senior brother, "Because", he said, "I am abroad,
[g41] and uneasy because of fighting the Khazars, to prevent them
from crossing over into Iran". But his brother insulted him
as the son of a concubine, and said that it was fitting that he
himself should have the kingdom since his father had placed the
crown on his head with his own hands and had established him on
the throne in writing. Then he gave to Mirian Jozret' and half
of Syria, Atrpatakan, Armenia, Movkan and Heret' and confirmed
that which he had held previously. Mirian turned to the Ossetian
area and conquered [the people] for he had heard that they were
raiding Iberia (knowing that it was a passageway to Iran). Mirian
reached as far as Xazaret' [i.e., to the Khazars] turned through
the Dualet' region and came to Mts'xet'a. After this the Khazars
invaded Darband and Mirian went against them and was occupied
for many days.
At that time Xosrov's son Trdates demonstrated
great valor in Greece. There he had seized the king of the Goths
who had been harassing the Greeks. As a result of this he [34]
was crowned by them, returned to his patrimony, and killed all
the foreign troops he found there [including] Mirian's forces.
Now Mirian brought to his aid his relative Peroz, giving him his
daughter in marriage so that he might have[more] power, since
a grave threat had come to Iberian land and to all Iran. In those
davs Mirian's third brother ruled in Iran. He sent [a messaqe]
to Mirian that he should take his troops and go aqainst Armenia
and Greece. He went before him with all of his strength and crushed
a great host, beyond calculation. They entered Armenia and took
many captives, for Trdat was unable to challenge them because
of their multitude. [g42] Instead he remained in the land's fortified
places. Taking the Armenians with them, they crossed over to the
land of Greece, demolishing, killing and plundering without a
care. There [the Byzantine] king Constantine (Kostandianos) was
unable to fight with them and was in a great crisis. Then a vision
in a dream informed him that if he would worship God Who was crucified,
he would vanquish their limitless army by the power of the Cross.
He so moved. Having the sign of the Cross as a guide, he came
against them, struck them through the might of Christ, killing
with the sword until only very few survivors [remained, who] escaped
by a hairsbreadth to the kings of Iran and Iberia. Mirian then
entered the stronghold of Mts'xet'a. [35]Knowing that all the
select [warriors] of Iberia and Iran had been lost, he felt deep
grief, and was perturbed. Coming to his senses, he sent envoys
to Constantine the Great requesting peace from him so that he
would serve him. Similarly he dispatched [envoys] to Trdates the
Great. They heeded him and made peace. Constantine took Mirian's
son Bahk'ar [Bak'ar/Bakur] as a hostage. Trdat gave his daughter
Soghome to Mirian's son named Rev, and resided at Och'ormi. [g43]
At that time the venerable Nune [Nino],
Mother of Iberia, came to Mts'xet'a and was there for three months.
The queen of Iberia, Soghome Salome], inquired of her whence she
had come. Nino replied: "Hear from the beginning [information]
about me. Once it happened that the Frankish (Branjats') people
fought with Rome, and a man named Zaboghon, a Cappadocian, triumphed
over them through the power of Christ, and seized the king and
his army. Astounded, they requested the grace of baptism, and
it was administered to them. [The victors] sent to their land
[men] illuminated in Christ. Zaboghon himself went along with
them, and converted the Frankish people to Christianity. Going
to the king, [Zaboghon] received [36] numerous gifts from him
and then went to Jerusalem to revere the holy places. There he
discovered two orphans who had come from Klastrat following the
death of their Christian parents. One was Yubnaz; his sister was
Susan, [g44] who served the Bethlehemite Niop'or. Zaboghon married
Susan and went to the city of Klastrat. I am their daughter. When
I was twelve years old, they went to Jerusalem, and my father
went to a retreat, entrusting me to God and to the grace of Christ,
so that I be dedicated as a virgin to the Heavenly Bridegroom.
I entered the home of Niap'or, an Armenian man from the city of
Dwin, and served him for two years. Daily I learned about the
dispensation of Christ our God, about how He was martyred and
regarding where the winding-sheets of our Lord were. And they
taught me that what had been written in prophecies had been fulfilled
in the Lord - that He was crucified, resurrected, had ascended
to Heaven, and would come again. Pilate's wife had requested the
grave shroud and believed in Christ. She went to her home in Pontus.
After some time it fell to the evangelist Luke, who knew what
she had done. They say that Peter had taken with him the veil
(varshamak), that the jacket (patmuchann) [of Christ]
had reached the Tsmakayin country and was in the city of Mts'xet'a;
and that the Cross of the Lord lay buried at Jerusalem and would
become manifest when It chose. I [37] heard all of this and went
to the Patriarch, and he blessed me. Then I went to Rome, that
perchance I would find there a portion of Christ's grace. With
my sight fixed on the Living Hope, I found the monastery of Paul
wherein three hundred virgins were dwelling. Temptations were
visited upon us there, and we came to Armenia. But the emperor
wrote a letter to Trdat who sought after and found us by the wine-presses
of the vineyards. [g45] Despite the king's efforts, he was unable
to wed the bride of Christ, Hrip'sime. He killed thirty-seven
of us by sword. The others were dispersed. I remained under a
rose bush which had not blossomed. Raising my eyes, I saw the
souls of the saints moving through the sky. A clerical commander
with a fiery army came before them, having a censer in his hand.
Censing at the saints, he turned thence with them and they passed
behind a curtain. Then I protested to the Lord, saying: 'Jesus
my Lord, why did you leave me here?' Then [a voice] said unto
me: 'Fear not, for you too shall ascend to your sisters. But now
go to the northern region, where the harvest is abundant, but
where there is no cultivator (mshak)'. In this short time,
that thorny bush had blossomed with flowering roses. Arising,
I went to Armenian Urbanis, wintered there, and in the month of
June I came to the mountain of Chawaxet'. I came to lake P'arwana
where I saw fishermen fishing, and shepherds by the shore. And
I heard them swearing by Aramazd and Zade-- for [38] I knew the
Armenian language, having studied it at the home of Niop'or Dwinets'i.
Asking them where they were from, they replied: 'from Darb, Lrbin,
Sap'ursl, K'intser, Rhapat of Mts'xet'a where the false gods are
glorified and where the kings rule. The river which flows from
this lake goes there'. Isolating myself, I lay my head down and
slept. I had been given a document in Latin, sealed with a ring,
and the writing on the seal was in the name of Jesus Christ. The
man who had given me the letter said: 'Arise, go and preach what
is written here'. But I said to him: 'Who am I, but an ignorant,
weak woman'? He replied: 'In the grace of Christianity and in
the Land of Life, which is Heavenly Jerusalem, there is neither
male no female. Speak not of weakness and ignorance, [g46] for
Christ is the might of God, and the wisdom of God. Furthermore,
Mary Magdalen preached the resurrection of Christ to the Apostles
and to many others, yet there was no shame either for the speaker
or for the listeners'. Opening the document, I found there concisely
written the entire power of the Gospel, comprised in ten statements.
When I read this and learned from it, I awoke. As requested by
the Lord I came, following the river from the west until the water
turned eastward. I reached Urbnis and remained there for a month.
Then, following some merchants, I came to Mts'xet'a. On the day
of the festival of Aramazd, [I followed] the king and the entire
public. There I saw [ 39] a man, in copper armor, wearing a gold
helmet adorned with two emeralds and one crystal. In his hand
he held a sword like lightning. He moved, terrifying the people
who trembled and said: 'Woe to us, for we erred in sacrificing,
or sinned by deed with the Jews or mages, and Aramazd will kill
us'. To the right [of Aramazd] was a golden image named Gats'a,
to his left, a silver image named Gayim. Then I recalled what
Yubnagh, the patriarch of Jerusalem had said to me: 'You shall
reach the country of warriors against the true God'. Distraught,
I wept and beseeched God for mercy on those gone astray, and I
said: ' God of my father and mother, silence these diabolical
images and destroy them so that they recognize you as the sole
true God'. Suddenly a very strong wind arose, there was the rumbling
of thunder, a storm of lightning, hail stones weighing a lter
each, a foul, loathsome odor, a heavy darkness, and the images
became undiscernible. The crowd scattered and hid. The next day
the king and all the people went forth seeking to discover the
cause of these events. Then some said: 'T'rujan the Chaldean god
and our Aramazd [g47] have been enemies from the beginning. Once
our god ruined [T'rujan] with water, and now he is taking revenge'.
But others spoke the truth, saying: 'God the Great Who struck
the king of Armenia and then cured him again together with all
Armenia, worked this miracle'. I found the crystal gem [40] and
went to the Banch'i tree which they call the Shielder of king
Bartom, and for six days I prayed there. On the day of the great
Transfiguration of the Lord, when the Lord displayed the image
of the Father to the principal Apostles and prophets, a maid-servant
of the king, named Shushan, came to me and seeing me was astonished.
Bringing a Latin translator, [she] questioned me, taking pity
on me as a foreigner. She wanted to take me to court. But I did
not go with her. Instead, I went thence and found a woman named
Anastu, the wife of the man who tended the royal garden; and she
received me with delight. I was at their home for nine months.
It happened that they had no child, and were therefore very sad.
Then a luminous man said to me: 'Enter the garden, take soil from
the base of the fir bush by the roses, give it to them to eat
in the name of the Lord, and I shall give them a child'. I did
so, and gave them [the soil] in the name of Jesus Christ God of
Sabayovt', Who came in humility and shall come in His glory and
judge the world equitably. Hearing this, they believed in Christ
and received the promised child. I left their home and dwelled
for three months outside the wall in a tamarisk grove. Having
fashioned a cross, I worshipped the Holy Trinity before it, day
and night. Day after day I went to the Jews because of the language,
and for information about the Lord's robe. The priest Abiathar
(Abiat'ar) and his daughter Sidonia (Sidona) [g48] and six Jewish
women additionally believed in the [41][second] coming of Christ.
Asking Abiathar, they learned the truth".
Now when the wise queen heard all of
this, she was astounded and believed what she had heard. When
she learned about the great miracle which had happened to her
father Trdatios, she became yet more confirmed in the faith, and
glorified God in His ineffable glory.
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