THE FIRST PRINTED ARMENIAN BIBLE A BRIEF OUTLOOK ON VOSKAN’S BIBLE* Efforts of printing the complete Armenian Bible has started as early as 1585, by Catholicos Azaria of Julfa. History mentions of four other unsuccessful attempt until the days of Voskan Vardapet of Erevan, through whose endeavor and sacrifice the first Armenian Bible was printed in Amsterdam. Voskan and his aids started this great work on March 1666 and, after long months of tribulations and ever increasing debts, were able to complete the printing on October 1668. The Bible contains close to 1470 pages. The paper is of best Quality on which the printing is set in double columns. Over 150 illustrations augment the Book’s aesthetic appearance. Even though the illustrations are not of Armenian origin, most of them being bought from European artists or even borrowed from other books, but the final accomplishment can undoubtedly be classified as a masterpiece of printing in its time. Voskan Vardapet obviously used many different manuscript copies of the Armenian Bible for his source, but he also accepts to have benefited from the Latin version, commonly known as the Vulgate. [T]here are differences in the canon (i.e. the list of books) comprising the Old Testament of Voskan’s Bible, and the canons of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and the authorized versions of Protestantism. All but eight books of the total list shown in the tabulation are taken from the Jewish Canon and are called “protocanical” books. The remaining eight books; Ezra I, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, I Machabees and II Machabees, are taken from the Greek Septuagint Canon and are called “deuterocanonical” books. The Protestant Church prefers to call them the “apocrypha.” It is important to note that the canon of Voskan’s Bible does not list the Third Book of Machabees, even though this book is accepted to be canonical by the Armenian Church and is included in most copies. This particular omission might be an attribution to the indirect influence of the Latin Vulgate or perhaps the Roman Catholic environment he had to work in. In comparing all twenty seven books comprising the canon of the New Testament, one could see no difference in the nomenclature or their order of listing. Two additional books are inserted as ‘addenda’ in the content of Voskan’s Bible. These are: the Prayer of Manasseh and the Books of Ezra IV, both of which are given in the same manner (i.e. as addenda) in the Latin version. Compiled by G.K.M. AUTOBIOGRAPHY Voskan Vardapet’s ‘Autobiography’ is taken from the 1669, first printed edition of a book called ‘“History“ by Father Arakel of Davrij. The ‘Autobiography’ does not appear in the earlier manuscript copies, nor in the book’s later publications. As mentioned in the ‘Autobiography,’ Voskan Vardapet undertook its first printing, which he, “not only did print, but also corrected the distortions and the grammatical errors, which were made by inexperienced copyists...” These remarks could account for his motivation for inserting his autobiography in Father Arakel’s book, or for writing it as an essay in the third person, and for his various historical diversions from the subject matter. He writes: Here, the translator has attempted to keep intact the style, structure and the idiom of the original Armenian script, without rendering a word by word translation. He was an Armenian, the son of pious parents Toros and Koharaziz, who during the persecutions of Shah Abbas, with the other inhabitants of Erevan were deported to Isbahan, where they grew up and were married. Their son Voskan was born in January of 1614.1 When he grew up his parents introduced him to the study of the Holy Bible. He studied, within his capabilities, under secular teachers, until the arrival of Catholicos Movses (then a vardapet)2 to Isbahan. Movses Vardapet was warmly welcomed by the Armenian Christian community of Isbahan. Meanwhile they elected as their prelate Khatchadour Vardapet, the benign and pious student of Movses Vardapet. While in Isbahan, he (the prelate), put many things in order, established rules and regulations, introduced reforms, opened schools, which enabled many to study the Holy Bible. One of these was a youngster named Voskan. Since boyhood he had desired to join the Cloister and the School, but his parents had opposed him. Because he was so desirous to become a priest and study the Holy Bible, he went to Khatchadour Vardapet to study and prepare for the priesthood without his parents’ knowledge. When his parents learned about this, they went to bring him back. They tried hard to persuade him but to no avail. A few times they brought him home on false pretenses and did not allow him to return to the School. But he tried so often to run away from home that his parents gave up and allowed him to stay at the School. There, in a short period of time, he studied the Psalms and the hymns of the Armenian Church, as well as other Books, the Epistles of the Catholicy3 and Paul, and the Prophecies of Isaiah. During this same period the Shah called Movses Vardapet to Babylon to whiten candles4, and assigned him four boys from his subordinates (subjects), whom he taught the art of whitening candles and returned them to the Shah. While there he received orders to become the Grand Sacristan of Etchmiadzin, so he wrote to Khatchadour Vardapet to come to him to Etchmiadzin, which the latter did without delay. When he (Khatchadour Vardapet) arrived at Etchmiadzin they consecrated Movses Vardapet Catholicos, who after his consecration, appointed Khatchadour Vardapet as envoy to the Western See, and he came back to Isbahan to visit and congratulate the new king Shah Seffi, who had succeeded the late Shah Abbas. The Catholicos was able to fulfill his request from the king to abolish the 100 Touman5 tax, which was levied by Shah Abbas at the time of (the previous) Catholicos Melkiset. In the fall, when the Catholicos was to return to Etchmiadzin he took Voskan with him. When Voskan arrived at Etchmiadzin with the Catholicos, he met Melkiset Vardapet of Vjan, who was a vigorous and learned man and who in particular knew ‘knowledge’6 well. But Voskan never thought to follow this ‘knowledge,’ because he was still too young and especially because no one among the Armenians knew that ‘knowledge.’ Particularly the prominent Armenians--who used to pretend possessing all ‘knowledge-- condemned that branch of study. They hated ‘knowledge’ and reproached that noble man (Melkiset Vardapet), because they lacked the ability to comprehend that much of knowledge; so Voskan did not follow that enlightening and God-given ‘science,’ heeding those greatest criticizers. Without that ‘knowledge’ it is impossible to understand facts correctly and to explain the Bible. In the spring, Melkiset Vardapet went to the Aderbadagan region to rescue his captive nephew, who was in Ghazb, but could not find him because of the local disturbances caused by the Ottoman General Khosrov Pasha. So he returned to Erevan. At this time Voskan’s teacher, Khatchadour of Caesaria, came from Poland with Simon of Julfa who was also a monk and his student. They were very embarrassed before the local Christians (of Poland) because they were unskilled in grammar and the art of philosophy. So when they reached Etchmiadzin and saw Father Melkiset, they very unwillingly undertook the study of the science as much as he (Melkiset Vardapet) had learned by his own efforts. First they studied the “Sahman” (Boundary) by David of Nerkin7 in the wilderness of Erevan8, where Voskan also began to study for a certain time. When his friends and the other monks at Etchmiadzin found out about this, they protested to Catholicos Movses and said, “Either allow us to go to Erevan and take lesson or bring Melkiset Vardapet here to Etchmiadzin so that he may teach us too.” The Catholicos, having no other choice, ordered Melkiset Vardapet to come to Etchmiadzin and teach all those monks who wished to study. When Melkiset went to Etchmiadzin, Khatchadour Vardapet did not want to accompany him, but desired to stay in the wilderness of Erevan. It was necessary that either Simon or Voskan remain with Khatchadour Vardapet since both were his students from childhood. Simon, who was the elder said to Voskan, “One of us must stay here with the Priest. This ‘science’ is also very important to us and after we go back to Isbahan we teach each other. If you wish to study, I will go and you serve the Vardapet here.” Voskan being inexperienced and still young, and above all conceding to Simon’s seniority stayed in Erevan with the priest; and Simon went to Etchmiadzin with Melkiset Vardapet, where he studied the “Borpure” (Porphyry9 ) and the “Sdorokutiun” (Categories10), and the “Beriarmenia” (Perihermenias11) up to chapter 14. At this time, delegates arrived from Isbahan to take Khatchadour Vardapet back. Simon and Voskan went with him too. In Isbahan, Simon taught Voskan what he had learned; however they studied the “Beriarmenia” and the “Grammar” together, he also being very intelligent. During this period Movses Catholicos passed away and Philippos was consecrated Catholicos. After becoming Catholicos, Philippos asked for Voskan in a letter to Khatchadour Vardapet, who sent Voskan (to Etchmiadzin) immediately. At Etchmiadzin Voskan met a Latin priest called Boghos (Paul). He was an Italian by nationality and knew the philosophical sciences very well. Talking with him on many occasions, Voskan found him to be learned and very proficient, though a little weak in Armenian language; so leaving everything else, he followed him with full determination and learned some Latin. He also completely learned the “Grammar” and translated it into Armenian, from which he arranged a concise grammar. He studied the other sciences too, such as philosophy, metaphysics as well as geometry, astronomy and theology; not completely as he had wished, but rather as much as he needed. Yet he overworked, and suffered persecutions from the Catholicos, his friends, our people and even from those plebeian and less literate than himself, because all of them rose against him as if he were a foreigner. They denounced him braggingly and vaingloriously; and debated and disputed on such subjects in which not only they were uneducated and uninstructed, but had neither studied nor even heard about. But he, although well aware of the intolerance and harshness of the Armenians, was learning from personal experience, the protests of his predecessors, who in many ways used to complain in their books, such as our translators and Movses (of Khoren12 ) in his “Voghb” (Lamentations13 ). Yet, during this flood of persecutions and misfortunes, seeing no help or consolation from anyone or anywhere, but always exposed to tribulations and diverse insults and contempt, he began to translate the grammar he had learned from Latin to Armenian, then some prayers, glorias and the “Darerk Dramapanoutian” (Elements of Logic). After being Catholicos for long years, Philippos passed away and Hagop of Julfa succeeded him. He also began to deride Voskan for some time, whilst the latter continued to be patient for the love of Christ, repeating the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, “that I will wait for the Lord and will have patience.” In these days Voskan’s brother Avedis, a religious and pious man, met Mateos the Tbir (Clerk14 ) in Holland, who had ventures into printing and had made a group of letters in three types: lower case, capital and ornamental (dzaghgakeer). He had begun the printing of “Hissouss Vorti” (Jesus, Son15 ) though not completed it, but had brought it up to Khosdovanim (We Confess). He was in debt and had reached the end of his life, because whatever he had undertaken was on credit basis. The creditors, having gathered around his deathbed, had demanded their loans; but he, being unable to repay, had extended his hand (asked for help) to the brother of the priest, whose name was Avedis. And this man had given all his belongings to the creditors and had the printing press mortgaged to them, until repayment of all debts and interests. After all this he had written to his brother Voskan Vardapet, to come over to advance the printing task, and he, on the other hand, had undertaken the preparation of the lower case letters with (the use of) which the “Jamakeerk (Book of Hours16 ), the “Sharagnots” (Hymnal), the Holy Bible and other books were printed. Voskan, upon the orders and commissions of Hagop of Julfa (the Catholicos), leaving Etchmiadzin, after innumerable sufferings, reached the printing press where the Hymnal was being printed by the orders of the Catholicos. The task was brought up to Hampartzi (Levavi17 ), by the efforts of Garabed Vardapet, the student of Voskan. When Voskan arrived, he undertook the preparation of italics for the titles of the Bible. When the Hymnal was completed, he undertook the printing of the Holy Bible. He added many things that were left out, arranging them according to the Bible in Latin. He subdivided the Bible into chapters and verses, as seen in the Bible printed by them (the Latins). Also, he completed the entire Bible, borrowing form the Latin, in a manner that is shown in our Gospels only. He translated the complete book of Joshua the Son of Sira18 , because, even though we had a translation, it was not complete, but faulty and abridged. He also translated the Book of Ezra IV19 , our translation being incomplete and was not included in the Bible. He also translated the listing of the Latin Bible, so that the reader could find easily what he was looking for, because everything is conjoined into two subdivisions, that is, into chapters and subchapters... arranged alphabetically... He did the same with the other books of the Bible which are listed therein. Moreover he had undertaken a translation of a dictionary which they (the Latins) call Galleppinum and has brought it up to the letter “D.” If God enable him to complete the translation, it will be a great storehouse and treasury for all ‘knowledge’ and means toward true genius and ‘knowledge.’ It is the gate and key to all Noorb (sublime) and Ardakin (Exterior20 ) books, because it explains every word with definitions. He also classified the listings of the lections read at the Jashou Hour (Midday Hour21 ) inserted in some Bibles which Voskan had copied, which were hard to find, (for) here and there the number of the divisions were wrongly placed and in the “Donatzouytz” (Calendar of feast days) there were copying errors. They were arranged with one number (i.e. chapters only). therefore, it was difficult or impossible to find them. But the one prepared by Voskan was arranged with two numbers (i.e. chapters and subchapters) by which things were found faster. Above all, in the earlier printing, the names of the books and in particular the numbers were mixed up. He, finding the right number with much difficulty, rearranged them correctly so as to simplify it for others. He also printed many Armenian books which had to do with the Christian teaching, select prayers which he had translated from Latin. Also, the Missal, Domar and Barzadomar (Almanac). Moses of Khoren’s Ashkharatzoytz (Atlas22) and Aghouesaguirk (Book of Legends). For the Gory of the Holy Trinity he printed a New Book of history written by Arakel Vardapet, which not only did he print, but also corrected the distortions and the grammatical errors made by inexperienced copyists and boorist poets. But he endured and still endures difficulties from rogues and proud sophists, from the clergy and the laity, from friends and strangers. And he, enduring all these tribulations says, “If I become pleasant to men, I am not the servant of God.” Voskan of Erevan, “History” by Arakel of Davrij (1669 publication) Notes: 1. 1063 according to the Armenian Calendar (1063+551=1614). He died in 1674. 2. A celibate priest. 3. The seven books comprising the epistles: James, I Peter, 2 Peter, I John, 2 John, 3 John and Jude. 4. Whitening or purifying wax for candles was a secret known to few churchmen. 5. Persian coin. 6. Grammar and philosophy. 7. Also known as David Anhaght (the Invincible) a renowned Armenian philosopher. 8. Living as hermits. 9. Porphyry: known as a violent opponent of Christianity. For his biography and works see J.A. Fabricius “Bibliotheca Graeca,” (edit. Hailes 1790-1809). 10. “Categories” by Aristotle: this consists of ten books and is one of his treatises on logic, known in later times under the title “Organon.” 11.“Perihermenias” (De Interpretatione): a book on grammar by Aristotle which was translated into Armenian as early as 576 A.D. 12. Moses of Khoren (arm. Movses Khorenatzi), Armenian historian in the fifth century A.D. 13. See “Badmoutian Hayotz” (the History of Armenians), by Movses of Khoren (Book Three, Chapter 68). 14. Tbir (Clerk). A lesser order (rank) in the Armenian Church, given to the recipients of the ‘Minor Orders’. 15. Hissouss Vorti (eng. Jesus, Son) by Catholicos Nerses Shnorhali (the Grace-filled), 1100-1173. “Jesus, Son” was rendered into English by James Wingate. (Delphic Press, New York, 1947). 16. Jamakeerk (book of hours): corresponds to the Latin Breviary, the Greek Horologiaon, and the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. 17. Levavi (arm. Hampartzi): the last of the order of eight chants (sharagank) of daily offices. 18. The Greek version of the book is called “The Wisdom of Jesus The Son of Sirach.” 19. Ezra IV and the Prayer of king Manasseh appear in the Bible of Voskan as addenda put after the New Testament, even though they pertain to the Old Tstament. 20. Noorb (sublime) were the religious books and Ardakin (Exterior) were the non religious books approved and recommended by the Armenian Church. 21. Jashou is the fourth of the Canonical Hours of the Armenian Church. The Office may also be properly called Synaxis. 22. Since Voskan it has been established that the author of the “Atlas” is Anania of Sirak and not Moses of Khoren. *Source: In Commemoration of the Armenian Bible on the Tricentennial of its Printing. Los Angeles: The Armenian Youth Cultural Association, Nor Or Press, 1966?), pp. 13-17. 1 1063 according to the Armenian Calendar (1063+551=1614). He died in 1674. 2 A celibate priest. 3 The seven books comprising the epistles: James, I Peter, 2 Peter, I John, 2 John, 3 John and Jude. 4 Whitening or purifying wax for candles was a secret known to few churchmen. 5 Persian coin. 6 Grammar and philosophy. 7 Also known as David Anhaght (the Invincible) a renowned Armenian philosopher. 8 Living as hermits. 9 Porphyry: known as a violent opponent of Christianity. For his biography and works see J.A. Fabricius “Bibliotheca Graeca,” (edit. Hailes 1790-1809). 10 “Categories” by Aristotle: this consists of ten books and is one of his treatises on logic, known in later times under the title “Organon.” 11 “Perihermenias” (De Interpretatione): a book on grmmar by Aristotle which was translated into Armenian as early as 576 A.D. 12 Moses of Khoren (arm. Movses Khorenatzi), Armenian historian in the fifth century A.D. 13 See “Badmoutian Hayotz” (the History of Armenians), by Movses of Khoren (Book Three, Chapter 68). 14 Tbir (Clerk). A lesser order (rank) in the Armenian Church, given to the recipients of the ‘Minor Orders’. 15 Hissouss Vorti (eng. Jesus, Son) by Catholicos Nerses Shnorhali (the Grace-filled), 1100- 1173. “Jesus, Son” was rendered into English by James Wingate. (Delphic Press, New York, 1947). 16 Jamakeerk (book of hours): correponds to the Latin Breviary, the Greek Horologiaon, and the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. 17 Levavi (arm. Hampartzi): the last of the order of eight chants (sharagank) of daily offices. 18 The Greek version of the book is called “The Wisdom of Jesus The Son of Sirach.” 19 Ezra IV and the Prayer of king Manasseh appear in the Bible of Voskan as addenda put after the New Testament, even though they pertain to the Old Tstament. 20 Noorb (sublime) were the religious books and Ardakin (Exterior) were the non religious books approved and recommended by the Armenian Church. 21 Jashou is the fourth of the Canonical Hours of the Armenian Church. The Office may also be properly called Synaxis. 22 Since Voskan it has been established that the author of the “Atlas” is Anania of Sirak and not Moses of Khoren.