Etchmiadzin Gospels
The Etchmiadzin Gospel Book is a gospel book made in 989 in the Bgheno-Noravank Monastery in the form of an Armenian illuminated book , which is kept in the Matenadaran's collection in Yerevan under the number MS 2374, previously 229. The ruins of the monastery are located in today's southern Armenian province of Sjunik . The Echmiadzin Gospels are considered the most important Armenian manuscript. In addition to the text section consisting of 224 sheets, it contains three stylistically different groups of miniature paintings: the canon tables that were created at the same time as the text before the beginning of the codex , marginal drawings from the 11th / 12th century scattered in the text. Century and - of particular art-historical importance - four full-page miniatures at the end, which are dated to the end of the 6th or beginning of the 7th century. They are the oldest surviving Armenian book illuminations. The ivory cover in relief is a Byzantine work from the 6th century and represents the most valuable ivory object in an Armenian museum.
Basics
The Armenian Apostolic Church traces its tradition back to two apostles who are said to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century. Three events in the early Christian period are essential for the Armenian nation: In 314 King Trdat III declared. Christianity became the state religion, in 405 Mesrop Maschtoz introduced the Armenian script , which was regarded as a religious miracle, and in the 5th century Moses von Choren (Movses Chorenatsi) wrote the first chronicle of Armenia. In the early Christian period, the Bible, liturgical instructions and texts of the early church fathers were recorded in ancient Armenian script, monks copied the manuscripts as precisely as possible and furnished them with valuable bindings. According to ancient pre-Christian tradition, script itself was assigned a magical meaning. Anyone who copied a manuscript earned religious merit. It was just as commendable for a king, prince or high cleric to donate a manuscript as a church. Alongside churches and khachkars, manuscripts have become one of the symbols of Armenian identity and are valued accordingly. Like the icons of the Orthodox Churches, they were considered holy and had to be kept standing in the monasteries to distinguish them from secular objects. Around 30,000 manuscripts are known from the Middle Ages, which, in addition to religious topics, contain all the sciences of the time.
There were large-scale Armenian wall paintings in early Christian times, albeit on a more modest scale compared to Byzantine art; Armenian visual art, however, developed primarily in the format of the manuscripts. In addition to the miniatures, another essential component of the manuscripts is the colophon added at the end ( Armenian hischatakaran , "memory"). In it, the writer reports in detail about his living conditions, way of working, clients and the people involved with him in the production of the book. A colophon is present in most of the Armenian manuscripts. The writer's main colophon is often followed by additional additions from later times, from which the changes to the book and its changing owners and storage locations can be recognized.
The Armenian manuscripts passed down from the 9th and 10th centuries are almost all Gospel books. The undated and incompletely preserved gospel book of Queen Mlke (Venice, MS 1144/86), the place of manufacture is unknown, is the oldest known Armenian gospel book; it was written off in 851 and incorporated in 862. The oldest dated manuscript is the Lazarian (Lazarev) Gospels from 877 (Mat. MS 6200). Five other manuscripts from the 10th century are known up to the Echmiadzin Gospel of 989. The paintings show a mature style in the 9th century, which is why there must have been a rich tradition of book illustrations in the centuries before. The two sheets appended to the Etchmiadzin Gospel at the end give the most valuable indication of this, otherwise only conclusions can be drawn from the comments of some historians.
At the beginning of the Gospels there are canon tables , framed by decorative arcades, intended to give the reader an overview of the biblical content. The indexing follows a system that Eusebius of Caesarea introduced in Palestine in the early 4th century. In this way, the episodes from the life of Jesus depicted differently in the four Gospels could be assigned to one another. Eusebius invented a numbered structure into several hundred sections for all Gospels, which were thereby harmonized without affecting the content. The latter was necessary so that the texts were preserved as authentic evidence. In 331, Constantine the Great ordered several Gospels and other writings from Eusebius for the liturgy in the churches of Constantinople . Eusebius designed them according to the specifications in a lavish manner by adopting the arcades familiar from Roman sacred architecture as decorative motifs.
Only in the Armenian manuscripts has Eusebius's original format of ten canon tables been passed down unchanged. Of all the manuscripts of the 1st millennium, the Etchmiadzin Gospels most faithfully preserved the original form of the Tetra Evangelicals ordered by Constantine; it was only later that the depicted late Roman architectural forms were given an Armenian stamp through a characteristic ornamental design. While the Gospels are usually sorted in the order Matthew , Mark , Luke and John , the Etchmiadzin Gospels follows the old Eusebian principle of order and places the third Apostle Luke before the second Apostle Mark.
The arcades on the canon tables form a painted portal with a semicircular lunette above, which symbolizes the access to the text for the reader. He feels in the role of the believer who enters a sanctuary through a portal. The canon tables are also decorated with geometrical shapes and flowers; the birds shown can be identified as peacocks, herons, roosters, partridges and pigeons or represent fantasy birds. The symbolic meaning of the birds, which appear in many variations, is only partially known. In the Etchmiadzin Gospels there is a bird in a cage, which since ancient times has symbolized the soul trapped in its body. What the motif, which is unique in Armenian manuscripts, means at this point, however, is unclear.
Research history
The Echmiadzin Gospel was first mentioned in 1840 and 1851 by Marie Felicité Brosset . This was followed by more detailed descriptions by Count JJ Uwarow (1862), Wladimir Stassow (1886), Josef Strzygowski (1891), Frédéric Macler (1920), Kurt Weitzmann (1933), Sirarpie Der Nersessian (1933 and 1964), Thomas F. Mathews ( 1980) and Matevosyan Artashes (1990). The extensive art-historical research on the Etchmiadzin Gospels concentrated on the two attached sheets with the four early Christian miniatures. In his detailed description, with which he first made the Gospel known among art historians, Strzygowski incorrectly referred to the first group of 15 illustrations as Syrian paintings from the 5th century and the four final miniatures also as Syrian from the 6th century. He considered the rough drawings scattered around the edge of the text to be the work of the scribe Hovhannes, which turned out to be relatively clumsy because the calligrapher was obviously not a trained illustrator. In 1911 Strzygowski revised his view in part and now considered the miniatures initially to be copies made in the 10th century of the originals from the 6th century. In his foreword to the facsimile edition of 1920, Frédéric Macler also pleaded for the 10th century.
The research of Sirarpie Der Nersessian finally clarified the history of its origins. Accordingly, the miniatures were initially created at the same time as the text in 989, while the marginal drawings were added in the 11th or 12th century when the Gospels were divided into individual pericopes . According to The Nersessian, the four final miniatures are Armenian creations in pre-Arab times - i.e. before the first Arab conquest of the capital Dvin 640.
According to the unanimous opinion, the ivory lids date from the 6th century and, according to today's knowledge, from a part of the Byzantine Empire. The assumptions made in the first half of the 20th century about the origin on the basis of iconographic analyzes ranged from Ravenna (Strzygowski, 1891), Syria (Strzygowski, 1902; Oskar Wulff , 1912) and from eastern Byzantium ( Wolfgang Fritz Volbach , 1952) . Egypt and Asia Minor were also mentioned.
Origin and structure
According to the first colophon, the scribe Hovhannes (Johannes) made a copy of an old and "original" template in the Noravank monastery on behalf of the priest Ter Stepanos in 989. The colophon does not reveal which of the four Noravank (“new monastery”) named places was meant. The best known today is the Noravank in the province of Vajoz Dzor . In 1891 Josef Strzygowski assumed this Norawank was the place of manufacture. By 1933, evidence had been provided that it was the smaller Norawank in the Bgheno district near Goris . The local monastery was founded in 935/936 by a priest Ter Stepanos. As stated in a second colophon from 1213, Gurzhin, the son of Vahram, brought the gospel book to the Church of St. Stephen , the first Christian martyr, in the Magharda Monastery (today in the Iranian province of West Azerbaijan ). From there, Makar Petrosian (at the time Wardapet , Catholicos from 1885 to 1891 ) took it to Echmiadzin in 1847 , where the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church is located.
The main part of the book consists of 224 pages, which are arranged in 28 groups according to the Armenian alphabet of eight pages each. In addition, there are eight leaves at the beginning, which together with the two back leaves make up a total of 234 leaves made of parchment measuring 35 centimeters high and 28 centimeters wide. As in most Armenian manuscripts, the text pages are two columns with a width of nine centimeters, the writing is a carefully executed uncial ( Armenian Erkathagir ). With the division in the 11th / 12th In the 19th century the verses were numbered with smaller uncials. Missing words and corrections were also made with a smaller font and, like the text drawings, by another hand. The added illustrations of the text are of a significantly simpler quality than the full-page thumbnails. The figures of Mary or other saints partially overlap and are often incomplete in the confined space.
The Gospels contain on the first two pages ( fol . 1, 1 v ) the letter of Eusebius to Carpianus , in which he explains the division of the Gospels into individual sections, followed by ten canon tables (fol. 2–5) and the illustration of a miniature temple ( Tempietto , fol. 5v). The next pages show the baby Jesus with the apostles Paul and Peter , portraits of the four evangelists , an image of Mary and the sacrifice of Abraham . The text pages of the four Gospels conclude with the Gospel of John. Two leaves painted on both sides are inserted between this and the colophons. They depict the Annunciation to Zacharias on sheet 228 (announcement of the birth of John by the angel Gabriel to Zacharias), the Annunciation on sheet 228v , the Adoration of the Magi on sheet 229 and the baptism of Jesus on sheet 229v .
Introductory part
The text of the Eusebius letter spread out on pages 1 and 1v is framed by columns and an arched field above it, which is crowned on the first page by a bud surrounded by leaves, to which two huge peacocks look. Instead, above the second part of the text, a fruit bowl can be seen in the middle with smaller doves on either side. The columns of text in the canon tables are similarly framed and decorated by arches.
Sheet 5 deviates from this pattern with a tempietto . Four columns with marbled shafts, which obviously form the circle of a rotunda , stand on round bases formed by bulges. The Corinthian capitals have an architrave with a curved perspective , which is formed from several strips and contains a series of simplified palmettes in the wide central field . Flowers sprout on the roof, the blossoms of which rise from a symmetrical pair of leaves. Two ducks looking towards the middle on each side fill the space between the flowers, one duck on each eaves seems to want to fly away sideways. The top of the roof forms a sphere with a cross. The curtains between the columns, gathered with a knot, reproduce a realistic stage background ( scenae frons of the Roman theater ). The building is marked as Christian by the cross at the top, and by the small lamp hanging in the middle, it may become the sanctuary of a church.
The following three pages take over the initial pictorial program of the canon tables of the column portal raised by a semicircle. On sheet 6, Christ sits on a throne, surrounded by two standing saints. The bezel is painted with flowers and ducks in bright red colors against a blue background. The center of the bezel is formed by a shell with radial teeth. Parrots and pomegranate branches can be seen on either side of the fruit bowl at the top of the arch. The youthful Christ with short hair and no beard raises his angled right hand in blessing. He is holding a cross in his left hand, which is hidden under the long dark red coat. Next to him are two old men who are dressed in a chiton and another cloak over it. Their right hand is raised as a blessing as with Christ, on the left they carry a scroll. Sheets 6v and 7 each show two standing evangelists who cannot be identified. As before with the saints, the letter H is drawn on the left side of their cloak, which can be found on the robes of all male figures and, according to Strzygowski, represents a fad that was already widespread in Roman times. On the left they carry a scroll and their heads are surrounded by a nimbus .
The motifs on sheets 7v and 8 are surrounded by a red frame instead of the columns on the edge of the sheet. A Madonna of the Sign sits on a throne, laterally bordered by curtains, the knots of which correspond formally to the fabric draped around the throne. Maria ( Panagia ) is dressed in a purple chiton and a paenula over it. The baby Jesus in her lap, like the enthroned Christ before, raised his right hand in blessing and holds a cross in the left.
At the sacrifice of Isaac on page 8, Isaac lies on the right side of the picture with his hands tied behind his back in a long yellow chiton on a kind of stone staircase. The stairs lead up to an altar with flames. Abraham stands next to Isaac with a long sword in his right hand, his left hand on his son's head. In the upper left corner the hand of God emerges from blazing flames, lower left a ram is tied to a cypress.
Overall, the miniatures refer to models in Byzantine art. Compared to the Mlke Gospels from a few years earlier, the animals and plants are painted less vividly and more stylistically. The figures in the biblical scenes in particular appear frozen in front of the schematically arranged antique architectural backdrops. The people stand or sit facing the viewer in a stiff posture. The preference for strict patterns instead of three-dimensional design also characterizes Armenian stone processing. An outstanding example of this Armenian style in wall painting and architectural sculpture is Akdamar Church .
Four final miniatures
The four miniature paintings attached at the end belong to the early Christian theme. They are painted on the front and back of two leaves and are stylistically reminiscent of some Byzantine icons made in the encaustic technique of the 5th and 6th centuries as well as the frescoes in the Euphrasian Basilica (543–553) in the Croatian city of Poreč . Because of the Sassanid clothing of the three wise men , it was also assumed that the model for the miniatures comes from a time when Armenia was under Persian rule. A motivic origin probably lies in the monasteries of Palestine, with which the Armenians were in lively contact. In addition, comparisons were made with the wall paintings of the 7th century Lmbatavank church near the northern Armenian city of Artik : The oval, bright faces with wide-open eyes appear there in a similar way on the tetramorphs in the apse calotte. An independent Armenian manuscript can only be recognized from the 11th century, for example in the Mughni Gospel Book around 1060, which is based on the same early models in a more static, cooler form.
The two sheets show the earliest surviving Armenian miniatures and come from a different time than the rest of the manuscript simply because they were subsequently sewn to the folds of cut sheets. It delivers a comprehensive topic is the Epiphany of the Lord (Epiphany), in the Eastern Churches is celebrated on January 6, to honor Jesus' birth and baptism. The Armenian church year begins on this day.
Annunciation to Zacharias
In the story of the Gospel of Luke (fol. 228, ( Lk 1,5-25; 57-66 EU )) the angel Gabriel Zacharias announces the birth of his son John , a very rare topic in early Christian art. The only two other representations from this period are contained in the Augustine Gospels from the 6th century, the oldest surviving Gospels in Latin, and in the Syrian Rabbula Gospels from 586.
In the Echmiadzin miniature, a gable roof can be seen in the background, supported by Corinthian columns. A round arch decorated with precious stones stretches between the two central columns of the gable. A light red curtain stretched between the pillars partially hides the interior. In front of the building there is a rectangular altar, which is covered with a dark ceiling. On the left side of the picture is the angel Gabriel, half behind the altar. He is wrapped in a long white robe and can be recognized by a tanie in his hair and by his nimbus. In his left hand he holds a long golden staff, with his raised right hand he indicates that he is talking to Zacharias, who is standing on the right side of the picture. Zacharias is an old man with a beard and long white hair, an ankle-length robe with a cloak buttoned at the neck over it, who approaches the angel with an incense bag.
This composition largely corresponds to the miniature in the Rabbula Gospels, whereby the architectural background is less detailed there than in the Etschmiadzin Gospels. In contrast, in the Augustine Gospels Zacharias stands behind an altar that has grown into a standing desk and the winged angel appears in profile from the left. The Syrian-Armenian depiction also differs from later Byzantine versions, which always show Zacharias behind the altar. It is thus closer to the text of the Gospel of Luke. Unique to the miniature of Echmiadzin are the angel's long, drooping wings made of peacock feathers. Nameless angels with peacock wings are known from the Katharinenkloster on Sinai (548-560). Inscribed as the angel Gabriel with peacock wings, only a relief made of proconnesian marble is secured, which comes from pre-Arab times and is now in the archaeological museum of Antalya (Antalya Müzesi) . In later times the angel with peacock wings seems to have almost completely disappeared from Christian art. Obviously, the conspicuous plumage should refer to an archangel of the highest rank . The imagery also gives Zacharias a high rank and makes him high priest . His cloak is studded with three rows of precious stones on the collar, as given in the Old Testament description of the priestly robes in 2nd Book of Moses ( Ex 28 : 16-21 EU ). Behind this is a belief that only occurs in the Syrian and Armenian churches , according to which the priesthood is placed in line with tradition with the priests of the Old Testament ; so in a continuous line that begins with Aaron and leads to Zacharias, who passes the tradition on to John the Baptist, who finally baptizes Jesus. This meaning lets the Armenians put Zacharias in the first place of the epiphany illustration in the Etchmiadzin Gospel.
Annunciation
The Annunciation to Mary (fol. 228v, ( Lk 1.26–38 EU )) is only told in the Gospel of Luke and is one of the most frequently depicted subjects in early Christian art. The representation in the Etchmiadzin Gospels is similar to the previous one, with a few significant differences: While Zacharias approaches the angel on the left from the right, the angel, again equipped with peacock wings, steps up to Mary, who is standing still. In order to emphasize Maria as a static pictorial center, the gabled house in the background has moved further to the right, so that the arch in the gable wall now surrounds her nimbus and she is framed by the pillars of her house. Maria wears a long, dark chiton with a white cloth hanging from its belt, and over it a long paenula , which is fringed at the hem. The direction of movement of both figures is also shown in the Rabbula Gospel, because both go back to an interpretation written in Syrian by the Doctor of the Church Ephrem the Syrians (around 306–373), which was translated into Armenian in the 5th century. In his commentary on the Diatesseron ( harmony of the Gospels ), Ephrem explains the meaning of the people involved and refers to the usual requirement of courtesy, according to which those of lower rank approach those of higher rank. Thus, Zacharias approaches the angel to show that his future son will be lower in rank than the angel, but as the angel approaches Mary, he expresses that Christ will rule over the angels.
Surprised by the unexpected appearance of the strange messenger, Maria stands up and lets her spun yarn fall into the basket in front of her feet, with her right hand she grips her chin and with the left she takes hold of the hem of her coat. A woman who spiders during the day - especially when her husband is absent - proved at the time her noble position and the concern for a tidy household. This symbolism is known from ancient stories and reliefs on grave slabs. In many of the pictures, Maria has her hands crossed in front of her chest, holding spindle and thread or stretching out her hands in a gesture of surprise, only rarely does she put her hand to her chin, which in ancient art is a sign of deep uncertainty. Mary asks whether the angel really brings a divine message and worries about her virginity ( Lk 1.34–38 EU ).
Adoration of the three kings
The Adoration of the Magi (fol. 229, ( Mt 2,1-12 EU )) is missing in the Rabbula Gospels. The scene is shown against a completely different architectural background. The symmetrical building has a round arch resting on Corinthian columns in the middle, which is filled by a radial blue shell shape. The roof, which extends over the arch, ends laterally in gables in perspective, in which crosses that look like windows are located. The outside corners of the building are supported by columns that also frame the group of figures. The strict symmetry is complemented by red curtains that hang inwards at an angle between the pillars. Nona Stepanjan sees the architecture as a three-aisled basilica with a central round apse and sees the gables as aisles.
In the middle under the round arch, Mary is seated on a throne with a high, curved back. Her blue robe forms the background for the Christ Child, surrounded by a reddish robe and a simple reddish nimbus, which stands out clearly in front of an oval surface in a slightly lighter blue, which forms a kind of mandorla . To the right of Maria is an angel with a tanie in her hair and a nimbus around her head. The other three figures, one to the right of the angel and two to the left of the picture, represent the three wise men, who can be recognized by their oriental clothing. They wear baggy pants and short skirts that are decorated with artfully patterned borders. Obviously they are of different ages, for the sage on the left has no beard, the middle one a black and the right one a gray beard. All three hold a wreath horizontally in their hands, which they hold out to Christ.
In addition to the Gospel of Matthew, the presentation is based on the Armenian Gospel of Childhood , an apocryphal childhood story brought by East Syrian Christians from Mesopotamia to Armenia at the end of the 6th century. In the Armenian Gospel of Childhood, the angel Gabriel heralds the coming of the three wise men, while otherwise stars in the sky are their harbingers. In the Armenian story, Gabriel first informs Mary and then invites the three wise men to pay homage to the Christ child. In the most common representation, the three wise men come in a row and deliver their gifts. The sheet in the Etschmiadzin Gospels, on the other hand, follows a representation that appeared in the 6th century on ampullae (Latin, Sg. ampulla , round-bellied drinking bottle for holy water or oil with two handles) in Palestine. Instead of high crowns, the wise men wear bonnets tied flat around their heads, which are decorated with pearls and the loops of which hang loosely on their shoulders.
According to Thomas F. Mathews, this headgear refers to the Magern , the priests of the Zoroastrian cult, as depicted on Sassanid seals . The elegant trousers, which look like riding breeches, were worn by Sassanid princes. Strzygowski already noticed that the wise men, although they are moving towards Maria, stand there with strangely spread legs. Possibly the idea behind this is Sassanid nobles, who are typically shown sitting with their knees spread and feet closed. Accordingly, the three visitors are considered kings in the Armenian Gospel of Childhood. Another apocryphal collection of scriptures, the Syrian Treasure Cave , probably compiled in the 6th century from texts of the 4th century, explicitly names the three "Sassanid kings". From a religious-historical aspect it was necessary to understand the visitors as priests and kings at the same time. A child born so high should receive a first visit from none other than kings. At the same time, the visit of Zoroastrian priests, against whose religion early Christianity had to assert itself in Armenia, demonstrates that the Zoroastrians have now recognized the new Christian lord as a priest above them.
In early Christian times it was still unusual to portray the three wise men as a young man, an adult and an old man. Making them appear so different in age fits in with the story of the Armenian childhood gospel. In it, the wise men report to each other their impressions after visiting the Christ child. Kaspar saw a child, the Son of God, sitting on a throne. Balthasar recognized the Lord over the heavenly hosts, by whom he was adored sitting on his throne, whereas Melchior found the dying and resurrected God. The ages of the wise coincide with their visions. The origin of this story is presumed to be in the Zoroastrian concept of eternal time ( zurvan ) , which was worshiped as a personified god in 5th century Armenia. Zurvan, who stood above all gods, did not appear from a beginning, for he was not only considered to be eternal, but also created time in the first place because he was there before everything else. Such a timeless figure of Christ, representing three cosmic ages according to the old Iranian view, should be represented in the miniature. The painter wanted to express the cosmic-timeless meaning of Christ, whose figure in the exact center of the picture the wise men perceived as a vision, with the mandorla around the Christ child.
Baptism of Jesus
The final miniature of the baptism of Jesus (fol. 229v) is the only one surrounded by a frame. The frame contains medallions with the portraits of the four evangelists in the four corners . In the frame fields in between, birds sitting on goblets and bowls are depicted, plucking their breast feathers. The middle picture shows John on the left with long black hair, a black beard and a nimbus at the baptism. He holds his right hand on Christ's head, with his left he gathers his long, pleated robe, a heavy camel's hair coat, at the belt area. Christ stands shirtless in the water. A dove descends above him, as the Holy Spirit , in a swoop, and above it the right hand of God appears with a gesture of blessing from the clouds.
Portraits of the evangelists typically conclude an Armenian gospel book. Their appearance, which is the same old, is evidence of the early Christian dating of painting, because later Matthew and John are mostly depicted as older men, while Markus and Luke are shown younger. In contrast to the otherwise similar Rabbula Gospels, Christ does not have a beard. This follows the Armenian tradition, according to which the epiphany celebrates the birth and baptism of Christ at the same time, and consequently the person baptized should appear as a child.
The birds in the frame are recognizable as pink pelicans . They stand on sacrament goblets and host bowls that are richly decorated with precious stones. In the iconography of the European-Christian Middle Ages the pelican appears as a symbol of death and resurrection, in Byzantine art it appears as a symbol of loneliness, sitting in a communion chalice it is only known from the Rabbula Gospel and from this miniature. The symbolic meaning is probably taken from the Physiologus , a theory of nature that was written in Greek up to the 4th century and then translated into Armenian and other languages. The pelican brings its young back to life with its own blood and behaves like Christ sacrificing himself on the cross. The pelican gives his blood into the chalice with which the crucifixion is symbolically represented in the Eucharist .
Book cover
In late antiquity, Byzantine manuscripts were brought from Constantinople to Armenia so that they could be translated from Greek there. In a "Treatise on Iconoclasts " (Yaghags Patkeramartits) written between 604 and 607, the Catholicos Vrtanes Kertogh describes the precious Byzantine Gospels that existed in Armenia at that time and praises their bindings made of gold, silver and ivory . The book covers of the Etchmiadzin Gospel, each composed of five ivory panels in relief, measure 36.5 centimeters in height and 30.5 centimeters in width. Presumably in 1173 the manuscript was newly bound and received its current ivory cover.
The five parts usually required for a lid have been arranged so that Christ or Mary appears in the middle. The outer panels show scenes from the Gospels or angels and apostles arranged in groups. Often individual parts kept as relics were brought together and rearranged into book covers. The ivory lids of the Etchmiadzin Gospel belong to a series of diptychs such as the binding of the Gospel from Saint-Lupicin (2nd half of the 6th century, Paris, National Library , Cod. Latin 9384) and the Murano ivory (510-530), which is kept in the National Museum in Ravenna . The context of the scenes shown corresponds to the conventions of Eastern Church iconography.
The front lid contains in the middle field a representation of Mary of the Hodegetria type , flanked by two angels. The side panels are divided into two parts. At the top left you can see the Annunciation, including the test of chastity with bitter water according to the 4th book of Moses (5, 11–28). On the right opposite the birth of Jesus and below the flight into Egypt are shown. Above the three middle parts in portrait format there is a horizontal relief with two angels approaching each other, who embrace a large cross in the middle, which is framed by a laurel wreath ( corona triumphalis ) with their arms. Figures in the upper corners hold their hands out in prayer. The lively scene across below includes the Adoration of the Three Kings.
The rear cover is arranged in the same way. The upper panel is identical to the front, while the group of figures below depicts the entry into Jerusalem , with Jesus riding on a donkey holding a cross, while seven devotees enthusiastically wave to him with palm fronds. The woman on the right with a cornucopia in her hand embodies the city of Jerusalem.
The middle field belongs to the young Christ seated on his throne, who holds a large scroll in his left hand, his right hand is raised in blessing. There is no nimbus around his head. Behind him on either side are the apostles Peter and Paul . On the side four miraculous healings are shown. In the upper area of the right panel contains the healing of the paralyzed man to whom Jesus says: “Get up, take your bed and go into your house!” ( Mt 9 : 1-8 EU ). This is followed by the healing of the two Gadarenes possessed by the devil ( Mt 8,28-34 EU ). On the left-hand side, Jesus heals the fluids above ( Mk 5.21 EU ) and below possibly the healing at the Pool of Bethesda ( John 5.1–16 EU ).
Three of the healing scenes shown also frame the central figure of Christ on the diptychs in Paris and Ravenna. The lower left scene on the reverse side can also be interpreted differently because it shows a naked man, which, according to Pieter Singelenberg, means that healing takes place underwater. According to the Gospel of John , the healing of a man born blind should be meant ( Jn 9 : 6-12 EU ). Jesus spits on the ground, softens clay with his saliva, rubs it on the man's eyes and then sends him into the pool of Siloam to cleanse himself.
literature
- Heide and Helmut Buschhausen : The illuminated book of Armenia . In: Armenia. Rediscovery of an old cultural landscape. (Exhibition catalog) Museum Bochum 1995, pp. 191–213.
- Heide and Helmut Buschhausen: Codex Etschmiadzin. Commentary on the facsimile edition. Codex 2374 of Matenadaran Mesrop Maštoc` in Erevan. Academic Printing and Publishing Company, Graz 2001, ISBN 3-201-01739-6 .
- Beda O. Künzle: The Old Armenian Gospel. Volume 1: Edition of two ancient Armenian manuscripts: Edition according to the code Matenadaran 6200 (formerly 1111 of the library of the Institute for Oriental Languages Lazarev, Moscow), written in 887, and according to the code Matenadaran 2374 (formerly Ejmiacin 229), written in 989 . part 2: encyclopedia: complete dictionary of grammatical analysis of all the word forms in both edited manuscripts. (Habilitation thesis) Peter Lang, Bern / Frankfurt 1984
- Frédéric Macler : L'Evangile arménien. Edition phototypique du manuscrit No. 229 de la bibliothèque d'Etchmiadzin. Librairie Paul Geuthner, Paris 1920 ( at Internet Archive ).
- Thomas F. Mathews : The early Armenian iconographic program of the Ējmiacin Gospel (Erevan, Matenadaran Ms 2374 olim 229) . In: Nina G. Garsoïan, Thomas F. Mathews, Robert W. Thomson (Eds.): East of Byzantium. Syria and Armenia in the Formative Period. A Dumbarton Oaks Symposium. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington (DC) 1982, pp. 199-215.
- Sirarpie Der Nersessian : The Date of the Initial Miniatures of the Etchmiadzin Gospel. In: The Art Bulletin 15, 1933, pp. 327-360.
- Vrej Nersessian: Treasures from the Ark. 1700 Years of Armenian Christian Art . The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 2001, ISBN 978-0-89236-639-2 , pp. 155-158.
- Pieter Singelenberg: The Iconography of the Etschmiadzin Diptych and the Healing of the Blind Man at Siloe. In: The Art Bulletin, 40, 1958, pp. 105-112.
- Nona Stepanjan: wall painting, illumination and applied arts . In: Burchard Brentjes , Stepan Mnazakanjan, Nona Stepanjan: Art of the Middle Ages in Armenia. Union Verlag, Berlin 1981, ISBN 978-3-7031-0548-7 , pp. 234-316.
- Josef Strzygowski : The Etschmiadzin Gospels. Contributions to the history of Armenian, Ravenna and Syro-Egyptian art. (= Byzantine Monuments , Volume 1) Vienna 1891 ( at Internet Archive ).
Web links
- Index of Armenian Art: M2374G. Armenian Studies Program, Fresno (CA)
- Index of Armenian Art: M2374GF. Armenian Studies Program, Fresno (CA)
- The Evolution of Armenian Gospel Illumination. The Formative Period (9th – 11th Centuries). Armenian Studies Program, Fresno (CA)
Individual evidence
- ^ Burchard Brentjes: Three millennia of Armenia . Koehler & Amelang, Leipzig 1973, p. 118.
- ↑ Hamlet Petrosyan: Writing and the Book. In: Levon Abrahamian, Nancy Sweezy (Eds.): Armenian Folk Arts, Culture, and Identity . Indiana University Press, Bloomington 2001, pp. 52, 57.
- ↑ Heide and Helmut Buschhausen, pp. 192f., 197.
- ↑ Vrej Nersessian, p 157, 181st
- ↑ Heide and Helmut Buschhausen, p. 208.
- ^ Carl Nordenfalk : The late antique cannon tables. Art-historical studies of the Eusebian Gospel Concordance in the first four centuries of its history. Oscar Isacsons Boktryckery, Göteborg 1938, pp. 70f.
- ^ Thomas E. Mathews: Psychological dimensions in the art of Eastern Christendom. In: Osmund Overby (Ed.): Art and Religion: Faith, Form and Reform. (1984 Paine Lectures in Religion) University of Missouri, Columbia 1986, pp. 2-4.
- ↑ in Russian, French translation by JJ Mourier: La bibliotheque d'Etchmiadzin et les manuscrits arminiens. Tbilisi 1885.
- ↑ Josef Strzygowski, p. 23.
- ^ Josef Strzygowski: A second Etschmiadzin Gospels in Huschardzan. Festschrift on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Mechitarist Congregation in Vienna (1811–1911) and the 25th year of the philological monthly "Handes Amsorya" (1887–1911). Vienna 1911, pp. 344–352.
- ↑ Frédéric Macler, 1920, p. 12.
- ↑ Sirarpie Der Nersessian, 1933, p. 328.
- ↑ Thomas F. Mathews, p. 199.
- ^ Pieter Singelenberg, 1958, p. 106.
- ^ Text of the colophon partially translated in: Strzygowski, p. 18f.
- ↑ Josef Strzygowski, p. 20.
- ↑ Sirarpie Der Nersessian, 1933, p. 327.
- ↑ Sirarpie Der Nersessian, 1933, pp. 327, 330, 334.
- ↑ Vrej Nersessian, S. 157th
- ↑ Josef Strzygowski, p. 53f.
- ^ Josef Strzygowski, p. 63.
- ↑ Josef Strzygowski, pp. 54–56.
- ↑ Sirarpie Der Nersessian: Armenia and the Byzantine Empire: A Brief Study of Armenian Art and Civilization . Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1947, pp. 115f.
- ^ Nona Stepanjan, p. 246.
- ↑ Thomas F. Mathews, p. 199.
- ^ Heide and Helmut Buschhausen, pp. 208f; Vrej Nersessian, p. 157.
- ↑ Josef Strzygowski, p. 68.
- ^ Nona Stepanjan, p. 246.
- ↑ Thomas F. Mattews, pp. 201–203, 213 note 18.
- ↑ Thomas F. Mathews, pp. 204f.
- ↑ Nona Stepanjan, pp. 246f.
- ↑ Josef Strzygowski, p. 69.
- ^ Igor Dorfmann-Lazarev: Return to the birth grotto. An examination of the Armenian account of the Lord's childhood. In: Theologie der Gegenwart , 56, 1, 2013, pp. 30–43, here p. 33.
- ↑ Thomas F. Mathews, pp. 205-209.
- ↑ Josef Strzygowski, p. 69f.
- ^ Wilhelm Molsdorf: Christian symbolism of medieval art. Karl W. Hiersemann, Leipzig 1926, p. 67.
- ↑ Thomas F. Mathews, pp. 209-211.
- ↑ Vrej Nersessian, p. 155f.
- ^ Pieter Singelenberg, 1958, p. 107.
