THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM
Armenian-patriarchate
www.armenian-patr iarchate.org/page2.html
The Armenian presence in the Holy Land dates back to the earliest
years of Christianity, even before the conversion of Armenian King
Tirdat the Third on or about 301 A.D. There is recorded historical
evidence that as early as 254 A.D. bishops of the Armenian Church, in
cooperation with bishops of the Greek Orthodox Churches in Jerusalem
and Alexandria, Egypt, were actively engaged in the discovery and
confirmation of Holy Places deemed to be related to the activities of
Jesus Christ, and the construction of edifices for the preservation
of these early Christian treasures.
Further, from the inception of Christianity, Armenian pilgrims
began trekking to the Holy Land on spiritual journeys in steady and
continuous numbers, braving disruptive political upheavals and other
hardships. A large number of them chose to remain in Jerusalem, and
to take up residence in the proximity of the sanctuaries owned by the
Patriarchate (the Armenian Convent), with the St. James Cathedral
as its centerpiece. Eventually, these areas near the Patriarchate,
located in the southwestern corner of the Old City of Jerusalem,
constituted the Armenian Quarter, which today takes up one-sixth of
the geographic area within the walls of the Old City. The pilgrims
also built houses, churches, and convents in other areas, some no
longer standing, like the one at the Musrara Quarter, a stone’s
throw from the 15th Century walls of the Old City where, in 1991,
archaeologists uncovered an incomparable mosaic, laid down by an
unknown Armenian priest, Eustadius, in the 7th century. At its peak,
the Armenian presence in Jerusalem numbered 25,000.
According to historical records, as early as the 3rd century A.D.,
the Armenian Church, under the uninterrupted leadership of successive
bishops, not only maintained the integrity of the Holy Places,
but also had a leading role in their protection and reconstruction
following their repeated destruction by invading armies.
>From the 4th through the 8th century A.D., monasticism took strong root
in the Christian world, from the mountains of Asia Minor through the
Holy Land, the Sinai Peninsula and the deserts of Egypt. Considered
to be an honorable profession in the service of God, it attracted
scholars, educators and artisans of all kinds.
With the influx of thousands of monks and pilgrims from Armenian
cities, Armenian monasteries were established in the Holy Land,
particularly in the hills outside Jerusalem, near the Dead Sea, and the
Sinai Desert in the south. The monks became an influential creative
force and pioneered the enrichment of the Church with an invaluable
trove of manuscripts and archives. The development of the Armenian
Lectionary, consisting of a comprehensive anthology of Armenian church
readings, hymns and celebration of feasts, liturgical calendar, and
numerous saints’ days, was a unique accomplishment. These elements and
others have become an integral part of the tradition of the Armenian
Church in the Holy Land thus making the Armenian Patriarchate a very
unique institution throughout the world.
Because of the Armenian Church’s enhanced prestige, the leading bishop
of the Church was elevated to the status of Patriarch sometime in the
5th century A.D. The first formally recorded Patriarch of Jerusalem
was named Abraham who, in the middle of the 7th Century A.D.,
received a charter and official recognition from the Arab Caliph
Omar Ibn-Il-Khattab of the Omayyad (Damascus) Dynasty. The charter
enumerated the rights and privileges of the Armenian Church in the
Holy Land, guaranteeing its integrity and security.
On the back wall facing the main entrance to the St. James Convent
there is an elaborately carved inscription in Arabic which, loosely
translated, warns all intruders: `This decree from our Lord Sultan
and King Al-Daher Abu Sayid Mohammed, cursed be to all those and their
sons through generations, and may Almighty God curse whoever harms or
inflicts any injustice to this Holy Place. Abu Kheyer Razan hereby
guarantees this to the St. James Armenian Convent in Jerusalem. In
the year of Mohammed 854 (1488 A.D.)’. This and previous protective
edicts have helped strengthen and perpetuate the integrity of the
Patriarchate and have provided a basis for succeeding conquerors to
honor these pledges.
The final and most important pledge was made by the written
declaration of the Turkish Sultan, Abdul Majid, in 1852. This
declaration officially established the principle of "Status Quo"
(i.e. existing "as is" condition) in the Holy Places, which defines,
regulates and maintains, without change, the proprietary rights in
the Holy Places granted exclusively to the three major Christian
rites–Greek, Armenian and Latin Catholic–thus making the Armenian
Church equal in stature to the Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches
despite its relatively small size.
As a result of the "Status Quo", one interesting aspect unique to
the Holy Places is the cadre of guards, caretakers, called "Kawasses"
who were primarily Moslem, a choice seemingly inspired by logic. Not
being Christian, they could impartially administer any Holy Place,
thus eliminating points of contention between the three major Christian
rites. Over the centuries, these functions were passed from father
to son throughout succeeding generations. The Kawasses protecting
the Armenian Patriarch have become such familiar figures over the
past hundreds of years that the successive generations have learned
Armenian and speak it fluently.
Throughout the ensuing decades the resident Armenian community
continued to grow and prosper, yielding tradesmen and merchants
who shared their prosperity with their Church by donating land and
assisting in the construction of new churches, commercial buildings
and housing. The need for printed materials in the Armenian language
resulted in the establishment of the first printing press in Jerusalem
in 1833 within the walls of the St. James Convent. The first issue of
"SION", the official monthly publication of the Armenian Patriarchate
was first distributed to the public in 1866. In 1841 the first
Armenian Theological Seminary was founded just north of Jerusalem,
in the town of Ramle, and in 1845 that Seminary was physically moved
to a newly-built complex within the confines of the Convent.
As World War I ended, and Palestine was liberated from the Ottoman
Turks by the British, there was a large influx of Armenian
refugees who were welcomed by the Patriarchate and settled in
available facilities. With the increased population in and around
the Patriarchate, children’s education became a growing matter of
concern. Fortunately, the Seminary afforded a ready-made system
for the education of boys at the elementary level. This approach,
by its nature, must have provided future candidates for the Seminary
and subsequent ordination into the priesthood. However, without the
inclusion of girls in the scheme, the endeavor was not deemed to
be complete. Finally, in the 1860’s, a small building was erected
adjacent to the Seminary, thus creating the first girls’ elementary
school in Jerusalem. These schools continued to operate well into
the early 1920’s.
In 1925, through the efforts of the newly-elected Patriarch Yeghishe
Tourian, a staunch believer in education, a unified elementary school
came into existence. Patriarch Tourian set about modernizing the
curriculum of the Seminary and acquiring highly-qualified instructors
from the cadre of talented teachers and educators who had come to
Jerusalem as refugees. He envisioned the construction and establishment
of an educational institution under one roof to accommodate the growing
number of children in the community. In 1929, the unified elementary
school officially opened its doors. By consolidating disparate
locations, including the St. Gayane Girl’s School, this elementary
school became the first co-educational institution in the Holy Land
and was renamed School of the Holy Translators ("Serpots Tarkmantchats
Varjaran") after the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob, the inventors of the
Armenian alphabet in approximately 400 A.D. It is in existence today.
These organs of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem–the School,
the St. James Cathedral, the Patriarchate, the Armenian Seminary,
the Calouste Gulbenkian Library, and the Edward and Helen Mardigian
Museum — together with its custodianships of the Holy Places —
form the core of the Armenian presence in Jerusalem today.