Museum of the Bible touched upon Armenian historical and cultural monuments, in particular, ancient sanctuaries, churches and the conversion to Christianity in Armenia.
Armenia, which adopted Christianity as its state religion in the early 300s AD, is the world’s first Christian nation. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, it holds a vital place in the history of early Christianity.
The periodical stated that Nagorno-Karabakh bears traces of the broader history of early Christianity in the region. In the early fourth century, the Armenian, Georgian, and Caucasian Albanian kingdoms each adopted Christianity, forming what could be called a confederation of Christian states.
Nestled within that region is the land of Karabakh, known to Armenians as Artsakh. Located in the Armenian Highland, between the Kura and Araxes Rivers, it is a mountainous area that sits at the intersection of modern-day Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Its hilltops and thick forests provided refuge for Christian communities, helping them survive through centuries of war, conquest, and the sweep of Islamization starting in the seventh and eighth centuries.
Within the Armenian Christian tradition, these communities developed liturgical forms, sacred art, and distinctive architecture that are unique to the land they called home. Today, Karabakh still holds a treasury of churches, monasteries, khachkars (cross-stones), and sacred sites, many of them inscribed in Armenian with the names, stories, and prayers of people from ages past. The monasteries of Karabakh were also home to thriving scriptoria, which produced a wide range of illuminated manuscripts. These manuscripts give us insights into the social and religious life of the Armenian people throughout history.
The lands of Greater Armenia have ancient links to the Bible. One of the most familiar is the account of Noah’s ark and its resting place on “the mountains of Ararat”. The landing site of the ark is traditionally associated with Mt. Ararat, the towering peak that overlooks the modern nation of Armenia from just across the border with Turkey. From the mountains of Ararat, according to the Bible, humanity was given a second chance, a new beginning that started in this ancient land.
For centuries the Armenian Christian tradition developed distinct forms of liturgy, visual art, literature, and philosophy. It survived a succession of invasions, conquests, and empires, maintaining centuries of unbroken tradition.
By 1923, Armenians made up 94% of the population in Karabakh. In the early years of the Soviet Union, Communist leaders assigned the predominantly Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh to the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.
In 1991, as the Soviet Union was collapsing, the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh held a referendum, voting for independence. The periodical also referred to the 44-day war and further developments.
