| 511
A mine Melkonyan
The li e a y he i age o he philosophe ,
heologian and philologis Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i
(18 h–19 h cen u ies)
Abs ac
A he Mash o s‘ Ma enada an he e a e 14 manusc ip s con aining w i ings c ea ed, edi ed o
compiled by Ho sep‘ A s‘ahke s‘i. The mos popula among Ho sep‘’s wo ks was he ab idged
e sion o he Philosophia by he F ench Dominican philosophe and heologian An oine Goudin
(1639–1695), ansla ed and edi ed by Fa he V ‘anēs Askē ean in 1750–1751 in Venice. Ho sep‘
a dape abb e ia ed and edi ed he Commen a y on he Gospel o Ma hew by John Ch ysos om,
adding in e p e a ion o some p o e bs missing om he Gospel o Ma hew. Ho sep‘‘s e sions o
Goudin’s Philosophia and Ch ysos om’s in e p e a ion had mos ly p ac ical signi icance and we e
aimed a p omo ing he philosophical and heological lea ning and eaching. The Shield o O ho-
dox (p ese ed in only one manusc ip ) by Ho sep‘ could be a sou ce o s udying con essional
issues (be ween he Lu he ans and he membe s o he A menian Apos olic Chu ch) in A s‘ahk in
he 19 h cen u y. Ho sep‘ A s‘ahke s‘i compiled a B ie Dic iona y o Classical A menian (published
in 1830, in he P in ing House o Shushi, ounded by Basel P o es an Missiona ies) and an elemen-
a y g amma o classical A menian o he beginne s. One o he main peculia i ies o he dic io-
na y
is ha e y o en he classical A menian wo ds ha e dialec al as well as Pe sian and/o Tu kish
explana ions. The e o e, i could be a ascina ing sou ce o s udying he language and dialec o
A s‘akh o he ime. The in o ma ion p o ided by he colophons and insc ip ions o he manusc ip s
(some o which a e au og aphs) and he old-p in ed books, as well as he p e aces and i les o he
w i ings a e analyzed o be e unde s and he en i onmen whe e hese philosophical, heological
and g amma ical ea ises we e c ea ed and sp ead.
Kiel-UP •
h ps://doi.o g/10.38072/978-3-928794-95-4/p25
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My pape seeks o p esen he li e a y and manusc ip he i age o an 18 h–19 h cen u y
A menian schola , eache and a dape Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i.1 I will discuss his au og aphs
housed a he Ma enada an – Mash o s‘ Ins i u e o Ancien Manusc ip s,2 as well as some
old-p in ed books, ying o obse e Ho sep‘’s w i ings in he con ex o his pedagogical
ac i i y and gene ally he educa ion o A s‘ahk in he 19 h cen u y.
The e is no much in o ma ion abou Ho sep‘‘s ea ly li e.3 I is known ha he was bo n in
he ci y o Shushi, p obably in he 60s o 70s o he 18 h cen u y. Ho sep‘ is mos ly amous
o his pedagogical and educa ional ac i i ies. A 19 h cen u y A menian w i e , a elle
Mes op T‘aghiadean, men ions in his a el no es ha du ing his s ay in Shushi in 1821 he
me Ho sep‘ Va dape , who was hen called »a philosophe «.4 Ho sep‘ was in i ed by he
p ominen noble amilies o Shushi o he pu pose o eaching hei sons and daugh e s.
The e o e, T‘aghiadean also ook lessons o Logic and Philosophy om him. In his no es
T‘aghiadean p esen s an in e es ing dialogue wi h Ho sep‘, cha ac e izing him as a e y
pa ien , wise and knowledgeable pe son.5 Ano he A menian a elle , bishop Sa gis Jala-
lean s‘, who was a s uden o Ho sep‘ o a sho pe iod, desc ibes him as » he i s sou ce
o ligh o he p o ince o A s‘akh in he ecen imes«.6 A 19 h–20 h cen u ies A menian
his o ian Lēō epo s he ollowing:
»He (Ho sep‘) was a monk p o icien in Theology, Logic, Rhe o ic, G amma . He was a-
mous o his eligious li e in he monas e ies o Gandzasa and S . Hakob«.
7
Al hough Ho sep‘ was in i ed o Shushi o a special mission, he did no s ay in he ci y
o long and mainly ca ied ou his scien i ic and educa ional ac i i ies in he monas e ies
o Gandzasa and Me saṛana s‘ Su b Hakob.8 His ame was so g ea ha he ich amilies o
Shushi sen hei child en o li e in hose monas e ies in o de o con inue he discipleship.
Ho sep‘ collabo a ed wi h he P o es an Missiona ies o Basel Mission in Shushi as well,
1 The A menian names and wo ds a e ansli e a ed acco ding o he Lib a y o Cong ess sys em. All ansla ions om
A menian a e mine. I p e e ed o make a mo e li e al ansla ion in o de o con ey he essence o he o iginals as accu-
a el
y as possible.
2 The sigla M is used o he Ma enada an–Mash o s‘ Ins i u e o Ancien Manusc ip s.
3 I assume ha i would be possible o ge mo e in o ma ion in he a chi al documen s, which, howe e , is beyond he
scope o his pape .
4
Mes o b T‘aghiadean s‘ M., Ճանապարհորդութիւն Մեսրովբայ Թաղիադեանց Սարկաւագի Սրբոյ Էջմիածնի ի
Հայս [T a el o Mes ob T‘aghiadean s‘, Deacon o Holy E chmiadzin, o A menia], 1, Calcu a, 1847, 292–293.
5 Ibidem, 293–295.
6
Sa gis Jalalean s‘ (A chbishop), Ճանապարհորդութիւն ի Մեծն Հայաստան [Jou ney o G ea e A menia], Pa 2, Tbilisi, 1858, 355.
7 L
ēō
, Պատմութիւն Ղարաբաղի Հայոց թեմական հոգեւոր դպրոցի, 1838–1913 [His o y o he A menian Diocesan
spi i ual school o Ka abakh, 1838–1913], Tbilisi, 1914, 84–85.
8 These monas e ies we e amous educa ional cen e s and sc ip o ia. See Tama a Minasyan, Արցախի գրչության
կենտրոնները [Sc ip o ia o A s‘akh], Ye e an, 2015, 9–26.
Melkonyan: The li e a y he i age o Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i
| 513
eaching in hei school.9 The his o ian Lēō e en alked o he elde s o Shushi o lea n mo e
abou him. Acco ding o hem, Ho sep‘ was »ex emely ace ious and a wine lo e «.10
Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i passed away in 1847. By he o de o he p ima e o he Ka abakh
diocese, Me opoli an Baghdasa Hasan-Jalalean s‘, he was bu ied on he no he n side o
he Gandzasa monas e y. The e si ied epi aph desc ibes him he bes :
»Ho sep‘ was a amous schola eache - a dape A agean s‘ o A s‘ahk: O, A k, how a e
you able o su e / And ca y he g ea eache inside you / You w ap up an old bene icen
/ You lea e he speechless child en as o phans om hei holy a he . / Come, iends, o you
lo ely muses / Le us mou n wi h p o use ea s he dea h o ou a he / As Jesus wep o
his Laza us/. 1847«.11
A he Mash o s‘ Ma enada an he e a e 14 manusc ip s con aining w i ings c ea ed, edi ed
o compiled by Ho sep A s‘ahke s‘i. Some o he manusc ip s a e au og aphs o copied by
his disciples. Below is a lis o he ea ises I am going o discuss in de ail.
1. Book o Theo e ical Philosophy
12
[Գիրք Տեսական փիլիսոփայութեան, Gi k‘ Tesakan
P‘ilisop‘ayu ‘ean] – M 2525 (d. 1816), M 6818 (d. 1812, 1816), M 2835 (d. 1831), M 2990
(d. 1835), M 3619 (d. 1835), M 8750 (d. 1835), M 2828 (d. 19 h c.), M 4038 (d. 19 h c.),
M 4045 (d. 19 h c.), M 6556 (d. 19 h c.). As we will see, he i s pa o his wo k was
published in 1840 in Shushi.
2. a. A compila ion Commen a y
13
o he Gospel o Ma hew c ea ed by John Ch ysos om
[Ծաղկաքաղ մեկնութիւն Աւետարանին Մատթէոսի, զոր արարեալ է Յօհաննու
Ոսկեբերանին, Tsaghkak‘agh Meknu ‘iwn Awe a anin Ma ‘ēosi, zo a a eal ē
Yōhannu Oskebe anin].
b. Ho sep‘ A s‘ahke s‘i’s In e p e a ion on he P o e bs, which a e no ound in
he conco dance o he Gospel o Ma hew [Յովսէփայ Արցախեցւոյ մեկնութիւն
Առակաց, որք ոչ գտանին ի համաձայնութիւնս Աւետարանին Մատթէոսի,
Yo s
ē
p‘ay A s‘akhe s‘woy Meknu ‘iwn A
ṛ
aka s‘ o k‘ och‘ g anin i hamadzaynu ‘iwns
Awe a anin Ma
ē
osi] – M 3618 (d. 1817), M 3620 (d. 19 h c.).
9 Mo e abou he ac i i y o he missiona ies see S yopa Pe oyan, Շուշիում բազելյան բողոքական քարոզիչների
հաստատումը եւ տպարանի հիմնադրումը [The Ins alla ion o Basel P o es an Missiona ies in Shushi and he Foun-
da ion o he P in ing House], Eu opean Uni e si y: Collec ion o Scien i ic A icles, 2019, 10, 372–384. Abel Manoukian,
Die Basle Missionsgesellscha und die A menie 1823–1835, in: M. Tamcke e al. eds., Das A menische Kul u e be in
Be g-Ka abach/A zach und die Deu schen, Uni e si ä s e lag Gö ingen, 2021, 61–84 u. 85–114. See also Manoukian’s con-
ibu ion o his olume.
10 L
ēō
, Պատմութիւն Ղարաբաղի Հայոց թեմական հոգեւոր դպրոցի, 1838–1913 [His o y o he A menian Diocesan
spi i ual school o Ka abakh, 1838–1913], 85.
11 Maka Ba khu a ean s‘ Արցախ [A s‘akh], Baku, 1895, 179.
12 This is no an o iginal i le, bu a con en ional one, used in he Manusc ip Ca alogues o he Ma enada an.
13 I will some imes use he e m ›Flo ilegium‹ o his wo k.
514 | Das kul u elle E be on A zach | Արցախի մշակութային ժառանգությունը
3. A book called Shield o he O hodox [Գիրք, որ կոչի Վահան ուղղափառաց, Gi k‘ o
koch‘i Vahan ughghap‘a
ṛ
a s‘] – M 2622 (d. 1838).
4. This book is called a Pamphle o Ve b o he use o beginne s
[Գիրքս այս կոչի
տետրակ բայի ի պէտս համբակաց, Gi k‘s ays koch‘i e ak bayi i pē ʹs hambaka s‘] –
M 2563 (d. 1839), M 3620 (d. 19 h c.).
5. B ie Dic iona y om G aba
ṛ
14
o Ashka haba
ṛ
15
o he use o beginne s [Hama
ṛ
o
ba
ṛ
gi kʻ i g aba
ṛē
yashkha haba
ṛ
n i p
ē
ʹs hambaka s‘]. This dic iona y was published
in 1830 in Shushi.
The in o ma ion p o ided by he colophons and insc ip ions o he manusc ip s, as well
as he p e aces and i les o he w i ings a e e y impo an o be e unde s and he en-
i onmen whe e hese philosophical, heological and g amma ical ea ises we e c ea ed
and sp ead.
1. An oine Goudin’s Philosophia in he A menian en i onmen
The mos popula among Ho sep‘‘s wo ks was he Book by he F ench Dominican o
Theo e ical Philosophy. In ac , i is he ab idged e sion o he philosophical ea ise by a
F ench Dominican philosophe and heologian An oine Goudin (1639–1695).16 Goudin’s
Philosophia was ansla ed in o A menian in he 18 h cen u y by he A menian ansla o
and philologis Fa he V ‘anēs Askē ean,17 a membe o he Mekhi a is Cong ega ion,
and was published in 1750–1751 in Venice.18 The Philosophia had been ansla ed in o
A menian al eady in he 17 h cen u y by he heologian and ansla o Ghukas a dape
Kha be d s‘i, who li ed in Cons an inople and p o ided ansla ions om La in and I alian
in o A menian.19 Mo eo e , he e a e se e al A menian commen a ies on his ea ise.20
14 Classical A menian.
15 Mode n A menian.
16 Philosophia jux a inconcussa u issimaque di i Thomae dogma a: blogicam, physicam, mo alem & me aphysicam qua-
uo omis complec ens.
17 See Asa u P‘ashayan, Վրթանես Ասկերյանը եւ նրա թարգմանական ժառանգությունը [V ‘anes Aske yan and his
ansla ion he i age], Pa ma-banasi akan handes, 2005, 3, 96–102.
18
V ‘anēs Askē ean, ans., Philosophy acco ding o he une ing and in allible doc ine o S . Thoma, di ided in o 4 o-
lumns, c ea ed by Fa he An on Ko din heologian a dape o he ci y o Pa is..., ansla ed wi h he p ecau ion in o A -
menian by Fa he V ‘anēs a dape Askē ean o Cons an inople... [Փիլիսոփայութիւն ըստ անըստերիւր եւ անսայթաք
վարդապետութեան սրբոյն Թովմայի՝ բաժանեալ ի չորս հատորս, զոր արարեալ է հօր Անտոնի Կովդնոյ
աստուածաբան վարդապետի Փարես քաղաքի..., թարգմանեալ զգուշութեամբ ի հայկազեան լեզուիս ոճոյ ի
հայր Վրթանէս վարդապետէ Ասկէրեանց Կոստանդնուպօլսեցւոյ...], Venice 1750 ( ol. 1–3), Venice 1751 ( ol. 4).
19
See No ay Pogha ean (Tso akan), Ղուկաս վրդ. Խարբերդցի [Ghukas a dape Kha be d s‘i), Sion, 1979, Ma ch-Ap il, 67–68.
20
Hakob Anasyan, Հայկական մատենագիտություն, Ե-ԺԸ դդ [The A menian Bibliog aphy, 5
h
–18
h
cen u ies], 1, Ye e an,
1959, 965–966.
Melkonyan: The li e a y he i age o Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i
| 515
One o hem was composed by Yakob a dape T‘op‘uzean s‘ in he He mi age o Lim21 » o
he acili y o he s udious pupils«.22 I is ob ious ha he Philosophia has enjoyed a g ea
epu a ion among he A menians since he 17 h cen u y and has been popula in di e-
en monas e ies, educa ional cen e s, as well as in A s‘akh. In ac , Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i
compiled his philosophical wo k om he men ioned ansla ion and edi ion by V ‘anēs
Askē ean. Acco ding o Askē ean’s ansla ion and edi ion, in he manusc ip s Ho sep‘s
Philosophy consis s o 4 pa s:
• On Logic [Յաղագս տրամաբանութեան, Yaghagʹs T amabanu ‘ean],
• On Physics [Յաղագս բնաբանութեան, Yaghag
ʹ
s bnabanu ‘ean],
• On Me aphysics [Յաղագս համաբնաբանութեան, Yaghag
ʹ
s hamabnabanu ‘ean],
• On E hics [
Յաղագս բարոյականի
, Yaghag
ʹ
s ba oyakani].
23
Al eady in 1840, he i s (and he only) pa o he Philosophy was published in Shushi
unde he i le:
»The i s pa o Philosophy, which is said Logic, ab idged om he main Logic o he
heologian a dape Goudin in 1830. Edi ed by he schola a dape Fa he Ho sep‘
Tē -Awagean
A s‘ahke s‘i, who is a membe o he holy monas e y o Gandzasa , in he
Khach‘en dis ic o A s‘akh. In he days o he pa ia cha e o His Holiness Yo hann
Ka be s‘i, a holy Ca holicos o all A menians and a Knigh , and by he o de o he lo d
His Holiness Me opoli an Bagh asa Hasan-Jalalean s‘ he high A chbishop, in he p in-
ing house o he Diocese P ima e high and holy Me opoli an o Ka abakh, Bagh asa , in
Shushi, 1840«.
24
Based on he i le-page, one can say ha he book published in 1840 was p epa ed al eady
in
1830. A he Ma enada an, he e is a manusc ip con aining his wo k, copied in 1816 »by
21
The Lim monas e y was loca ed in he island Lim in Lake Van,Wes e n A menia. I was a amous sc ip o ium. See Lusine
T‘umanyan L., Վանայ Լճի կղզիների վանքերի գրչության կենտրոնները [The Sc ip o ia o he Monas e ies o he
Van Lake Island]Ye e an, 2020.
22
M 5369, ol. 1 . See also M 2645, ol. 1 –164 , c . Gēo g Tē -Va danean e al., eds., Մայր Ցուցակ հայերէն ձեռագրաց
Մաշտոցի անուան Մատենադարանի [Gene al ca alogue o A menian Manusc ip s o he Mash o s‘ Ma enada an],
8, Ye e an, 2013, 911–914.
23 See e.g. M 2828, ol. 3 , 52 , 63 , 98 .
24 Առաջին մասն փիլիսոփայութեան որ ասի Տրամաբանութիւն՝ համառօտեալ ի բուն Տրամաբանութենէ
աստուածաբան վարդապետին Կովդնոյ ի 1830 ամի: Աշխատասիրութեամբ հօր Յովսեփայ գիտնական
վարդապետի Տէր-Աւագեան Արցախեցւոյ, որ է միաբան սրբոյ վանիցն Գանձասարու՝ եղելոյ ի Խաչէն
գաւառակին Արցախայ: Ի հայրապետութեան տեառն եւ տեառն Յովհաննու Կարբեցւոյ սրբազնասուրբ
կաթուղիկոսի ամենայն Հայոց եւ ասպետի, հրամանաւ տեառն Բաղտասարայ ասպետափառ մետրապօլտի եւ
բարձր սրբազան արհիեպիսկոպոսի Հասան-Ջալալեանց: Ի տպարանի վիճակաւոր առաջնորդին Ղարաբաղու
բարձր սրբազան Մետրապօլտին Բաղտասարայ: 1840 ի Շուշի, ՌՄՁԹ.:

516 | Das kul u elle E be on A zach | Արցախի մշակութային ժառանգությունը
he hand o Ho sep‘ a dape and his disciple, a sin ul p ies Va dan«,25 which p o es ha
Ho sep‘ A s‘ahke s‘i had wo ked on Goudin’s Philosophia be o e o a leas in 1816. This
means ha be o e being published, his wo k was used in a manusc ip o m, se ing as a
philosophy manual in he schools o A s‘akh. Manusc ip s con inued o be used e en a e
he wo k was published. Fo example, M 2835, copied in 1831 in Shushi, la e belonged o
A shak Te -Mik‘ēlean, a 19 h cen u y ou s anding A menian heologian, his o ian who s u-
died in Ge many and was a s uden o Hein ich Gelze and Adol  onHa nack. Acco ding o
a la e colophon, a e he dea h o A shak Te -Mik‘ēlean his b o he Sed ak Te -Mik‘ēlean
dona ed he manusc ip o he Lib a y o he Mo he See o E chmiadzin.26
In he manusc ip s, Ho sep‘‘s Philosophy has an in oduc ion, which is missing om
he 1840 edi ion. The au ho explains he aim o his ea ise and gene ally he ele ance o
philosophy and logic o heology, he impo ance o knowledge o ai h:
»Be awa e, O eade , o as he in isible beings o God a e known by he isible hings, so
God he C ea o is ecognized by examining hem. Fo ins ance, Ab aham, he a he o
ai h, was skilled in as onomy, ha ‘s why he ecognized God easily, while his a he , Ta a,
was no skilled in as onomy, ha ‘s why he emained in he da kness o idola y. And
al hough God can only be ecognized by ai h, i is known ha any hing admi ed wi hou
a eliable knowledge is incomple e. Like wine is be e seen om abo e han om ou side
o om he sides. And in addi ion o knowing God by ai h wi h he na u al ligh o he
mind, he mo e he eade knows he c ea u es, he mo e skilled he will be in heology,
and ice e sa, he mo e he lacks he knowledge o beings, he mo e emp y and de oid o
heology he will be. The e o e, all he ai h ul eade s who did wish o lea n heology, i s
endea ou ed o examine he a ional beings, wo king o he bes o hei abili y, and soon
a e hey ound hemsel es skill ul in Theology«.
27
In his chap e , I p esen only a gene al o e iew o he A menian e sions o Philosophia
by An oine Goudin wi h he ocus o he compila ion and edi ion by Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i.
A de ailed s udy on he A menian ansla ions, commen a ies, edi ions o Philosophia would
be an in e es ing opic o u he esea ch, aking in o accoun ha Goudin’s wo k has been
widely sp ead and used as a logic and philosophy manual since he 17 h cen u y.
25 M 2525, ol. 1 , c . G
ē
o g T
ē
-Va danean e al., eds., Մայր Ցուցակ հայերէն ձեռագրաց Մաշտոցի անուան
Մատենադարանի [Gene al Ca alogue o A menian Manusc ip s o he Mash o s‘ Ma enada an], 8, 362.
26 M 2835, ol. 1 , c . G
ē
o g T
ē
-Va danean e al., eds., Մայր Ցուցակ հայերէն ձեռագրաց Մաշտոցի անուան
Մատենադարանի [Gene al Ca alogue o A menian Manusc ip s o he Mash o s‘ Ma enada an], 9, 2017, 837–840.
27 M 2990, ol. 2 .
Melkonyan: The li e a y he i age o Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i
| 517
2. Flo ilegium o he Commen a y on he Gospel o Ma hew
by John Ch ysos om
As indica ed in he colophon (in e wined wi h he i le) he sc ibe o M 3618, copied in 1617
in he monas e y o S . Hacob, is Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i:
»Book o In e p e a ion on he Holy Gospel o Ma hew, c ea ed by sain John Ch ysos om,
om which we ha e compiled and b ie ly collec ed and di ided in o six pa s [...]«.
28
Thus, Ho sep‘ clea ly in o ms he eade ha his manusc ip ep esen s an ab idged e sion o
Ch ysos om’s Commen a y.29 The manusc ip has 280 olios, he i s pa ( ol. 5 –261 ) is he
commen a y on Ma hew, he second pa ( ol. 261 –279 ) is en i led
Ho sep‘ A s‘akhes s‘i’s
In e p e a ion on he P o e bs, which a e no ound in he conco dance o he Gospel o
Ma hew
.30
In he beginning ( ol. 2 –4 ), Ho sep‘ inse ed a p e ace o he Flo ilegium whe e he ex-
plains he s uc u e, con en and he pu pose i was w i en o . A he same ime he con eys
his e lec ions on he biblical in e p e a ions, emphasizing hei majo ole in heology and
spi i ual li e:
»Be awa e, O kind eade , ha we ha e di ided his book in o six pa s and a ached a
p ope lis o each o hem, so ha he philologis s [li : lo e s o he wo d], when hey
ha e doub s abou any hing, do no was e e o and sol e he unce ain y o hei hea s.
A he end o he six pa s, we added he in e p e a ion o se e al i ems ha a e no in he
Gospel o Ma hew and pu i as a sepa a e sec ion«.
31
The au ho also explains he aim and use ulness o his e sion:
»[...] by compiling exce p s om he Commen a y, we ied o ab idge i , because hose
who ead an ex ensi e in e p e a ion can ha dly keep he i ems in mind and soon o ge
hem. While b ie hings a e easily imp essed in he mind o a eade and a e kep in he
memo y o a long ime«.
32
28 M 3618, ol. 2
29 John Ch ysos om’s w i ings ha e been ansla ed in o A menian in he 5 h cen u y and had a g ea in luence on he
A menian medie al li e a u e.
30 M 3618, ol. 261 .
31 M 3618, ol. 2 .
32 Ibidem, ol. 3 .
518 | Das kul u elle E be on A zach | Արցախի մշակութային ժառանգությունը
In he p e ace, he c i icizes (wi hou speci ying anyone) some con empo a y heologians
who did no alue he Commen a y as i dese es (i is no clea whe he his e e s o he
commen a y as a whole o o he ab idged e sion):
»Some heologian a dape s heologian a dape s do no need his, mo eo e hey call
his a child’s oy. While igno an s like me conside i as a p iceless pea l and an hono able
diamond«.
33
Ho sep‘ highly app ecia es he Bible commen a y in gene al, cha ac e izing i as he alpha-
be o heology, he lowe le el and a necessa y s age. In his ega d, he makes a beau i ul
compa ison:
»Jus as man is no a man wi hou a a ional soul, so heology is no heology wi hou he
in e p e a ion o he Sc ip u es«.
34
Thus, he exho s he eade s o engage in sc ip u al in e p e a ion, especially in he New
Tes amen . A he end o he p e ace, he asks he eade s and hose »who as e he ui s
o his soul-sus aining ee«, o emembe him in hei p aye s, modes ly calling himsel a
»wo hless philologis «.35
I would be in e es ing o compa e his Flo ilegium wi h he o iginal e sion o lea n
which e ses we e chosen, which passages we e conside ed o be he mos impo an ones
o Ho sep‘. I wonde whe he he e a e any addi ions by he compile o i be e o he
wo ld iew and he eligious dogma ical challenges o his ime. The ab idged e sion o John
Ch ysos om’s Commen a y on Ma hew would be ele an o he pa is ic s udies as well, in
espec o lea ning he pe cep ion o Ch ysos om’s wo k in he 19 h cen u y. Mos p obably
his Flo ilegium was also p epa ed o be published, as Goudin’s Philosophia, bu he publi-
ca ion was no implemen ed. A he Ma enada an, he e is ano he manusc ip copied by
Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i and an anonymous sc ibe (pe haps one o his disciples) con aining
his Commen a y.36
33 Ibidem.
34 Ibidem.
35 Ibidem, ol. 4 .
36 M 3620, ol. 1 –260 .
Melkonyan: The li e a y he i age o Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i
| 519
3. Shield o he O hodox – a sou ce o s udying
con essional issues in he 19 h cen u y
In 1838, Ho sep‘ A s‘akhe s‘i w o e a dogma ic ea ise A book called Shield o he O hodox
by he eques o he p ima e o Ka abakh diocese, Me opoli an Baghdasa Hasan-Jalale-
an s‘. This wo k is p ese ed only in one manusc ip 37 – M 2622, ol. 21 –42 , penned by
Ho sep‘ in 1838, in he ci y o Shushi.38 In he i le, he au ho -sc ibe calls himsel » he mos
humble Ho sep‘ he monk (li : clo hed in black) A s‘ahke s‘i, om he cong ega ion o he
Holy monas e y o Gandzasa «.39 The Shield consis s o h ee pa s:
1. On as ing,
2. On in e cession o sain s,
3. On he lo e/ espec and ha e o images.
40
I becomes ob ious om he con en ha hese we e he main issues ha had been dispu ed
be ween he Lu he ans and he ollowe s o he A menian Chu ch. The ea ise is w i en
in he o m o an exho a ion, wi h nume ous e e ences o he Holy Sc ip u es.41 Ho sep‘
speaks mainly in he second pe son. One can say ha he add essees we e he membe s o
he A menian Chu ch who sympa hized wi h o ollowed he Lu he an Chu ch42 as well as
he ep esen a i es o he Lu he an Chu ch. The ph ases »You see, o, Lu he an«, »You should
know, o, Lu he ans« a e ound in he w i ing, which a e ollowed by cla i ica ions abou
he con ession o he A menian Chu ch on he men ioned opics. Ho sep‘ ies o jus i y his
app oach, pa icula ly wi h sc ip u al quo a ions and examples (and no he Chu ch Fa he s
o adi ion), o :
»I know ha you do no accep he es imony o he pa ia chs, saying ha a pa ia ch was
a man like me«.
43
37 A leas his is he only example known o us a he ime.
38 Fo he de ailed desc ip ion see G
ē
o
g T
ē
-Va danean e al., eds., Մայր Ցուցակ հայերէն ձեռագրաց Մաշտոցի
անուան Մատենադարանի [Gene al Ca alogue o A menian Manusc ip s o he Mash o s‘ Ma enada an], 8, 751–768
( he wo k in ques ion 753–754).
39 M 2622, ol. 21 .
40 Ra he han using he e ms ›iconoclas y‹ and ›iconola ia‹ I p esen a li e al ansla ion.
41 I wonde whe he some passages could had been ead as se mons du ing he Li u gy by he commissione Me opoli an
Hasan-Jalalean s‘ o by Ho sep‘ himsel .
42 The Basel missiona ies we e o iginally o ien ed o p each among he pagan and Muslim peoples o T anscaucasia. How-
e e , hey soon ocused hei a en ion on he local A menian popula ion, ying o in ol e hem in he Ch is ianiza ion
o he Muslims. Thus, many A menian belie e s began o ollow hem, which was nega i ely assessed by he Mo he See
o Holy E chmiadzin. See Abel Manoukian, Die Basle Missionsgesellscha und die A menie 1823–1835, 87–93.
43 M 2622, ol. 24 –25 .