IIITHE RELIGION OF THE ANCIENT ARMENIANS

“And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord.” Gen. 9:20. “Our earth owes the seeds of all higher culture to religious traditions, whether literary or oral.”—Herdee.

The Bible, modern scholarship and Armenian traditions agree that the ark of Noah rested “upon the mountains of Ararat,” or Armenia. We learn from the Bible, that Noah came out of the ark and all those that were with him, and he builded an altar unto the Lord “and offered burnt offerings on the Altar.” This fact justifies Armenia’s claim to be the first country where a true and pure divine worship was again practised after the Deluge. The tradition of the Armenians coincides with the truth revealed in the Bible and with the results of modern scholarship, that the primitive religion of mankind was a pure and simple monotheism, in form patriarchal. Prof. Max Müller of Oxford, England, says “Religion is not a new invention. It is, if not as old as the world, at least as old as the world we know. As soon almost as we know anything of thethoughts and feelings of man, we find him in possession of religion, or rather possessed by religion.”

The Bible furnishes sufficient facts to assert that this pure monotheism in its patriarchal form was perpetuated among the immediate descendants of Noah, and later especially in the line of Abraham. Many centuries after the building of the first altar unto the Lord we find Abraham called by Jehovah out of his country and from his people to become the head of a nation through whom the knowledge of the only one true God should be perpetrated. God’s call of Abraham was not for the purpose of making a true worshiper of him, but that through him the true worship of Jehovah might be perpetuated. The Lord said “I will make of thee a great nation.”

Another example of the true worshiper of God in the time of Abraham was Melchizedek (King of righteousness), King of Salem (peace), “who was the high priest of the most high God.”[35]Melchizedek was not only a monotheist, but also the priest of a monotheistic faith. He reigned over his people on whose behalf he officiated as the high priest of the most high God. Now, therefore, it ought to be admitted that not only solitary individuals, like Abraham and Melchizidek, but the people of the latter also were true worshipers of God.

The Bible is not a universal history of mankind. Were it so, well might we have expected it to mention other nations and their early religious beliefs; though what little it incidentally states in regard tothem is marvelously accurate. The Armenian tradition that their primitive religion was monotheism, therefore, is neither incredible nor inconceivable, but on the contrary, it is most probable and is supported by the analogy of the Bible record.

The investigations of modern scholarship maintain the idea and render it almost a moral demonstration that the primitive religions of the ancient nations were of a monotheistic type or if not a pure monotheism, at least not very far from it. Prof. Max Müller, in his lectures on the “Origin and Growth of Religion,” says: “The Ancient Aryans felt from the beginning, aye, it may be more in the beginning than afterwards, the presence of a Beyond[36]of an Infinite, of a Divine, or whatever else we may call it now; and they tried to grasp and comprehend it, as we all do, by giving to it name after name.” It is conceded by the scholars that the ancient Armenians were closely connected with the ancient Aryans (See Chap. II), indeed that they were Aryans, and their legitimate descendants now speak a language which modern ethnologists decidedly pronounce to belong to Aryan or Indo-Germanic origin. Although we do not know when the separation of the Aryans took place, we can safely say that the above statementof Prof. Max Müller is also perfectly applicable to the ancient Armenians; yet we are not able to say how long such a purity of faith prevailed in Armenia.

The human mind is capable of progress, but when it is left to itself is sure to retrograde and degenerate. This is verified in the case of almost all nations and in the history of all the religions of the world. “That religion is liable to corruption is surely seen again and again. In one sense the history of most religions might be called a slow corruption of their primitive purity.” Divine aid, especially in religion, is therefore absolutely necessary for a true progress. Armenia left to herself fell into a gross form of idolatry. Her fall must have been hastened, if not caused, by her idolatrous neighbors, the Babylonians and Assyrians. For the idolatry which we find in the early history of the country is decidedly like that of Assyro-Babylonian. It is not the same religion adopted and practised by the inhabitants, but it is modeled after the Assyrian.

Anterior to the cuneiform inscriptions of Armenia the people must have had an idolatry similar to the Sabeism (Sabianism) of Babylonia, which was afterwards modeled to the Assyrian style, with its distinctive character. One of the inscriptions furnishes a long list of the gods and the regulations for sacrifices daily to be offered to them. There are, however, three other gods, which stood apart by themselves at the head of the Pantheon. These are Khaldis, Tusbas (the air god) and Adinis (the sun god). But Khaldis is the supreme god and the father of othergods; and in addition to these every tribe, and city and fortress seem to have its respective god. Some other gods are Avis or Auis (the water god), Agas (the earth god), Dhuspuas (the god of Tosp, the City of Van), Selardis (the moon god), Sardis (the year god). The Armenians, in this period, do not seem to have any goddess. Saris is found only mentioned once in the inscriptions and is translated “queen,” yet it is supposed to have been borrowed from the Assyrian Istar. Whether all the other gods are the children of the supreme god Khaldis, or are subordinate to him and separate from his numerous offsprings, it is not quite clear; the latter, however, is most likely the case, because the Kaldians (the children of Khaldis) and other gods have their separate offerings assigned to them according to their importance.

With the rise of the Medo-Persian empire a new religion rises from obscurity to prominence in western Asia. This is the religion of Zoroaster. It is generally believed that Zoroaster was a real person and the founder of this religion, which is called after his name, Zoroastrianism. There is, however, great uncertainty about the period of his existence; some would make him contemporary with David or Solomon. It is probable that he lived in a much later time than these Israelitish kings.

The religion of Zoroaster is dualistic. It teaches that there are two uncreated beings. Ormazd, the supreme good, and Ahriman, the evil; that Ormazd created the earth, the heavens, and man, and thatman is created free; Ahriman is the evil and evil-doer, and in constant war with Ormazd; this world is their battlefield. There are inferior (good and bad) spirits which are calledgenii, who are the instruments of Ormazd (the good spirits) and Ahriman (the bad spirits). Fire alone was the personification of the son of Ormazd, and therefore an object of veneration.[37]

The Magi were the priests of Zoroastrianism, with a high priest of this order who was called in the Armenian languageMogbed(the head or the leader of Magi). No doubt this was the religion of the Armenians for nearly eight centuries (550B.C.to 275 or 280A.D.), possibly with some modifications and additions from the Grecian polytheism after the conquest of Alexander the Great. The Roman deifications of her emperors did not effect Armenia.

FOOTNOTES:[35]Genesis, 14:18.[36]The following three Armenian words will show what they believed before the Christian religion was introduced into the country:(a)Asd-u-adzmeans God, and is made up ofasdandadz—“here” and “He brought,” namely—God is the one who brought us here.(b)Mart=man, is composedMi=no or not,art=now or the present-meaning not for the present. The man is made for the future or hereafter.(c)Mah=death,mi=no ornot,ah=fear. Death in Armenian meant no fear. Shows belief in the hereafter.[37]A sample of the polytheistic Babylonian’s prayer:“May the god whom I know not be appeased!May the goddess whom I know not be appeased!May both the god I know and the god I know not be appeased!”

[35]Genesis, 14:18.

[36]The following three Armenian words will show what they believed before the Christian religion was introduced into the country:(a)Asd-u-adzmeans God, and is made up ofasdandadz—“here” and “He brought,” namely—God is the one who brought us here.(b)Mart=man, is composedMi=no or not,art=now or the present-meaning not for the present. The man is made for the future or hereafter.(c)Mah=death,mi=no ornot,ah=fear. Death in Armenian meant no fear. Shows belief in the hereafter.

[36]The following three Armenian words will show what they believed before the Christian religion was introduced into the country:

(a)Asd-u-adzmeans God, and is made up ofasdandadz—“here” and “He brought,” namely—God is the one who brought us here.

(b)Mart=man, is composedMi=no or not,art=now or the present-meaning not for the present. The man is made for the future or hereafter.

(c)Mah=death,mi=no ornot,ah=fear. Death in Armenian meant no fear. Shows belief in the hereafter.

[37]A sample of the polytheistic Babylonian’s prayer:“May the god whom I know not be appeased!May the goddess whom I know not be appeased!May both the god I know and the god I know not be appeased!”

[37]A sample of the polytheistic Babylonian’s prayer:

“May the god whom I know not be appeased!May the goddess whom I know not be appeased!May both the god I know and the god I know not be appeased!”

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