Mesrop Mashtots

Mesrop Mashtots (Armenian Մեսրոպ Մաշտոց, scientific transliteration Mesrop mastoc '; * about 360 in Hatsik, Province Taraun Armenia, † February 17 440 in Echmiadzin ) was an Armenian saint and developer of the Armenian alphabet. On westarmenisch he is called Mesrob Maschdoz.

Life

After a Hellenistic education in Antioch and a time as a soldier in the service of the Armenian king in Vagharshapat Mesrop became a monk and received the 392 ordination. Since no Bible was in the Armenian language is available and the Armenian language by then was no written language, Mesrop began with the help of other church scholars to develop a 36 - buchstabiges alphabet for the Armenian language, which was based inter alia, on the Greek alphabet. Later he translated parts of the Bible by Syrian texts together with the Catholicos Sahak ( 387-439 ) and the other in his Armenian alphabet. The first Armenian Bible was completed in 435, additional translations from the Greek followed. In addition, he was a major player on the proselytizing of Armenia. After the death of Catholicos Sahak he took over 439 whose term of office.

Honors

Mesrops tomb is venerated in the named after him church in the village Oshakan ( about 15 kilometers northwest of Yerevan ). On the church grounds are 36 modern Chatschkare, each of which is designed according to a letter of the alphabet.

Located in downtown of Yerevan his monument is located at the Matenadaran. Both in the Soviet Union as well as in independent Armenia in honor stamps were issued to Mesrops. An endowment founded on 26 July 1993 Order of Armenia is the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots.