ARMENIAN STUDIES IN JERUSALEM

12.03.2010

ARMENIAN STUDIES IN JERUSALEM

Mickael Araqelyan

Armenian Studies Centre of Israel is in Jerusalem. It was founded in 1967 by Professor Michael Stone and it works till today at the Hebrew University. The Armenian Studies Centre is the independent branch of the Department of the Indian and Iranian Studies and it is subject to the Institute of African and Asian Studies at humanities faculty. The Georgian studies are taught within the framework of the Armenian programme. All the programmes of the Hebrew University and its Rothberg School are intended for foreign students.

We will focus on the activity of the Armenian Studies Centre for the recent decade.

In 2001 Professor Michael Stone (the Head of the Armenian Studies Centre) with the assistance of the Faculty of Humanities of the Hebrew University established close ties with the academic establishments in Armenia (Yerevan State University and the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts – Matenadaran). The chancellors of the Hebrew University and Yerevan State University signed agreement about the cooperation in the fields of students and research experience exchange.

Besides, an agreement was reached between the St. Hakobyants Fraternity in Jerusalem and Hebrew University which would encourage and assist Armenian clergy to continue its education at the Hebrew University.

Israeli students are also interested in studying different branches of the Armenia Studies. Throughout the school year, according to the statistic data of the Faculty of Humanities the lessons of the Armenian studies are attended by 2-8 students. Here it is considered to be a good performance. Due to the financial aid of beneficiaries from different countries the level of the research and teaching of different branches of the studies has grown. The students pass rather informative courses which reflect the richness and diversity of the Armenian history, language, art and culture.

Academic degrees – at the end of the study at the Armenian Studies Centre and after the defence of the papers and theses the Senate of the Hebrew University awards the academic degrees of Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) to the students. Those students and post-graduates who study and carry out their researches abroad are also allowed to visit Jerusalem for a short period during the academic year for in-depth training course or researching. The applicants for the PhD, according to the programme, may come for a year or two, in order to carry out their studies in the Armenian, Indian or Iranian departments.

The main lecturers of the Armenian and Georgian studies

Michael E. Stone, PhD (Harvard), D. Lit (Melbourne) – Armenian studies (Professor)
Sergio la Porta, PhD (Harvard) – Armenian studies (lecturer)
Konstantin Lerner, Doctor of Sciences (Tbilisi) – Georgian studies (Professor)
Nira Stone, PhD (Hebrew University) – Armenian Medieval painting (lecturer).

A number of other lecturers also offer the students of the Hebrew University different courses which are directly or indirectly connected with the Armenian studies, e.g. history, Eastern studies, comparative religious studies and the studies of the Eastern Christianity.

The following courses have been taught for the recent 8 years¹.

The courses offered for 1999-2000 academic year

The Art of Armenia and Christian East (Doctor N. Stone)²
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire: the Early Period (Doctor Roberta Ervine)
Armenian hagiography (Saints’ live) (Doctor R. Ervine)
The History of Sebeos (Prof. M. Stone)
Eznik Koghbatsi, “Against Herecy” (Prof. M. Stone)
The Texts Written in Medieval Armenian (grabar) (Prof. M. Stone)
University Monasteries in Medieval Armenia (Doctor S. la Porta and Prof. M. Stone)
Seminar on Armenian Studies (Prof. M. Stone)
Primary Georgian (Prof. K. Lerner)
Georgian Saints’ Live (V-X centuries) (Prof. K. Lerner) ³
The History of the Jewish Community in Georgia (Prof. K. Lerner)⁴.

The courses offered for 2000-2001 academic year

Primary Ancient Armenia (grabar) (Prof. M. Stone)
Armenians in the Modern Period (17th-20th centuries) (Doctor R. Ervine)
On Some Issues of the Armenia Art (Doctor N. Stone)⁵
Medieval Armenian Poetry (Prof. M. Stone)
The Advanced Course of Modern Armenian (Doctor R. Ervine)
Modern Armenian: Reading of the Text and its Structure (Doctor R. Ervine)
Armenian Holy Places and their visitors in the Holy Land before the Crusades (Prof. M. Stone)
Pilgrimage in the Armenian Tradition (Doctor R. Ervine)⁶
Literature: “Questions and Answers” in the Armenian Tradition (Doctor R. Ervin)⁷
Advanced Georgian (Prof. K. Lerner)
Introduction to the History of Georgia (Prof. K. Lerner)⁸
Jewish Folklore as a Source of Georgian Historiography (Prof. K. Lerner)⁹

The courses offered for 2001-2002 academic year

Armenia Lithography in Israel and Armenia (Prof. M. Stone) ¹⁰
Adam and Eva in the Armenian Tradition¹¹
Christianity in Armenia: Origin and Development (Doctor S. la Porta)
Armenian Studies: Modern Orientation and Researches (Doctor S. la Porta)
Grigor Tatewaci’s “Book of Questions” (“Doctor S. la Porta) ¹²
Eastern Monasticism (Doctor S. la Porta) ¹³
Armenian History from the Beginning till the 19th century (Doctor S. la Porta)
Armenian Art (Doctor N. Stone) ¹⁴

The courses for 2003-2008 by themes

Language: “Modern Armenian Literary Language for the Beginners” (Doctor S. la Porta). History: Armenian Sources about the Jews and Israel”, “Scriptural Literary Traditions in Armenian Culture” (Prof. M. Stone), “Historical Sources about Armenia before the Crusades” (Doctor Aram Topchyan, Matenadaran, Yerevan), “Conversion of Armenia” (Prof. Robert Hewsen, USA), “The World of the Eastern Christianity” (Doctor S. la Porta). Literature and art: “The Art of the Medieval Armenia” (Doctor N. Stone). Georgian studies: “Colloquial Georgian”, “Jewish Folklore as a Source of Georgian Historiography” and “The Political History of the Georgian People” (Prof. K. Lerner).

Since 2004 the Armenian Studies Centre has been inviting specialists in the field of the Armenian studies to read lectures. E.g. Prof. Robert Hewsen (USA) who won Lady Davis’s Grant and came to Jerusalem read the lectures during the spring semester. The lectures were devoted to the Christianization of Armenia. Then doctor Aram Topchyan (Yerevan, Matenadaran) came thanks to the Orion Foundation (Jerusalem). He ran a course devoted to the information in the Armenian historical sources about the countries neighbouring to Armenia. Together with Prof. Stone Aram Topchyan keep on working at the project devoted to the Jews in Armenia. Another specialist, Doctor Gohar Muradyan was invited to the Hebrew University in order to present to the students the results of the researches about the ancient Physiologus text published in Jerusalem in 2005¹⁵. The Armenian Studies Centre has preserved that tradition and invited specialists in Armenian studies, such as Prof. Theo van Lint (Oxford), Prof. Jasmine Dum-Tragud (Salzburg) and others.

The Master’s Degree contenders at the Armenian Studies Centre. There were few students in the history of this centre of the Hebrew University who finished their study and defended their papers. Let us mention all those students to whom the Hebrew University granted academic degrees (including PhD). Narine Yakubian (Los Angeles) wrote “The Life and Work of Jerusalem Patriarch Grigor Shghtayakir” master’s thesis. The master’s thesis of Yoav Loeff (Israel) was “Four Texts from the well-known oldest Armenian Manuscripts: Matenadaran, N116 (1428)”. The author prepares for publishing this study in the form of monograph. The member of St. Hakobyants Fraternity archimandrite Bagrat Purdjikian has finished his “The Unpublished Sermon of St. Grigor Vkayaser” master’s thesis, and archimandrite Emmanuel Aldjanian continues his study at Rothberg School and prepares paper on the study of the religions.

The PhD contenders at the Armenian Studies Centre. There have been only three PhD contenders for the recent 10 years. Nune Poghosyan defended her doctoral thesis “The Liturgical Music of the Armenian Church in Jerusalem”, and the subject of Marlen Yeordigian’s doctoral thesis was “The Relations between the State of Israel and Armenian Patriarchate in 1948-1967” ¹⁶. Mikael Arakelyan is professional painter and historian of art. He defended his “The Illustrated Gospels of Miniaturist Mesrop Khizantsi (the fist half of the 17th century)” candidate’s dissertation at the Institute of Art of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia in 2004. In the same year he started his post-graduate studies at the Hebrew University which he finished in 2009. The subject of his PhD thesis is “New Djugha’s school of the Armenian Miniature: Old Testament and New Testament cycles in four Gospels (1607-1660)” ¹⁷. The work is coming to an end and it should be submitted for consideration to the senate of the Hebrew University at the end of 2009 or at the beginning of 2010.

Friends and the sponsors of the Armenian Studies Centre.

The Sam and May Rudin Foundation Fellowships are awarded to cover the costs of the study at the Hebrew University of the clergymen from St. Hakobyants Fraternity. In 2003-2009 five clergymen were granted the fellowship at the university. They all have been studying at BA and MA courses.
“Grigor Momdjian” Fellowship is awarded by the Momdjyan’s family from Jerusalem (Tsolak, Alegra and their children Hakob, Albert and Monika) to the certified graduates of “Srbots Targmanchats” school for them to continue study at the Hebrew University. All the grant holders should attend different courses on Armenian studies as a part of their university education during the whole five years of study.
The Jack Rudin Fellowship was instituted by Mr. Jack Rudin (New York) and it is intended for the deacons who graduated from the “Zharangavorats” theological seminary under the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and who want to continue their study in the field of Armenian studies at the Hebrew University. The fellowship is awarded in order to help young deacons to deepen their knowledge and be useful to the Armenian Apostolic Church in the sequel

All the three foundations were officially approved by the president of the Hebrew University Mr. Menahem Magidor. Such financial assistance boosts the development of the Armenian Studies Centre and this, in its turn, promotes the growth of the educational level of the students and helps to contribute to the study of the intellectual, historical and artistic heritage of the Armenian people.

Prospects – Despite the eager activity of the Armenian Studies Centre in Jerusalem there are a number of problems and we will touch upon them briefly. Two years ago Prof. Michael Stone (the Head of the Armenian Studies Centre at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem) retired. In 2006-2007 academic years Doctor Sergio la Porta – the specialist in the field of Armenian Medieval Theology, history, grabar, as well as the role of the Armenians in Jerusalem (particularly in the Middle Ages) – was entrusted with the managing of the centre. At current moment the Armenian Studies Centre is at the verge of closing because the administration of the Hebrew University has not assigned means (as it used to do for the recent 40 years) to cover the expenses necessary for carrying out researches connected with the Armenian studies. The financial crisis has also hit other faculties. Amid such uncertainty Doctor S. la Porta was invited to the University of Fresno (California) to teach Armenian studies in 2009-2010 academic year. Even if he returns to Jerusalem it does not mean that the problem will be solved in the positive way. The administration of the university formally preserves the status of the Armenian studies at their university but if the persons concerned do not manage to find finances and new specialists then, most probably, there will be no Armenian studies in Jerusalem any more. The aforementioned sponsors are ready to continue granting fellowships to the students, but who will assign means to preserve the Armenian Studies Centre in Jerusalem? This issue can only be solved with the help of the government of Armenia.

Besides Armenia there are only several large centers of Armenian studies. Unfortunately their number is gradually reducing and they are “critically endangered”. Jerusalem with its Armenian Quarter has been and is important spiritual and historical place for Armenia and Armeniancy, and we, despite all the difficulties, should preserve not only Armenian studies but also our presence in the Armenian Quarter. In order to solve this issue, it is necessary to preserve the possibility of carrying out researches connected with the Armenian studies and education in Jerusalem which will promote to the preservation and survival of the national and Christian significance of the Armenian Quarter.

¹Որոշ թեմաների շուրջ դասախոսները հոդվածներ և գրքեր են հրապարակել, որոնք նշվում են տողատակերում:

²N. Stone. “A Pair of Armenian Manuscript Missals in the Library of Congress,” Revue des Etudes arméniennes, 29 (2003-2004), pp. 193-211; M. E. Stone. “A Reassessment of the Bird and Eustathius Mosaics,” in: The Armenians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, eds. M. E. Stone, R. R. Ervine, and N. Stone. Hebrew University Armenian Series 4. Leuven: Peeters, 2002, pp. 203–219.

³K. Lerner. “Georgia, Christian History,” in: The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity, ed. by Ken Parry, Blackwell Publishers 1999, pp. 210-214.

⁴K. Lerner. “The Social Status of the Jewish Community in Ancient Georgia,” Central Asia and Caucasus 2 (Lulea, Sweden 1999), pp. 206-210 (in Russian).

⁵N. Stone. “Apocryphal Stories in Armenian Manuscripts,” Publications del’Institut Romand des Sciences Bibliques 1, Apocryphes arméniens, Actes du colloque international sur la littérature apocryphe en langue arménienne (Genève, 18–20 septembre 1997), Lausanne: Éditions du Zèbre, 1999, pp. 161–169.

⁶R. Ervine. “Changes in Armenian Pilgrim Attitudes between 1600 and 1857,” in: The Armenians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, eds. M. E. Stone, R. R. Ervine, and N. Stone. Hebrew University Armenian Series 4. Leuven: Peeters, 2002, pp. 81-95.

⁷R. Ervine. Vanakan Vardapet’s Questions relating to the Pentateuch (forthcoming).

⁸K. Lerner. “The Conversion of Kartli (Georgia),” in: Anatolian and Caucasian Studies, Cleveland State University (in press).

⁹K. Lerner. Problems of Semitic Tradition in Ancient Georgian Culture (forthcoming).

¹⁰R. R. Ervine, M. E. Stone. The Inscriptions and Dedications of the Church of the Holy Archangels in Jerusalem (in press); R. Ervine. “Epigraphica Armeniaca Hierosolymitana VII,” Revue des Etudes arméniennes, 28 (2001-2002), pp. 443-464. Though Doctor R. Ervine (after 20 years in Jerusalem) has been working at St. Nerses Seminary in New York for recent 8 years, he gathered very important material about Holy Land and he has many studies which are devoted to the history of the Armenians in Jerusalem. Particularly he has been studying the diaries of Patriarch Minas Amtetsi for his future book.

¹¹M. E. Stone. A Concordance of the Armenian Apocryphal Adam Books, Hebrew University Armenian Studies, 1. Peeters, Leuven, 2001; M. E. Stone. Adamgirk’: The Adam Book of Arak’el of Siwnik’, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.

¹²S. La Porta. “Additional Remarks Concerning ‘Man as the Image of God’ in Grigor Tat‘ewac‘i’s Book of Questions,” St. Nersess Theological Seminary Review, vol. 7 (2002), pp. 67-84; S. La Porta, M. Arakelian. “A Copy of Grigor Tat‘ewac‘i’s Book of Questions: MS 3425 of the Library of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem,” SION, vol. 76, nn° 7–12 (Jerusalem, 2002), pp. 338–350, ill. 1.

¹³S. La Porta. “The Liturgical Imagination of Medieval Armenian Monasticism,” in: Worship Traditions in Armenia and the Neighboring Christian East: An International Symposium in Honor of the 40th Anniversary of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, ed. R. R. Ervine, AVANT 3, Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press/St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, 2003, pp. 197-221.

¹⁴M. E. Stone, N. Stone. The Armenians: Art, Culture and Religion. Dublin: Chester Beatty Library, 2007.

¹⁵G. Muradyan. Physiologus, Hebrew University Armenian Studies, 6. Peeters, Leuven, 2005.

¹⁶N. Poghosyan and M. Yeordigian are the citizens of Israel.

¹⁷M. Arakelyan works at Matenadaran (Yerevan) as a senior staff scientist.

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