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THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE SCENES OF THE STORY OF JONAH AT THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS OF AGHTAMAR – 2018-3

Summary

Lilit Sh. Mikaelyan

Key words – Aghtamar; Church of Holy Cross; Kingdom of Artsruni; Armenian medieval sculpture; Early Christian art; Iconography; Prophet Jonah; Jewish sources; Kētos; Sea monster; Vishap; Senmurv; Sasanian culture.

The Church of the Holy Cross (915-921) on the island of Aghtamar is famous for its rich sculptural decoration of facades and for the wideness of the stories, in particular on the Old Testament. There are many studies on this monument, nevertheless the interpretations of several compositions and the iconographic origins of some images of it are still in dispute. Among them the story of Prophet Jonah (Jonah 1-4) is notable, which occupies the entire south-western part of the main sculptural band and is the most extensive narrative composition of Aghtamar. On the left side of the large composition there is the scene of the swallowing of Jonah by the whale and then there is the episode of the release of the prophet from the belly of the sea monster,and his rest under the shadow of the gourd bush, and above it is depicted the scene of preaching in Nineveh. The iconography of scenes and images of the Jonah’s story in Aghtamar has early Christian prototypes: the fragment of a sailboat with the figures,the representation of the prophet’s naked figure, as well as,the image of the sea monster date back to the ancient ketos. The baldness of the prophet in the recreation scene comes from the Jewish sources, according to which he had lost his hair being in the fiery belly of the whale. At the church of Aghtamar we have one of the earliest samples of this type of Jonah’s iconography in Christian art. The scene of preaching in Nineveh is also a very early and unique interpretation of the episode, not known in early Christian art indicating a certain creative approach of the artist. At Aghtamar both sea monsters are done with the head of a dog and the body of a fish, but the whale ejecting the prophet has also wings and paws of the predator. The representation of the whale in two different guises in the church of the Holy Cross is unique for the Christian art. The iconography of the second monster and details of its depiction reveal obvious parallels with the image of the so-called «senmurv» in Sasanian art. According to the latest studies, it was the embodiment of Farn – the deity of fortune, glory and heavenly patronage of Zoroastrian mythology. The use of the iconography of the «senmurv» in the image of the whale on Aghtamar bears out its interpretation in a positive way against the orthodox Christian tradition, but is accordant to the symbol of the whale in Jewish exegesis as the savior and patron of the prophet (Midrash, Haggadah, Philo of Alexandria). In the Sogdian culture, close to Sasanian Iran, sea monsters were the patrons of kings and heroes, as we can see in VIII century frescoes in Panjakent. The influence of Iranian art is quite significant for Aghtamar from the perspective of the cultural contacts of the Kingdom of Artsruni with the Arab Caliphate, which resulted in the revival of Sasanian art. We can find the images of the whale as a sea monster in X century monuments of Transcaucasia, too. The bald Jonah in the mouth of a sea monster is known in the décor of Khakhu Cathedral in Tayk, on the relief of the church in KvaisaJvari in South Ossetia, on the fragment of the templon from the church in Dranda in Abkhazia (all dated to the X century). The latter confirms the existence of a common tradition of the depiction of the story in Armenia and throughout Transcaucasia in this period. Later, in XIII century Cilician miniature, as well as on the relief of the high apse in the Church of the Mother of God (1205) of Makaravank, this story is interpreted according to the Western iconography, where the whale has already the appearance of a real fish.

THE COMPARATIVE MONISM OF YERVAND FRANGYAN IN THE CONTEXT OF EARLY XX CENTURY CHALLENGES OF ARMENIAN LIFESTYLE – 2018-3

Summary

Sophia N. Ohanyan

Key words – the history of Armenian philosophy; Positivism; Synthetic Monism; the principle of mutual addition of ideas; Historical Realism.

Doctor of philosophy, eminent Armenian thinker of the early 20th century Ervand Frangyan (1878-1928) aiming to analyze the ARF worldview, disclose the ideological sources of the stated world view, study the role of the party in social political dogmas and in the Armenian national existence turns to the second positivism, that is, to one of the most important schools of philosophy. In his view the ideas of the founders of the school Mach and Avenarius best express the synthetic character of ARF worldview. The principle of mutual addition of ideas underlies Frangyan’s Synthetic Monism or critical-realistic philosophy, which is demonstrated in epistemology, psychology, social and historical philosophy. Nevertheless, historical realism as a theoretical basis of ARF worldview is of particular importance in Frangyan’s philosophical system. According to historical realism, historical process should be considered as an entity with a realistic assessment of the place and role of each party involved in this process.

THE MILITARY VOCABULARY IN “HISTORY OF ARMENIA” OF MOVSES KHORENATSI – 2018-3

Summary

Liana S. Hovsepyan

Key words – Movses Khorenatsi, History of Armenia, vocabulary, military terms, military functions, armament, ammunition, equipment, weapons, military operations.

The article examines Old Armenian military terms used by Movses Khore natsi in his «History of Armenia». In this article the terms used in the text of the «History» are distributed into six semantic groups: 1.Types of troops and soldiers, 2. Military status and functions, 3. Units and subdivisions of forces, 4. Armament: types of weapons, ammunition, equipment, 5. Military operations and their results, 6. Military constructions and locality, disposition of troops. The military vocabulary in Khore na tsi’s «History» gives notion on military technic and military affair in his epoch.

THE INTERNAL FEATURES OF THE POLICY OF MASS DEPORTATIONS AND RESETTLEMENTS IN ASSYRIA – 2018-3

Summary

Ruslan A. Tsakanyan

Key words – Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser III, mass deportation, settlement, internal policy, Mesopotamia, Babylon, Urartu.

In this paper we discuss the application of the policy of deportations and resettlements in Assyria. This application of this policy begins in Assyria as a result of the military and political reforms of Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727B.C.). An opinion is expressed in the article that that policy was borrowed from Urartu. What concerns the application of the policy ofnasāḫu, the author tries to bring it into line with a corresponding policy (agency) of a later period. He comes to the conclusion, that the whole responcibility for that policy was concentrated in the hands of the “rab ummâni” agency and was carried out through “lúmušarkisu”. In all probability the functions of “rab ummâni” were similar to those of “hazarapati” in Iran of Achaemenid and Armenia of Arsacid dynasty and to those of “χιλίαρχος” mentioned in the Greek sources. The application of the policy of nasāḫuin Assyria had serious political and economic motivations (one paid especially a serious attention to installing of a control on the Assyrian part on the trade roads). One paid also serious attention to the question of resettlement of the deported population: In the deported population the experienced warriors were divided from the rest, who were given to the king and complemented the lines of the royal guard. One divided from the rest of the deported population a group of experienced (professional) people (in the manuscripts we have very heterogeneous information about these people among who we find high-ranking officials up to shepherds and gardeners), who were given to the stratum of pagan priests, especially they were given to the temple of God Aššur. One part of the deported people was given to the royal court who the royal officials divided between themselves. His share in the deported population had also the environment of the royal palace which had a firm place in the land and was a kind of a balance to the Assyrian military upper class. The last part of the deported population was given to the bigger cities (Aššur, Calah, Nineveh, Arbail). In the course of the massive resettlements the ethnic picture of each concrete region was changed, of course, and the possibility of an uprising on the part of those resettled became less probable, this happened, of course, in case of the presence of strong military forces. But the decay of the same military forces was, of course, to lead a catastrophic situation, the decline of Assyria.

THE DEFINITION OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCE BASED ON THE SUBJECT – 2018-3

Summary

Romik Kh. Qocharyan,
Anahit R. Jijyan

Key words – social, social science, socially significant, object, need, truth.

The purpose of this research is to reveal the truth-of-being of social science by hermeneutic methodology,perception, critical analysis, and interpretation of the theoretical and practical aspects and components of the whole unity truth of the essenceof the “social science”. The queries of this studyare, first, “What is social scienceasbeing?” or “How does the social scienceexist?”, second, “What is the social science as entity?”, third, “How is the social scienceworking?”, and, fourth, “For what is social science?”. By the suggested queries of the article in the sphere of scientific and particularly social-scientific thought once morethe interesting problems are introduced: to investigate the inner connection of “wisdom” and “science”, in this particular case, of “wisdom” and “social science”.As a result of such researchapproach in scientific knowledge and, namely, in the “social science” appears the possibility to present explicitly the counsel of wisdom. Social science, as such, is called to have openness of its being and hence to the truth of its existence, namely the need and intention to improve social life. Social science in its truth and perspective being chooses and investigates events and deeds by which it is possible to express the genuinely necessary and preferablethingsin human deeds for constructing good-orderly human life. Understanding and to interpreting counsels of wisdomcontained in socially-significant events and deeds of human life is the true calling of social science that was originally inherent to it. The calling of social science addressed to contemporaries and descendants is identical to the calling of reading social-scientific investigation:toreach andcomprehend the wisdom of spiritual-civilized identity, life and culture of human community: in past, present and possible perspective future. The nature of social science or the truth of being-of-social science as such is revealed in the definition of social science. And in this article by revealing and summing up the essential and preferable features of social science through formulas of thought the definitions of social science by its subject are presented.

THE ENLIGHTENING PARADIGM OF THE RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN PSYCHOLOGY – 2018-3

Summary

Nane S. Movsesyan

Key words – Identity; self-awareness; Enlightenment paradigm; ethnic self-awareness; national “I”; public and spiritual “We”.

In terms of ethnopsychology the Enlightenment paradigm of Armenian mentality was characterised by three stepwise approaches. In the first stage a critical approach to public “We” (M. Baghramian) was adopted as a basis followed by consideration of spiritual “We” in the light of ethics (Kh. Abovian). The second stage of ethnopsychology was characterised by a cognitive and critical (M. Nalbandian, Raffi, G. Artsruni) approach that studied the reasons of the main faults of national “We”, revealing lack of self-awareness and awareness about others, as well as, devastating consequences of national idealism. The third stage of selfawareness was first characterised by conjugative approach (Kh. Alishan) which affirmed that an Armenian was not only a bearer of national “I” with either faulty public or only spiritual “We”, but bothof them that survive inside him simultaneously uniting those “I”s in one system and thus creating the image of national “I” and collective “We” the main characteristic and peculiarity of which is the contradictory essence (H. Asatryan).

GENEOLOGY OF “5TH AVENUE” BY V. GRIGORYAN – 2018-3

Summary

Jenia A. Kalantaryan

Key words – imaginary; fictional spaces; cultural tradition; influence and individuality; autobiography; village prose, city prose; style, ideological direction; art of the narrative.

The article discusses metamorphoses of the tradition of creating imaginary fictional space (Yoknapatawpha, Macondo, Tsmakut) inthe prose of VahagnGrigoryan. It is shown that byobserving certain patterns, through the means of the ideological direction of his inquiry, peculiarity of his art of the narrative and particularity of style, he creates original prose that advantageously differs from the ones typical forprevious writers, as well as,distinguishes his work in the framework ofthe current Armenian literary landscape.

ARAM MANUKYAN’S COLLECTION OF LETTERS – 2018-2

Summary

Armen S. Asryan

Key words – liberation, individuality, work, Aram Manukyan, Western Armenia, weapon, ammunition, collection, people, motherland, ARF Dashnaktsutyun, letters.

On the occasion of 100 Anniversery Republic of Armenia the collection entitled “Aram Manukyan: Collection of Letters” is presented to the Armenian reader for the first time. It includes 354 letters by the famous freedom fighter of Armenian liberation movement, the founder of the First Republic Aram Manukyan written from November 1904 up to 1915: 325 letters are published for the first time. The collection is comprised, edited and commented by the historian YervandPambukyan, who has exercised a really tremendous , hard and thankful work dedicating to this job 14 long and tough years. Though Aram’s manuscripts are rather beautiful and legible but the deciphering of his letters’ numerous codes and digital cryptograms, the revelation of revolutionary pseudonyms, the commenting of forgottentoponymswritten in foreign language and personal names is, indeed, the hardest task and does need diligent work. Comments that are accompanying the collection from beginning up to the end have greatly eased the perception of the letters by simultaneously accomplishing the transmitted information. Aram Manukyan’s letters included in the reviewed collection were found from ARF Dashnaktsutyun’s archives in far off city of Boston.

GAREGIN I HOVSEPYAN. THE BLESSED PATRIARCH AND GREAT SCIENTIST – 2018-2

Summary

Sargis R. Melkonyan

Key words- Garegin Hovsepyan, Holy Echmiadzin, Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, Antelias, Gevorgyan Theological Seminary, reformation of Armenian church, Maghakia Ormanyan, periodical “Ararat”.

In the given publication, which is the continuation of the article dedicated to 150 anniversary of Garegin A. Hovsepyan – the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, published in the previous issue of Panarmenian journal “Vem” analyzes the role of Garegin Hovsepyan and the programs put forward by him for the purpose of church’s reformation beginning from the end of XIX century up to the second half of XX century.

After finishing his education in Germany in 1897 he during 1897-1917 years came back to Echmiadzin and took rather serious offices, like, for instance the editor of official newspaper of Holy See and the inspection of Gevorgyan Theological Seminary. While taking these offices he came forth with programs for the reformation of Armenian Church which were mainly presented in different issues of periodical “Ararat” or in separate projects.

The analysis of these programs shows that Garegin Hovsepyan was offering to reform the church by paying attention on the following points,
a) reform of Holy See’s popular scientific periodical,
b) reform of parish clergymen’s education and election,
c) raising the role of science in church reform,
d) turning of Mother See’s library into central, fully Armenological library,
e) the active participation of the church into charitable and in various common social issues,
f) the need for reform of educational institutes and raising the role of school in Church,
g) revision and reform of the Church’s statutory system,
h) the need of acting publishing house for strengthening and securing the influence of Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin in different layers of the Armenians.

By taking into account the vast volume of the subject in the present publication we have only turned to reformative programs on a) Reformation of Holy See’s popular scientific periodical, b) Reform of parish clergymen’s education and election offered by Garegin Hovsepyan. We will turn to other points in the subsequent series of our article.

“LESSONS OF HISTORY OF THE ARMENIAN REPUBLIC IN 1918-1920” – 2018-2

Summary

Siranush G. Hovhannisyan

Key words – conference-dispute, lessons of history, world history, scientific discussions, question-reply, historical context.

On May 31 and June 1 at the initiative of “Vem” Pan-Armenian journal’s editorial staff in Paramaz Avetisyan’s Building of American University of Armenia namely in Alec and Mari Manoogians’ Hall a conference-discussion was held entitled “The Historical Lessons of Armenian Republic of 1918-1920 in the Context of the Generations’ Memories and Modern Challenges” dedicated to the 100 anniversary of Armenian First Republic. The event was held in the presence of numerous guests, in the atmosphere of really scientific discussions and exchange of views by different professional fields’ representatives. Scientific productivity was also promoted by the structure of the event: every stage of report was followed by the stage of question-reply due to which certain details of the themes were aroused. The conference ended with the presentation of books and round table discussions in the framework of which the main theme, namely, “The Formation of Armenian First Republic and its Decline under the Europian and Regional Light” was offered.