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The Function of the Adam and Eve Traditions in Armenian Culture

Michael E. Stone
Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Final Scientific Report
1/10/1996-31/9/1999

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I am pleased to submit this report to the Israel Science Foundation, reflecting the achievements of the project during the past three years. It is my assessment that the work carried out has kept to the basic scientific plan submitted with the grant application, with the adaptations necessitated by the practical aspects of the work as it progressed. The overall timetable has been adhered to, and the completion of the planned work for the three-year period has been achieved.

Part 1: Achievements and Results

1. Summary of Achievements and Procedures

1.1 The nature and scope of the project are unprecedented, and therefore it was necessary to devote a good deal of attention to procedures. This being the case, it became imperative to prepare a database which contains a list of as many works of classical and medieval authors as are published. This database is not yet (and may never be) completely exhaustive, but it does contain a substantial number of records, and authors. A list of the authors entered so far is appended. To date the database contains 531 records and it grows continually.

1.2 The initial intention was to work by genres. This was commenced for the historical texts and a substantial number of Armenian historical texts were read, excerpted, entered into the computer and many of them have been translated.

1.3 However, it became clear to us as we proceeded in this way that it was desirable to work, at the same time, by centuries. Thus, as it were, two cuts were made, one diachronic and one synchronic. The excerpting of all published sources has been completed from the fifth down to the end of the eleventh century. Excerpting of the twelfth century is currently underway.

1.4 English translations have been prepared of the material down to the ninth century. For the fifth century, these have been checked and finalized. The source material for the fifth century is moving towards final form.

1.5 A sixty-page study has been written on the Traditions of Adam and Eve in Fifth-Century Armenia. This study is in final draft and final queries and "odds and ends" are being cleared up. It was particularly difficult to write this work, since it is unprecedented in Armenian studies. The results were very exciting, far beyond our initial expectations, thus justifying the plan envisaged and promising extremely rich results.

1.6 The composition of a similar study of the sixth-eighth century material has been begun.

1.7 At the same time we have composed a 250-page monograph on a specific Armenian Adam tradition found in a range of texts, entitled Adam's Contract with Satan. We have traced this theme in a number of other Eastern Christian traditions and have also found Armenian iconographic representations of this legend. This monograph has been accepted for publication by Indiana University Press and is undergoing final copy editing at the moment.

1.8 Preliminary editions have been prepared of a number of further unknown Armenian Adam texts. Work done in my seminar last year by a group of students have also led to the preparation of five further articles, publishing Armenian Adam texts. These are currently being finalized.

1.9 The font used for the Armenian texts has been completed by Michael Everson, in Ireland. The on-line presentation of the Armenian version of the primary Adam book, the Penitence of Adam, including scans of the manuscripts, has been prepared, and it is now being mounted on the Jerusalem Armenian Studies Web Site. It is by way of a trial balloon, and we may eventually publish the whole corpus of texts and translations on Internet. There are, however, issues of standards for the encoding of Armenian which need to be solved. These are being tackled by Dr. Peter Robinson de Montford University (UK)for the Leiden Armenian Data Base, with which we are fully coordinated. Once the issue of Internet Armenian is resolved we can finish mounting the Penitence of Adam material and also check the feasibilty of putting all of the source material on Internet. No decision has been made in this respect.

1.10 First steps have been taken towards assembling a collection of representations of Adam and Eve in medieval Armenian art.

2. The Data Base of Armenian Literature

2.1 The Database contains 531 records to date, which is most authors of published works in Classical and Medieval Armenian.

2.2 An example of the structure a record follows:

2.3 Explanation of the Fields:

Type: Historical, Liturgical, Apocryphal, etc.

Name: First name of author

Cognomen: Gentilic, local or other designation

Date: Dates of author

Work: Name of Work referred to in this record

Edition: Details of published edition utilized

Translation 1 & 2: Translations of the text into other languages

Bogharian, Inglisian & Thomson: Pages dealing with this document in these scholars' histories and bibliographies of Armenian Literature.

Leiden DB: Inclusion in Leiden Armenian Data Base

Jerusalem DB: Inclusion in Jerusalem Armenian Data Base

Adam Armenian & Adam English: This text has/has not been excerpted and translated for the Adam project.

3 Historical Works Excerpted in Full or in Part

A list of just over 40 Armenian historians and chroniclers was assembled. Of these a number have been excerpted and, for the most part, translated into English. These represent the chief historians of the ancient period with a selection of later authors. Many of the remaining works are minor chroniclers and contain nothing of interest to us. This list itself had been incorporated into the Data Base of Armenian Literature.

4 Works Excerpted

We have prepared the relevant excerpts from all the works published down to the end of the eleventh century which contain traditions related to Adam and Eve. In addition, some works from the twelfth to seventeenth centuries have already been excerpted, and work proceeds currently on the twelfth century. A list of authors already excerpted follows.

Fifth Century

4 Ezra additions
Agathangelos
Agathangelos, Teaching of St. Gregory
P'awstos Buzand
Ei
Ephrem, Commentary on Genesis
Ephrem, Exposition of the Gospel
Eusebius of Emesa, Commentary on Genesis
Eusebius of Emesa, Homilies
Eznik Kobac'i
Book of Letters, parts
Koriwn, Life of Matoc'
Mambr
Yovhanns Mandakuni
Lazar P'arbec'i
Yaaxaptum ark'

Sixth Century

Athanasius of Taron
Book of Letters, parts
Komitas Kat'oikos
Movses K'ert'oahayr
Vrtans K'ert'o

Seventh Century

Anania irakac'i
David Anyat'
David Hark'ac'i
Grigoris Araruni
Sahak Jorop'orec'i
T'eodoros K't'enawor
Yovhanns Mamikonian
Yovhanns Ojnec'i

Eighth Century

ewond
Stepannos Siwnec'i
Xosrovik T'argmani'
Yovhanns K'orepiskopos

Ninth Century

Hamam Arewelc'i
Movss Xorenac'i (dating debated)
Pseudo-apuh
Tovma Arcruni
Zak'aria Kat'oikos

Tenth Century

Anania Kat'oikos
Atom Anjrewac'i
Grigor Narekac'i
Movss Kaankauac'i
Step'annos Tarnac'i
Tawit' k'ahanay
Uxtans episkopos
Xosrow Anjrewac'i
Yovhanns Kat'oikos

Eleventh Century

Grigor Magistros
Anania Sanahnec'i
Geworg Loec'i
Movss Drasxanakerc'i

Twelfth Century

Abusaid
Dawit' Ganjakec'i
Grigor Pahlawuni
Grigor Tay
Ignatios vardapet
Mxit'ar Anec'i
Mxit'ar Go
Nerss hnorhali
Nerss Lambronac'i
Pawos Tarnac'i
Samul Anec'i
Sargis norhali
Yovhanns Sarkawag

Thirteenth Century

Adamgirk' (date uncertain)
Frik
Grigor Aknerc'i
Kirakos Ganjakec'i
Michael the Syrian
Smbat Constable
Vanakan vardapet, fragment
Vardan Arewelc'i, Commentary on Genesis (from ms)
Vardan Arewelc'i, Historical Compilation
Vardan Aykegc'i, partial
Yovh Erznkac'i, partial

Fourteenth Century

Aak'el Siwnec'i, Adamgirk'
Aak'el Siwnec'i, Traxtagirk'
Yovhanns T'lkuranc'i, On the Creation of the World

Seventeenth Century

Aak'el Tavrizec'i

Other Texts
Hippolytus, Chronicle
M. Aawnuni, oral traditions from Jerusalem

Armenian Apocryphal Adam Literature

This extensive literature has been studied for many years now. In addition to the writer's two collections of Armenian Adam apocrypha, published in 1980 and 1997, the following advances have been made in the study of this literature, fundamental to the present project.

1. The preparation of the second edition of M.E. Stone and G.A. Anderson, A Synopsis of the Books of Adam and Eve. This new edition is much improved and was published in 1999. It includes the full Armenian text and English translation.

2. The preparation of a Concordance of W.L. Lipscomb, The Armenian Apocryphal Adam Literature. This work is well advanced and should be completed this year.

3. The preparation of M.E. Stone and G.A. Anderson, Studies on the Books of Adam and Eve which is currently in press.

4. Other studies which have been submitted to press, see list below.

5. Preliminary editions have been prepared of a number of unpublished texts extant in Armenian manuscripts. These are listed below using the sigla:

M = Matenadaran, Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, Erevan

J = Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem

New Apocryphal Texts and Miscellaneous Traditions

In tandem with the work on published Armenian literature, we have continued collecting and preparing preliminary editions of previously unknown or unpublished Armenian Adam Apocrypha, and of additional manuscripts of published works. It is in this task that last year's the seminar students particiated.

New Collations of Known Adam Books

Book of Adam
1. M9800 Adam, Book of
2. M0096 Adam, Book of
3. J1287 Adam, Book of
4. M9819 Adam, Book of

Cycle of Four Works
5. M2126 Words of Adam to Seth
6. M6430 Cycle of Four Works
7. M7321 Cycle of Four Works

Death of Adam
8. M8076 Death of Adam

Preliminary Editions of Other Unpublished Works

M0096 Adam Poem
M0451 Adam, Chronology from
M10200 Adam material from the Armenian version of Michael Syrus
M2111 Adam, Handwriting of
M2679 Selected pieces, transcribed
M5923 Adam, Chronology from
M5954 Adam Poem. new
M6617 Adam, Bones of
M9121 Adam, 12 gifts of
M9121 Adam and other texts
New Adam Poem

Iconographic Resources

A considerable number of 35mm slides of Adam and Eve and associated scenes in Armenian iconography have been assembled. This material is not with me in Holland, and I cannot report on it in detail. My aim is eventually to compare the iconography with the features of the developing Adam traditions.

Part 2: Publications

Books

1. M.E. Stone's study on "Adam and Eve in Fifth-Century Armenian Tradition" is moving to final stage and his study on "Adam and Eve in Sixth- to Eighth-Century Armenian Tradition" has been commenced. The collection of fifth-century texts and translations is being finalized.

2. M.E. Stone with G.A. Anderson, A Synopsis of the Books of Adam and Eve: New Revised Edition, Scholars: Atlanta, 1999.

3. M.E. Stone with G.A. Anderson, Studies in the Literature of Adam and Eve, in press, Brill: Leiden.

4. M.E. Stone, The Contract of Adam with Satan or The Cheirograph of Adam. Accepted for publication by Indiana University Press. Now being copy edited.

5. M.E. Stone, Concordances of the Armenian Apocryphal Adam Books, Scholars: Atlanta. under preparation.

Articles

M.E. Stone, "Adam, Eve and the Incarnation," St. Nersess Theological Review 2 (1997), 167-179.

M.E. Stone, "The Axis of History at Qumran," Pseudepigraphic Perspectives: The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls, eds. M.E Stone, and E. Chazon (Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, 31; Leiden: Brill, 1999) 133-149.

M.E. Stone, "Two Armenian Manuscripts and the Historia Sacra," Apocryphes arméniens: transmission -- traduction -- création -- iconographie, eds. V. Calzolari Bouvier, J.-D. Kaestli and B. Outtier. Prahins CH, Zèbre.

M.E. Stone, "The Study of the Armenian Apocrypha," A Multiform Heritge: Studies on Early Judaism and Christianity ed. B.G. Wright (Scholars Press Homage Series; Scholars Press: Atlanta, 1999), 139-148.

M.E. Stone, "The Reception of Jewish and Biblical Traditions among the Armenians," From Ararat to Jerusalem: Montpellier Conference Volume (in press).

M.E. Stone, "The Bones of Adam and Eve," Nickelsberg FS (in press).

M.E. Stone, Review of Eve and Adam: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Readings on Genesis and Gender, by Kristen E. Kvam, Linda S. Schearing and Valarie H. Ziegler, Bloomington and Indianopolis, 1999 in Interpretation (in press).

P. Bourjekian, "Part of a Poem by Yovhanns Erznkac'i," to be published in Sion.

H. Kazazian, "An Unpublished Homiletic Fragment from The Cycle of Four Works," to be published in Sion.

Y. Loeff and D. Stökl, "A New Armenian Chronological Fragment from Adam," to be published in Sion.

J. Nazarjian, "A Mysterious Fragment of the Urbat'agirk'," to be published in Sion.

N. Yakoubian, "Two Small Texts from an Armenian Manuscript," to be published in Sion.