The first Christian king Abgar was an Assyrian. Saint Abgar, the first king of Armenia who believed in Christ. Help Abgar king of armenia

Saint Mandylion. Relic history (1)

Icon from a triptych kept in the Museum of the Sinai Monastery. Prince Avgar takes the Image Not Made by Hands. The central part of the triptych with the Miraculous image itself is lost

The day of August 16, 944, became the most important in the history of the Image of Christ not made by hands on the board, called in Byzantium “Holy Mandylion” (2) (TO AGION MANDYLION), and in Ancient Russia “Holy Ubrus” (3). On this day, the precious relic, which the day before was solemnly transferred to Constantinople from the distant Syrian city of Edessa, was placed in the reliquary church of the Grand Palace among other important relics of the empire. From this moment on, the general Christian glorification of Mandylion begins, which becomes almost the main relic of the Byzantine world (4). In the lists of shrines in Constantinople and pilgrimage descriptions, he consistently occupies one of the first places.

The church calendar for August 16 establishes the annual celebration of the "Transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands from Edessa to Constantinople." Soon after 944, a special “Tale of the Image Not Made by Hands” was created, the authorship of which was attributed to the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, a direct participant in the events (hereinafter, the Tale) (5). This work became the main source of information about Mandilion, its shortened and edited versions were included in the minology and prologues of the entire Orthodox world, for example, the Old Russian legend was already known in Kievan Rus (6).

Two legends about the origin of the Image Not Made by Hands

In the middle of the X century. the creator of the "Tale" knew two legends about the emergence of the Not-Made-to-Hand Image of the Savior. According to the first story, the toparch of Edessa, named Avgar, who suffered from serious illnesses, learned about the miracles of Christ and believed in Him. He sent a letter to the Savior asking him to come and heal him. To his messenger Ananias, who knew how to paint, Avgar also commissioned to make a portrait of Christ. The Savior, having received the letter, wrote an answer in which he promised to Abgar, who did not see Him, but believed, healing and eternal life, and his city of Edessa, protection and inaccessibility. In addition, Christ, “having washed his face with water, and then wiped the moisture from it with a towel given to Him, deigned in a divine and ineffable way to imprint His features on it” (Story, 13). A letter and a plate with the Image Not Made by Hands were given to Ananias for Abgar, so that he would receive deliverance from suffering and illness (7).

No less authoritative Byzantine author of the X century. considers another story about the origin of Mandylion, which in this version is considered as a relic reminiscent of the passion of the Lord. The image not made by hands appears during prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Christ foresees his torment on the cross: “When Christ had to go to his free death, when, showing human weakness, He appeared to those struggling and praying, when sweat dripped from him like drops of blood, like indicates the Gospel story (Luke 22:44), then they say, taking from one of the disciples this now visible piece of cloth, he wiped off the rivulets of sweat, and immediately His godlike image was imprinted ”(Tale, 17). After the Ascension of Christ, the Apostle Thomas gave the Image Not Made by Hands to the Apostle Thaddeus, whom he sent to Abgar in fulfillment of Christ's promise. At the sight of the apostle bringing Mandylion, Abgar was instantly healed, placing the wages on his head, eyes and mouth. He studied “the imprint of the image on flax” and was amazed at its miraculous power, and the Apostle Thaddeus told him about “the image without paint from sweat” (Tale, 21). The Apostle Thaddeus, having performed many miracles and healing all the sick in Edessa, baptized Abgar and his family. The newly baptized ruler of Edessa glorified the Image Not Made by Hands. He attached it to the board, decorated it with gold, writing on the image the words: "Christ God, he who trusts in You will not perish" (Story, 25). He installed a miraculous image in front of the main gate of the city in the place where the statue of the revered Greek deity was previously located. And everyone had to worship the “miraculous image of Christ” as the new heavenly patron of the city.

Mandylion in Edessa

The author of "The Tale of the Emperor Constantine" did an outstanding source study, and, striving for historical accuracy, collected the ones available in the middle of the 10th century. certificates of Mandylion. He directly refers to the fourth book of the "Church History" Evagrius Scholasticus (6th century) (8) and the text of the "Epistle of the Eastern Patriarchs to Emperor Theophilus" (9th century) (9). However, this educated Byzantine historian could not give any early evidence of the Not-Made-by-Hands Image of Edessa.

Indeed, the first unambiguous account of Mandylion is given by Evagrius at the end of the 6th century. Until that time, Edessa, the correspondence of Christ with Abgar, and the relics of the holy letter were reported in detail at the beginning of the 4th century. Eusebius of Caesarea (10) and at the end of this century the pilgrim Egeria (11). However, they don't even hint at the existence of Mandylion. The Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea, telling about the events of the time of the siege of Edessa by the Persians in 544, also says nothing about the Image Not Made by Hands and only reports about the Letter of Christ (12). And we are, nevertheless, talking about the siege, during which, according to the later "History" of Evagrius Scholasticus, Mandylion performed the great miracle of saving Edessa. This silence allows a number of researchers to believe that the legend about Mandylion was formed not earlier than the middle of the 6th century. (13), possibly in connection with a certain portrait of Christ that existed in Edessa.

Syrian apocryphal early 5th century “The Teachings of Addai” says that the royal painter Hannan-archivist, sent by Avgar, “painted the image of Jesus with the best colors”: this “man-made” portrait was brought to Edessa and solemnly placed in one of the chambers of the palace of Avgar (14). However, in a free Greek translation of this text, the so-called "Acts of Thaddeus" dating from the first half of the 7th century, there is already a story about the Image of Christ not made by hands on the board (15).

The Image Not Made by Hands occupies an important place in early Armenian sources, since Avgar is considered by them as an Armenian king. The fundamental "History of Armenia" by Movses Khorenatsi (5th or 8th century) tells about the message of Christ brought by “Anan, the messenger of Avgar, together with the image of the Savior's face, which is kept in the city of Edessa to this day” (16). In the “History of the Ripsimian Saints,” which is attributed to Movses Khorenatsi, there is an important testimony dating back to the era of Emperor Diocletian. Those who left Jerusalem for Armenia in search of the icon of the Mother of God, St. Hripsime and her companions “came to the city of Edessa, and bowing to the image of the Savior, they were filled with joy, believing that they had seen the Word clothed in flesh. And again the appearance of wonderful visions prompted them to hermitage. And some of the wives, having separated from them, remained in this city, in the great church of Abgar, founded by Thaddeus ”(17). The worship of a certain image of Christ in Edessa is also reported by one Syrian life of the 6th century. (eighteen)

However, the earliest, and for a long time the only, message about the Image Not Made by Hands in Edessa remains the text of the “Church History” Evagrius Scholastica (IV, 27), dated 594 (19) During the siege by the troops of the Persian Shah Khosrov, the city was miraculously saved from "An icon not made by hands, which was not created by the hands of people, but Christ God sent Abgar when he passionately wanted to see him." The icon was brought into the tunnel, with the help of which the Edessans were going to set fire to the siege fortifications of the Persians. The image was sprinkled with water, after which a few drops sprinkled on the wood, which miraculously caught fire. The resulting fire completely destroyed the Persian structures, which led to the lifting of the siege.

Remnants of ancient Edessa (now Urfa in Turkey)

“The Tale of the Emperor Constantine” supplements the short story of Evagrius, based on sources unknown to us, and also tells the story of Mandylion from the appearance in Edessa to the siege of 544. It says that the grandson of Avgar abandoned Christianity and decided to destroy the Image Not Made by Hands in front of the city gates. Having learned about this, the Bishop of Edessa closed the “semicircular niche” with Mandylion with tiles, having previously placed a lamp in front of the Image Not Made by Hands. Then he leveled the wall with bricks and plaster. The historian specifically notes that the shingles were needed to protect the “image-bearing canvas” from dampness and decay (Tale, 28).

The hidden Mandylion was forgotten for several centuries. And only during the siege of Edessa by the Persian king Khosrov, when it seemed that nothing could save the inhabitants of the city, “a beautiful armed wife” appeared to Bishop Eulalius at night, who revealed to him the location of the Image Not Made by Hands. Eulalius found Mandylion intact, and the lamp next to him intact. “On the tile placed in front of the lamp for preservation, another semblance of that likeness was imprinted - it is still kept in Edessa” (Story, 32). The following is a story about the digging. However, unlike the story of Evagrius, which is also retold in the Tale, the firewood is lit not with water, consecrated by the icon, but with drops of oil from a lamp, which received miraculous power from many years of being near the Image not made by hands. Divine retribution was intensified by a special sacred rite - Bishop Eulalius, raising Mandylion in his outstretched arms, walked around the city along the wall: an unexpectedly strong wind fanned the flame and directed it at the Persians.

In this remarkable story, one can note a number of stable archetypal motifs (toposes) that are fixed in Eastern Christian legends about miraculous icons, especially after the victory of icon veneration in 843. These include: the preservation of the immured and the miraculous acquisition, after a divine vision, of the glorified icon ; a mysteriously burning, but non-burning candle or lamp, which themselves become miraculous; washing the holy image with water, after such consecration, acquiring miraculous power; the use of the icon as an apotrope (protective amulet) and palladium (heavenly patron), placed near the gate; liturgical procession (lithium) with a holy image along the walls of the city, which thus receives the highest protection. The latter rite, well known in Constantinople, is still used in the divine services of the Orthodox Church. One might think that for many of these motives, The Tale of the Emperor Constantine about the most important miraculous icon served as a source and archetypal model.

Miraculous images and man-made lists

The motive for the reproduction of the miraculous image deserves separate consideration - the appearance of both miraculous and pictorial copies. The Tale speaks of two imprints miraculous from St. Ubrus on the tiles. One "Holy Chrepie" (TO AGION KERAMION), miraculously appeared opposite Mandylion in a niche above the gate, remained in Edessa until 968. According to the Byzantine historian Leo the Deacon, this year Emperor Nicephorus Phocas handed the relic to the Constantinople Church of Our Lady of Pharos, where from 944 the Mandylion was kept (20).

Another St. Chrepie was venerated in Hierapolis. According to the Tale, Ananias, returning from Jerusalem to Edessa, stopped at the walls of Hierapolis, where he hid Mandylion in a pile of newly made tiles. Around midnight, a "great fire" appeared over the location of the relic, resembling a fire: this radiance emanated from the holy image. A miraculous imprint appeared on the nearby tiles, which the inhabitants of the city left with and, even in the era of the creation of the Tale (about 944), kept it as a “sacred heritage and precious treasure” (Tale, 14). In 967, Nicephorus Phocas transferred this relic to Constantinople (21). Interestingly, the Syrian tradition tells about prints on two tiles, which were in the temple of Hierapolis, and later were available for viewing in the church founded by the Apostle Philip (22).

According to an ancient legend, the tiles with the face of Christ not made by hands were brought to Georgia from Syria by St. Anthony Martkopi - one of the founders of Georgian monasticism in the 6th century. This national relic, which, according to the text of the saint's life, “works miracles to this day,” determined the exclusive veneration of the Image not Made by Hands in Georgia (23).

The ability for mystical reproduction was an important distinguishing feature of the images of Christ not made by hands. In the 6th century, when Byzantium did not yet know about the Edessa shrine, the miraculous image on a plate from the Asia Minor village of Camuliana was widely known. This shrine in 574 was transferred to Constantinople, where it became the palladium of the empire, which was taken on the most important military campaigns and was considered the true leader of the Christian army in the battles with the infidels (24). A Camulian linen cloth with the face of Christ miraculous was found floating in a spring by a certain Hypatia, who attached a miraculous cloth to her headdress. And then, the legend of the 6th century says, the image of Christ was mystically imprinted on this scarf. For images not made by hands, two churches were built. In addition, shortly after the acquisition, a special copy of the Camulian image was made for the church in the village of Diabudin, which also became famous as miraculous.

A similar multiplication of Mandylion's lines took place in Edessa. The Tale tells of the first man-made copy made for the Persian king Khosrov shortly after his unsuccessful siege of Edessa (Tale, 39-42). According to this legend, which may have reflected some historical facts, the demon-possessed daughter of Khosrov declared that only the Image of Edessa, not Made by Hands, could deliver her from the demon. Khosrow, remembering the miracle during the siege of the city, demanded Mandylion to himself. However, without risking sending a genuine shrine, the Edessians sent a copy to Khosrov, “having copied the written image similar in everything and as similar as possible to the unwritten one and making it as identical as possible” (Story, 40). The icon-list is enough to accomplish the miracle of casting out the demon from the daughter of the Persian king, who returns this man-made image to Edessa along with the gifts. As is clear from the text of the Tale (47), the icon associated with this legend existed in Edessa as early as 943. Probably, the miraculous icon-copy of the Image Not Made by Hands could have been revered in Edessa along with Mandylion and Ceramion since ancient times.

Testimony of the historian Evagrius:

“They say that the daughter of Chosroes was possessed by a demon who shouted that he would not leave her until the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands was brought to her from Edessa. Khozroi implored the Edessians to send him an image to Ctesiphon, the then capital of Persia. The inhabitants of Edessa, not wanting to send their shrine, removed a copy from the image, which they sent to the Persian king. But as soon as the ambassadors crossed the border and entered the borders of Persia, the demon came out of the girl. Overjoyed by the recovery of his daughter, Khozra, in gratitude for this, rewarded the ambassadors and sent the icon back to Edessa ... "(history.)

Another story about the creation of a copy of Mandylion at the end of the 7th century. looks more realistic. It goes back to the non-extant "History" of the Jacobite patriarch Dionysius of Telmakhresky (died 845) (25). A certain Monophysite Athanasius, who lived in Edessa, became extremely rich during the reign of the Caliph Abd al-Malik (685-705). Once he lent the city 5,000 denarii to pay tribute to the Arabs and took as a pledge the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands. Not wanting to give up the shrine when the debt was returned to him, Athanasius ordered an exact copy of Mandilion, which he gave instead of the original to the Orthodox community of Edessa, which had previously owned the relic: “Then he called a very skilled painter and asked him to write a copy. When the work was completed, a portrait appeared as similar to its sample as possible. For the painter darkened the colors in such a way that they looked like ancient ones. Some time later, the Edessa returned the gold and asked for the portrait to be returned. He gave them a recently made one and left the ancient image in his home. Later, he revealed the secret to the faithful (Monophysites) and built a beautiful sanctuary of the baptistery. He finished it, spending a lot more money than he expected: he spent in honor of the image, because he knew that the original portrait sent with John the tabellara remained in his house. Years later, he brought the image and placed it in the baptistery ”(26).

It is interesting that in this Syrian text the Image Not Made by Hands is described as an ancient pictorial icon, albeit with dull, “darkened colors”. Another interesting plot is the struggle for ownership of the true image between the various denominations of the city. As noted by the Syrian Jacobite patriarch Dionysius, the Chalcedonites (Orthodox) possessed the Not-Made-by-Hands Image since the time of the “Greek kings” (in this context, from 578 - the beginning of the reign of Emperor Tiberius). And only a hundred years later, thanks to the cunning of Athanasius, the relic passed to the Monophysites.

emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus

Other sources also report that several icons of Mandylion were worshiped simultaneously in different Christian communities of Edessa. How serious the task of determining the true relic was, is evidenced by the Tale of the Emperor Constantine. Sent in 944 to take the relic to Constantinople, Abramius, Bishop of Samosata, fearing that he would not be deceived, demanded that all lists of the Image Not Made by Hands be submitted for examination, including from the Nestorian Church of Edessa: they did not deceive with the extradition and did not give away instead of an unwritten and true image written in due time due to Persian violence, I found both of them, and together with them the other, revered in the Nestorian church, also, as it turned out, removed from the prototype. Taking them for certification, he immediately gave them away, and took only the true image of the Lord ”(Story, 47). This surprisingly specific story, most likely reported to the author of the Tale by Abraham of Samosata himself, clearly shows that in Edessa in the 9th century. there were several icon-lists revered as the Image Not Made by Hands. The establishment of the true shrine required a serious examination, for which, apparently, it was not by chance that not an official of Constantinople was sent, but a bishop from neighboring Samosata.

Miracles of Mandylion in Edessa

It would be important to collect evidence of the miracles of Mandylion in Edessa, which in the Byzantine tradition were perceived as archetypal in relation to the subsequent legends of miraculous images. The most famous miracles were the healing of Avgar and help during the Persian siege. They defined the perception of Mandylion, on the one hand, as a celibate relic, on the other, as an apotrope - a heavenly protector.

Perhaps the most striking legend of the miracle goes back to the Syrian sources of the 7th - 8th centuries. (27). It tells that a certain person from the East stole the Image Not Made by Hands, which was kept in the church of Edessa. When the thief stopped for the night at the monastery of Sts. Kozma and Damian outside the city, Mandylion suddenly filled with fire and began to burn the one who had kidnapped him. The thief threw the relic into a deep monastery well and immediately a pillar of fire descended from heaven to the well. Mandylion was found, and from that time on everyone who bathed with water from the well received healings, especially those who, like King Abgar, were sick with gout.

In this legend, the plot motives of fire and water are especially interesting. Burning, but not burning, Mandylion appears already in the "Tale of the Emperor Constantine" in connection with the miracle of the emergence of Keramion under the walls of Hierapolis (Tale, 14). He called to mind the biblical image of the Burning Bush (Exodus 3: 2) and a special fire signifying the presence of God. The image of a pillar of fire descending from heaven and pointing to a holy place also has biblical sources (Ex. 13: 21-22; Num. 14:14; Nehem. 9:19; Revelation 10: 1). In the most ancient legends about the conversion to Christianity (of Georgia by St. Nino or Armenia by St. Gregory the Illuminator), the pillar of fire marks the place where the first church was founded. The theme of consecrated water in connection with Mandylion arises already in the "History" of Evagrius Scholastica, where it is said that it was with the consecrated water that the wood was set on fire during the Persian siege. We find the theme of the mystical connection of the miraculous image with the source in an earlier legend about the Camulian plate, which floated in the water, but at the same time remained dry. The location or appearance next to a miraculous icon of a healing spring is a stable topos of Byzantine culture, one of the earliest examples of which is the Edesian legend of a well that began to work miracles after contact with Mandylion (28).

Liturgical veneration of the Image Not Made by Hands

A special subject of historical reconstruction is the liturgical veneration of the Image Not Made by Hands in Edessa. Among the earliest testimonies is the First Epistle of Pope Gregory II, cited in the Acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787. It says that to worship the Image Not Made by Hands, “the peoples of the East flock to Edessa and bring prayers” (29). The Life of St. Euthymius of Sardis, written in 831, also testifies to the mass worship of the relic in Edessa. St. Euthymius participated at the end of the 8th century. in the imperial embassy to the Arab Caliphate and, in his own words in his Life, “... seeing in practice the one in Edessa, the wisest and most respectable of the cities, a self-devoted and unwritten icon of us for the sake of the incarnated Son of God, I bowed to her along with many people ”(30). The fact that the Image Not Made by Hands, once sent by Christ to Avgar, “is still worshiped by all Edessa” at the beginning of the 9th century. reports “Chronicle of George Amartol” (31).

Interestingly, the Tale of the Emperor Constantine says nothing about the worship of Mandylion. Perhaps this is due to the fact that at the same time as the Pastor about 944, a special “Word about the holy and not made by hand icon of Jesus Christ our God, as honored in the city of Edessa by its inhabitants” (32) (hereinafter, the Word) was written. In Byzantine manuscripts, it often follows immediately after the Tale and, apparently, was also created by order of Constantine Porphyrogenitus in connection with the need to create new liturgical celebrations of Mandylion in Constantinople. The word contains unique details of the Divine Service of the Image Not Made by Hands, which took place in the “Church of Edessa” (the main church?) Both on ordinary days and on the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy (the victory of icon veneration in 843).

According to this text, for most of the year, Mandylion was kept in the skevophylakion (vessel guardian, the treasury of the temple). It was placed in a special case with doors that could be closed with thin iron locks. Twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, believers were allowed to contemplate and offer prayers to the closed icon case, but no one could “neither approach, nor touch the sacred image with their lips or gaze”. Only once a year, on Wednesday, during the “middle week” of Great Lent, the only bishop, like the Old Testament high priest, was allowed to enter the altar and open the icon case. He washed Mandylion with an “inviolable sponge dipped in water,” and distributed the consecrated water squeezed out of the sponge to the believers, who rubbed her eyes and received purification.

On the first Sunday of Great Lent (the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy), a special lithium took place - a procession with an icon. In Skevophylakia, Mandylion relied on a special throne and was covered “on all sides” with a white cloth. Four bishops or priests, having raised the throne with the icon, followed the bishop, who carried the cross in his hands. On either side of the bishop, golden sceptres were carried, and behind them were 12 ripids and the same number of censers and lamps. During the procession, the bishop stopped and made a cross over the people, who exclaimed: "Lord, have mercy!" At the entrance of the procession into the church, the bishop once again made the cross over the people “to the east, to the right and to the left”. Then the icon was placed on its throne in the altar of the temple to the east of the main throne “at another meal, smaller, but fortified above”. Only the bishop had the right to approach and kiss the icon, after which he changed the white plate of the icon “for another one painted in purple”. At the end of the service, the “divine throne”, accompanied by a similar procession, returned to the skevophylakion.

The Word for Transfer provides not only a unique detailed description of the liturgical procession with a miraculous icon, which has no analogues in Byzantine sources, but is also a special liturgical commentary. The highly learned author offers a symbolic interpretation of almost all the basic elements of the rite. He uses the earlier liturgical commentaries of Sophronius of Jerusalem, Maximus the Confessor and Herman of Constantinople. However, the interpretation of the most original features of the ritual is quite independent. So, he explains the use of multi-colored covers: white symbolizes the eternity of God and divine light, while this unknown Byzantine liturgist understands porphyry as the embodiment of the invisible and ineffable essence of God, in the spirit of the apophatic theology of Dionysius the Areopagite. It is difficult to say to what extent the described Edessa rite corresponded to the practice of Byzantine worship that had developed by the middle of the 10th century. However, it seems likely that it could have had a noticeable influence on the development of liturgical processions with icons. I would also like to draw attention to the practice of closing the sacred image, which will be inherited by the Constantinople cult of Mandylion and the entire subsequent tradition of venerating miraculous icons.

Mandylion and the protection of icon veneration

The popularity of Mandylion grew gradually during the 7th century, spreading from East to West. In Byzantium, the glory of Mandylion is associated with the period of iconoclasm (730 - 843), when the Edessa image - the “God-made icon”, mystically appearing by the will of Christ himself, became one of the arguments of icon-worshipers in their disputes with opponents of sacred images (33).

We find references to Mandylion twice in the writings of John Damascene (d. 749). In “An Exact Statement of the Orthodox Faith,” he briefly repeats the story known to us from the first legend of the Tale: “A certain story is also told that when Avgar, who reigned in the city of Edessa, sent a painter to make a similar image of the Lord, the painter was unable to do this because of of the radiant splendor of His Face, then the Lord Himself, having applied imatiy to His divine and life-giving Face, imprinted His image on the imatii and in this form sent it to Abgar, who strongly desired it ”(34). The author makes an important addition that the artist could not depict Christ “because of the radiant brilliance of His Face”. This image of a radiant face subsequently had a noticeable influence on the liturgical texts associated with Mandylion. The context in which John Damascene cites the legend about the Edessa Image is also noteworthy. It acts as a kind of important and in many ways unique evidence of the ancient, “New Testament” practice of creating icons, about which nothing is said in the Holy Scriptures. In the chapter "On Icons" of this most important theological treatise, the Edessa Mandylion is the only and most important example of a concrete icon image.

In his “defensive words” about holy icons, John Damascene cites the story of the Image Not Made by Hands as a commentary on the reasoning of Dionysius the Areopagite about the raising of minds from sensory images to divine contemplations (35). Here is another theme that will be developed in subsequent liturgical texts. The Mandylion, created by the “human-loving” divine providence, allows us to sensually contemplate the invisible Lord.

In the Acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787), which restored the veneration of icons, the Image of Not Made by Hands is mentioned several times, including in the letter of Pope Gregory II already cited earlier, reporting on the wide veneration of the icon in Edessa (36). The appearance of the legend about Mandylion in this document does not seem accidental. The popes were well informed about the Edessa shrine. According to Pope Hadrian's testimony at a council in 769 in Rome, Pope Stephen (752-757) heard the story of the Image Not Made by Hands from travelers arriving from the East (37). Apparently, already in the VIII century. the authority of the relic was very high. This is confirmed by the recently published Greek list of nine main images of the East and the West not made by hands, which have come down to us in the tenth century manuscript. from the Venetian Marciana (Marc. Gr. 573) (38). The list was included in the so-called Florilegium, a collection of testimonies about the veneration of holy images, probably compiled for one of the popes of the 8th century. The relic image, revered in the city of Edessa, reveals a number of the most important shrines of Christianity: "In Edessa we have [the image] given by Christ himself to the artist Avgar, who tried with faith, according to written testimonies, to draw Him" \u200b\u200b(39). Attention is drawn to the high status of the legend, about which there are well-known written evidence.

Mandylion is also described in the lesser-known Greek writings of the 8th century, which were circulated among monastic circles, especially devoted to the veneration of icons. The author of the Elder's Instructions on Holy Icons sets out in some detail the legend about the Image Not Made by Hands in Edessa, referring to a certain story of Father Ephraim (Sirin?): Him throughout all the earth, and all the nations were amazed. And one king, by the name of Abgar, moved by divine zeal to see Him, could not do this due to the fact that he himself was a Syrian. And he sent his ambassadors to Him with the following request: "Come to us, because we have heard about Your great miracles that You perform among the Jews. Come to us, so that we may believe that You are the light and glory of the nations." The Lord says to them: "I was not sent to anyone else but to the house of Israel." And the king said to them: "If He comes, it is very good, but if not, bring me an exact image of His appearance so that I can direct my love to him." And having worked hard, they could not depict His holy appearance. Seeing their faith, Christ, our Lord and Savior, took the sindon and with his own hands applied it to His immaculate face, so that His immaculate image appeared without wood and paint. And He gave his messengers King Abgar and blessed both them and the king and the city, laying its foundations, as our father Ephraim narrates in his will, and this story is not false ”(40).

In modern scholarship, testimonies about Mandylion dating back to the era of early iconoclasm are sometimes regarded as later interpolations introduced into the most authoritative texts both before and after the victory of icon veneration in 843 (41). There is no agreement among researchers on this issue; it can be quite difficult to confirm or refute critical judgments due to the lack of precisely dated texts. However, there is practically no doubt that by the beginning of the IX century. The Edesian Mandylion and its history were widely known in Byzantium (42). During this era, in his theological treatises against the iconoclasts, Patriarch Nicephorus (806-815) speaks about the Edessa Image several times (43). He is told about “The Life of St. Euphemia ”and is reported in the correspondence of Theodore the Studite (letter 409, 818-819).

Of paramount importance is the Epistle of the Three Eastern Patriarchs, where the Image of Edessa is introduced into the context of the most important arguments of icon-worshipers and tops the list of 12 most important miraculous icons (44). A fairly detailed tradition, consecrated both by the form of the council decree and by the authority of the authors - the patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, became one of the most important sources of information about Mandylion in Byzantium in the 9th century, which was also used as a historical document by the author of The Tale of the Emperor Constantine. years later.

It is interesting that the oldest version of this text - the so-called "Epistle to Theophilus" by Pseudo-Damascene, apparently dating back to the original Epistle of 836, mentions only five miraculous icons, and the story of the Edessa Image is cited third after the news of the icon of Our Lady of the Evangelist Luke and the legends about Our Lady of Lydda (45). In our opinion, this difference in the hierarchy of plots is not accidental. For several decades of the IX century. by the time the final edition of the Epistle was compiled, the tradition of the Image Not Made by Hands becomes absolutely recognized, and its status as the original icon is unshakable.

Comparing versions of legends, we can see that the content in the two versions practically does not change. It goes back to the so-called "second story" about the emergence of St. Face, in which the artist sent by Avgar is not mentioned, but the image on the board appears during prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Tale, 16-22). The image on the towel (soudarion) appeared as an imprint of divine sweat: “When he wiped sweat from his pure face with his holy hands, the sight of his holy appearance was immediately imprinted on this canvas. And his absolutely exact features, as if in colors, were depicted by his divine action. And it should be said that his divine image remained unchanged on the miraculous canvas ”(46). The Apostle Thaddeus gave the Image Not Made by Hands to King Abgar, who saw in him Christ “reflected as in a mirror”. Some characteristic details are also important in the legend. So, for example, it is said that “it is this holy imprint that the famous and glorious Edessa still possesses like a royal scepter. She boasts of him and is proud of him, for Christ, our true God, shows the people signs and wonders, showing such great grace here ”(47). The Epistle of the Eastern Patriarchs emphasizes the connection of Mandylion as a “print from sweat” with the Passion of the Lord, the idea of \u200b\u200bnumerous miracles and the theme of power. The possession of the greatest relic of Christ, compared to the “royal scepter,” is a sign of supreme power.

The latter idea was especially attractive to the Byzantine emperors, who proclaimed themselves the governors of God on earth. The possession of the first icon and the first relic of Christ could become a visible confirmation of their exclusive rights. In this regard, it is significant that the approval of the veneration of icons and the glorification of holy images after 843 formed the basis of the ideology of the emperors of the Macedonian dynasty, who collected relics and miraculous images from all over the Christian world in Constantinople (48).

Transfer of Mandylion from Edessa to Constantinople

In this historical context, the acquisition of the glorified Mandylion - the most important relic of Christ, who ended up in the territory of the Arab Caliphate and thus, as it were, captured, seemed to be a task of state and political significance. The story of 944 tells about the repeated efforts of the emperor Romanus Lacapenus (920-944) to rescue the Image of Not Made by Hands and the Letter of Christ to Avgar. Finally, the Edesian emir agreed to give up the shrines on the following conditions: the emperor guaranteed the safety of the cities of Edessa, Kharana, Sarotsi and Samosata, released 200 captives, and paid 12,000 silver ransom coins (Tale, 44-46) (49). Byzantine historians confirm the data of the Tale and highlight the security guarantees provided by the emperor as the main condition for obtaining relics. In the Biography of Roman I, Theophan's successor testifies: “The inhabitants of Edessa, in which the precious image of Christ is kept, driven to despair by the Roman army besieging the city, sent ambassadors to Tsar Roman and asked to lift the siege, promising to give the precious image of Christ. In exchange for this gift, they asked to return them their prisoners from among the nobles, as well as to grant them a chrisovul with the promise that the Roman army would stop ravaging their land ”(50).

For the Image not Made by Hands and the Letter of Christ, Abramius, Bishop of Samosata, was sent. Having overcome the resistance of the Edessans, who did not want to part with their "amulets", and having established the true "Image not Made by Hands", he took the relics out of the city. According to the Tale written by a contemporary, the long and solemn journey to the Byzantine capital was accompanied by numerous signs, miracles and predictions. The first miracle was that the ship with the relics, without the help of oarsmen, “ruled by one divine will”, crossed the Euphrates. Touching the casket with relics and even at the sight of it, the blind began to see, the lame and dry-handed recovered, the paralyzed began to walk (Story, 48-52).

The author of the Tale, close to Emperor Constantine, tells about a miraculous prophecy that took place in the Eusebius Monastery of Our Lady (Theotokos tou Eusebiou), where the embassy stopped on the way. A certain demon possessed approached the casket with the Image Not Made by Hands on display in the monastery church and predicted the beginning of the sole rule of Emperor Constantine, which he associated with the arrival of the Edesian relic in the capital: “Take, Constantinople, glory and joy, and you, Constantine Porphyrogenitus, your kingdom” ( Story, 53). After these words, the demoniac was healed. Understanding the fateful nature of this episode, the author of the Tale, written already during the reign of Konstantin Porphyrogenitus, points to many witnesses. Indeed, in addition to a large group of local hierarchs who accompanied the casket with relics, the Eusebius Monastery is attended by higher ranks who arrived from Constantinople accompanied by military detachments. The Image not made by hands is greeted as an emperor returning from a distant victorious campaign. This point is also emphasized by Byzantine historians: “When the holy image or face of Christ was brought to Constantinople, the patrician and parakimomen Theophanes went to the Sangar River, where he met him with sparkling lamps, proper honor and chants” (51).

Of great historical importance is the description of the triumphal bringing of Mandylion to Constantinople, information about which has come down to us both in the "Tale of the Emperor Constantine" (56-65) and in some other sources (52). Mandylion reached the capital on August 15, 944, since this day was the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God. The casket with the relics was brought to the main church of Our Lady of Constantinople in Blachernae (in the distant north-western corner of the city near the wall), where he was placed in the “upper church” (“sacred lavatory”?) (53). Being in Blachernae, on the occasion of the holiday, the emperors worshiped and kissed the casket (54). Then, accompanied by soldiers and many lamps, the chest was transferred to the imperial triremes, which sailed along the waters of the Golden Horn to the Great Imperial Palace, and the relics were transferred to the palace church of Our Lady of Pharos.

The main celebrations took place the next day, 16 August. The young emperors (Constantine Porphyrogenitus and two sons of Roman Lacapenus) "with psalms, singing and abundant illumination" again loaded the relics onto the imperial triremes and sailed with them along the walls of Constantinople (55). The author of the Tale specifically explains the meaning of the action: it is a protective mystical “girdle of the city” with the power of sacred relics (Tale, 57), similar to Eulalia's walking with the acquired Mandylion along the walls of Edessa.

The action was also rooted in the proper Constantinople tradition of the 6th-9th centuries, when the patriarchs during the siege of the city bypassed the walls with the most important shrines of the capital - the Tree of the Cross, the Robe of the Mother of God, Her icon and some miraculous image of Christ (56). During the most famous siege of the Byzantine capital by the Avars in 626, Patriarch Sergius wore an icon of Christ not made by hands on the walls of Constantinople - an event understood in Byzantium as the most important symbolic ceremony, undoubtedly well known to the author of the Tale. According to the sermon of Theodore Sinkell, delivered just a year after the miraculous salvation, “as Moses, who once helped his people to win the battle with the Amalkites by raising his hands, so our new Moses (patriarch) raised in his pure hands the image of God the Son, whom the demons fear : he is said to have been not made by hands (acheiropoieton). He did not need material support after Christ gave himself to be crucified in the name of peace. As an invincible weapon, he wore this image along all the city walls ”(57). One can guess that in the minds of the Byzantines the encircling city of Mandylion seemed to replace the ancient glorified shrine of the "Image of Christ not made by hands" of the early 7th century, which in 944 no longer existed in Constantinople.

The next act of the sacred ritual was to enter the city through the Golden Gate. Having reached the western edge of the city by sea, the procession with the Edesian relics passed along the wall to the main gate, which, like the ancient gates of Jerusalem, was called “Golden” (58). At the same time, the Tale likens the casket with the shrines to the “new ark”, which makes it possible to understand the symbolic design of the entire procession. The image of the true king David should have appeared in memory, “with exclamations and trumpets” carrying the ark to Jerusalem - the city of David (2 Samuel 6: 2-18). It is noteworthy that the image of King David carrying the ark, as one of the most important toposes, will be included in the Orthodox service of the holiday on August 16 (59).

In this context, the Jerusalem theme of the Golden Gate acquired special relevance, through which, according to tradition, the Messiah, who appeared to save the world, would have to enter. The entrance of the Image Not Made by Hands, identified with Christ the Messiah himself, was intended to confirm the idea of \u200b\u200bConstantinople as the New Jerusalem and the chosen city of salvation. When entering through the Golden Gate, a slightly different circle of associations arose, associated with the theme of the imperial triumphs that took place here (60). Christ in the Image Not Made by Hands returns to his city, like the highest emperor and eternal victor. It is interesting that the tradition of the triumphant return of the relic had its own prehistory: in this way the emperor Heraclius returned to Jerusalem the glorified relic of the Lord's Cross, which he had won from the Persians in 630 (61) - an event annually remembered by the Orthodox Church on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (62). The Byzantines were also familiar with triumphal processions with images of Christ not made by hands. During the reign of Justinian, between 554 and 560, the Camulian Image was worn through the cities of the empire. The reporting author of the Syrian chronicle of 569 describes the procession as an imperial triumph (adventus), which he, in turn, interprets as a symbolic prototype of the Second Coming (63).

From the Golden Gate, a nationwide procession with the singing of psalms and hymns headed to the main temple of St. Sophia. A colossal procession moved along the main street of Mesa through the entire city. As the eyewitness and author of the Tale notes, the crowds of people gathered together believed “that through this the city would be worthy of sanctification and greater power and be preserved forever unharmed and impregnable” (Tale, 59). The theme of inaccessibility was directly connected with the legend of the miracles of Mandylion at the walls of Edessa and the universally known promise of the safety of the city in the concluding lines of Christ's letter to Abgar. Confirmation of the divine nature of what was happening was the miracle of the healing of the paralyzed, who recovered from one glance at the casket with shrines. It is noteworthy that the story of miraculous healing is presented as a kind of guarantee of future salvation.

Ancient image from Genoa

At the entrance to the Church of St. Sophia, the Image Not Made by Hands and the Letter to Avgar were placed on the altar and a special service was performed in their honor. From the Great Church, the procession with the shrines went to the nearby Great Imperial Palace, where in the main reception hall (Chrysotriclinia) the relics were again greeted by the “senior emperor” Roman Lakapin, who due to illness could not participate in the city celebrations. One of the most important rites of the entire celebration is performed in Chrysotriclinia

transference - The image of Christ not made by hands is placed on the imperial throne, “not recklessly believing that he, verily, both sanctifies the royal seat, and introduces those who sit on it to righteousness and gentle goodness” (Story, 63).

The quoted commentary of the author of the Tale can be substantially supplemented based on knowledge of Byzantine realities. Mandylion on the main imperial throne embodied the key ideologue of Byzantium - Christ is the true ruler of the empire, only whose governor on earth is the current emperor. In the rite of transferring the Mandylion, this fundamental thought acquired a mystical reality. It is known that a mosaic image of Christ on the throne was placed above the throne of Christriclinius, restored after the victory of the icon-worshipers in 856-866. (64) In his book On Ceremonies, Constantine Porphyrogenitus notes that the emperors always prayed in front of this icon when leaving St. Sophia and upon returning to the palace, expressing “slavish obedience and reverence for the King of Kings” (65). It was the main icon of the empire, in the IX-X centuries. depicted on gold coins as a state symbol. Mandylion, placed on the real throne on August 16, 944, made a single composition with this mosaic icon "Christ on the Throne". The not-made and man-made images of Christ were combined into one whole, enriching each other with additional meanings. The triumphant theme of the throne Christ naturally turned into a reminder of the Atonement sacrifice embodied in Mandylion as the imprint of bloody sweat. It can be recalled that before the appearance in Chrysotriclinia, the last place of residence of the Image Not Made by Hands was the altar, most likely the main throne of Sophia of Constantinople. The transfer of Mandylion from the holy meal to the holy throne symbolically united the two most important thrones, signifying the dual unity of the priesthood and the kingdom, visibly manifested through the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands.

In Chrysotriclinia in front of Mandylion on the throne, a "supplicatory prayer" was performed, after which he was finally transferred to the palace temple of Our Lady of Pharos, where he took on his permanent place.

The complex and at first glance even intricate movement of Mandylion around the city was supposed to mystically connect all the most important sacred centers of the Byzantine capital, create the image of a city consisting of temples and sacred palaces inseparable from them, and ultimately represent a spatial icon of Heavenly Jerusalem. In this regard, the concluding petition of the "Tale of the Emperor Constantine", which is significant addressed to Mandylion: "Keep this queen of cities unescaped and grant us, who have pleased thy Type, Christ our God, to be accepted into the Heavenly Kingdom."

Mandylion in Constantinople. 944-1204

The placement of Mandylion in the church of Our Lady of Pharos was far from accidental. This small temple, located in the depths of the Great Palace behind Chrysotriclinius, was a special relic church where the Byzantine emperors kept their main shrines (66). In 944, the church contained the most important relics of the passions (including the Tree of the Cross, the Crown of Thorns, Nails from the Cross of the Crucifixion, the Purple Christ), which, according to the story of the Initial Chronicle, back in 912, Emperor Leo the Wise showed Russian ambassadors how the embodiment of "true faith" (67).

Mandylion has added a number of Passionate Relics (68). We know from very few sources that, along with selected relics of the Passion, Mandylion left the Pharos church several times. As stated in the “History” of George Kedrin, during the wedding with Michael IV (1034-1041), Empress Zoe sent relics to the Pharos Church, namely the Tree of the Holy Cross, Mandylion, the Letter of Christ to Avgar and the icon of the Mother of God, to the rebellious patrician Constantine Dalassin as a guarantee his safe return to Constantinople. We meet here with a special Byzantine practice, when the main relics of the empire in an acute political situation are used as a guarantee. The shrines served as a kind of guarantors of the oath, their enormous material value and priceless spiritual significance were called upon to confirm the imperial promise, however, in this particular case, not fulfilled (69).

The Ark with Mandylion, along with other relics of the Pharos Church, could be carried out to participate in special liturgical processions. During the reign of the same Michael IV in 1037, there was a terrible six-month drought, trying to prevent a catastrophe, the emperor organized a litiya-procession with prayers for rain from the Great Palace to Blachernae. At the same time, Mandylion was solemnly carried through the entire city from the reliquary temple of Our Lady of Pharos to another main reliquary temple in Blachernae, also dedicated to Our Lady - the permanent protector and patroness of Constantinople (70). The relics were in precious arks, which the brothers of the emperor carried in their arms.

Miniature 12th century from the Madrid manuscript of the Chronicle of John Skylitz (fol. 210v) captured this important historical event (71). The text of the manuscript at the top and bottom of the miniature announces: “The brothers of the basileus arranged a litany. John carried the Holy Mandylion (agion mandylion), the great domestic - the Epistle of Christ to Avgar, the protovestiary George carried the holy shroud (agia spargana). They walked on foot from the Great Palace to the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Blachernae. And here the patriarch served his second service. However, the rain did not start. ” On the miniature of the Madrid Skylitz, two men in long shirts resembling surplice are walking at the head of the procession towards the Blachernae Church. They carry processional crosses on long poles, apparently containing the relics of the Holy Tree. Behind them are three figures (the brothers of the emperor mentioned in the text) with reliquary caskets on their covered hands. Bishops are depicted behind the members of the imperial family, indicating the liturgical nature of the ceremony, and then the praying people. As the miniaturist and the text of the manuscript suggest, the first of the arks contains the Mandylion. The Image not made by hands, as once in the procession of the transfer of 944, connects the most important sacred centers of the Byzantine capital. Christ, dwelling in the miraculous Mandylion, is solemnly and servilely brought into the space of the city. Members of the imperial family, carrying on foot the Image of Not Made by Hands, demonstrate their obedience to the true ruler and supreme protector, who sanctifies with his presence the Christian world, deprived of drought.

It is significant that the particles of Mandylion, among other Passionate relics and relics of saints, could be invested in especially valuable imperial reliquaries, which were sent to foreign rulers as a supreme gift. One of these reliquaries, created in Constantinople in the 12th century, was sent to Russia and is now kept in the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin (72). The back of the encolpius icon with an enamel depiction of “Descent into Hell” is decorated with a Greek inscription listing the relics inside this reliquary. Alongside Chiton, Chlamyda, Lenthion, the Shroud, the Crown of Thorns and the Blood of Christ, “part of Mandylion” is also mentioned. The collection of relics, including the relics of selected saints, points to the shrines of the court of the Pharos church and the Byzantine emperor as the only possible customer of the precious encolpius. Only by his will the holy particle could be separated from the board with the Image not made by hands. Interestingly, the compiler of this unique collection of relics seems to be referring to Mandylion's special history. The relics include three rare relics of the Apostle Thomas, whose veneration was associated with the cult of the Image Not Made by Hands in Edessa (73). The inscription on the encolpia from the Moscow Kremlin allows us to see a special facet in the living veneration of the relic of the Image not Made by Hands, about which other historical sources are silent.

What do we know about the veneration of Mandylion in the Great Imperial Palace? At first, it was placed in the Pharos Church to the right of the altar (in the south aisle or apse?) And was probably available for contemplation and worship. An expressive episode has come down to us in the Life of St. Paul Latrsky, compiled shortly after his death (955) (74). St. Paul asked the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus to attach a piece of cloth to Mandylion and send it to him. While all people saw nothing but cloth, St. Paul discerned the face of the Savior mysteriously displayed on it. The story is interesting as an example of the creation of a secondary relic through touching the original - a rite, possibly reflecting the established practice of Constantinople. The episode is notable not only for the indication of the possibility of touching the Mandylion in the temple-reliquary, but also for the desire in the 10th century. recall the ancient tradition of miraculous reproduction of the Image Not Made by Hands, the very ability to contemplate which is already associated with holiness.

What did the Mandylion brought from Edessa look like? Unfortunately, not a single clear description has reached us, however, what is known allows us to get some idea. In the Tale of the Emperor Constantine, compiled by a man who saw Mandylion, it is said that Avgar fixed a linen cloth on a board, “decorating it with the still visible gold” (gold frame?), And wrote the words “Christ God, who trusts in You will not perish” (Tale, 25 ), placed, most likely, on the salary. Very important is the testimony of the Tale of Abgar's meditation, whether the Not-made image was made with “material colors”, and the story of the Apostle Thaddeus about “an image without paints from sweat” (Tale, 21). Apparently, they were directly related to the impression of the face of Christ on Mandylion in the middle of the 10th century, which is confirmed by other sources.

Of particular importance is the recently published "Sermon of Gregory Referendarius on the Bringing of the Edessa Image", written, as indicated in the very title of the text, after 944 (75) The author, "Archdeacon and Referendary of the Great Church of Constantinople" (St. Sophia), was sent by the emperor to Edessa to study all documents related to the Image Not Made by Hands. In his description of Mandylion, he states that the image “was imprinted with drops of sweat from the agonizing face of the Ruler of life (Acts 3:15), which fell like drops of blood (Luke 22:44), and by the finger of God (Ex. 8:15) ... These were the only decorations that bloomed the true imprint of Christ, decorated with drops streaming from his own side. Both are full of teaching: here is blood and water, there is sweat and form. What a similarity! For this came from the One and the Same. But the source of living water should also be seen in His image, and he, teaching, gives a face-forming moisture to the sweat that every body exudes. Like a spring that gushes like a spring from vessels that moisturize the tree of life ... ”(76).

Unfortunately, the quoted text of Gregory Refendarii, who undoubtedly saw the relic, cannot be considered as an expert opinion. This is a church sermon, weighed down by the complex metaphor inherent in Byzantine rhetorical writings. The testimony of Mandylion's connection with the suffering of the cross should not be taken literally. To a greater extent, this is a tribute to the Eucharistic symbolism of Mandylion and one of the ancient legends about the creation of the Image Not Made by Hands on a board with drops of sweat, falling like drops of blood, during the prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (Story, 17). However, the testimony of Gregory Refendarii about an unusual image, made not with paints, but with sweat prints, is so persistent and eloquent that we have the right to see in it a reflection of the real features of the Edessa Image (77).

An expressive detail is reported in the Chronicle of Pseudo-Simeon the Magister. After Mandylion's arrival in Constantinople, the old emperor Roman Lacapenus, his two sons and Constantine Porphyrogenitus gathered to see the Image Not Made by Hands “on the holy towel of the Son of God”. However, they did not see any clear image: “The sons of the emperor said that they saw only this face. But the son-in-law (of the emperor) Constantine said that he sees eyes and ears ”(78). The given data give every reason to believe that the face of Christ on Mandylion was very poorly visible and almost monochrome in color.

We can only assume that the Byzantine artists had some idea of \u200b\u200bthe real appearance of the relic. At the same time, the Edessa image itself was practically not available for viewing in Constantinople. Apparently, both the ancient ones, made back in Edessa, and the new ones, written after 944, served as models for numerous replicas, which were themselves perceived and revered as sacred relics, mystically associated with a non-hand-made prototype. Perhaps it is to such special miraculous lists that the Vatican and Genoese icons of Mandylion that have come down to us date back (79). A characteristic feature of both icons is not only the same size, which coincides with the size of a human face, but also tends to a monochrome image of the face of Christ, which can be explained by the desire to point to an ancient prototype (80).

The Edesian Mandylion itself, shortly after its appearance in Constantinople, was forever placed in a closed gold case (casket, ark), and the desire to see the Face Not Made by Hands began to be perceived as sacrilege. In a Latin pilgrimage description of the 11th century shrines of Constantinople published several years ago. (the so-called "Tarragona Anonymous") a story about this tradition has come down to us: "This most precious plate (linteum), marked by the face and touch of the Lord Jesus, is revered more than the rest of the shrines of the palace, is preserved with great care, so that it is always concluded into the golden ark (aureo vase) and locked in the most secure way. And while all the other shrines of the palace at one time or another are shown to believers, this plate, which keeps the image of the face of our Redeemer, is not shown to anyone and is not revealed to anyone, not even the Emperor of Constantinople himself. At the time it opened that ark, where there was such a holy thing, and the city was struck by an incessant earthquake, threatening all inevitable destruction. It was revealed from above through visions that the terrible evil would not recede from that city until that plate, which keeps the image of the face of the Lord, was hidden in a secret place and removed from human eyes. And so they did. They enclosed that holy cloth in a golden ark and carefully closed it, and the earthquake stopped, and the wrath of heaven calmed down. Since then, no one has heard that they open that ark and look at what is there, for everyone believes and fears that everything will be struck by a terrible earthquake if they try to open it ”(81).

The testimony given is the most detailed account of Mandylion in Constantinople after 944. An educated Latin pilgrim who spent a lot of time in the Byzantine capital undoubtedly recounted Greek tradition not preserved by other sources. The theme of hiding a shrine under fear of a universal catastrophe has deep mythological origins. Ancient Greek palladiums - wooden statues of Pallas Athena and Artemis of Ephesus - were hidden from the eyes of believers and punished those who saw them. Archetypal was the image of the Ark of the Covenant, which only once a year could the high priest see in the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple (Heb. 9: 7). Let us remind that even in Edessa, according to the 10th century “The Word about the Veneration of the Image Not Made by Hands”, only the bishop could see the Image not made by hands once a year, while the believers worshiped a closed reliquary with Mandylion inside. The inaccessibility of the Holy Face, which strengthened the mystical feeling, acted as a kind of guarantee of the highest holiness, in the perception of which the apophatic and cataphatic idea of \u200b\u200bGod, contemplated and at the same time absolutely inaccessible, united into an indissoluble whole.

The idea of \u200b\u200bhiding shrines was reflected in special rituals associated with the veneration of Mandylion and Keramion. According to the Pisanian Leo Tuskus, a Latin theologian and official translator at the court of Manuel Comnenus, both relics were covered with special veils during Lent. In his polemical treatise On the Heresies and Abuses of the Greeks (c. 1177), this Latins, well informed about all the customs of Constantinople, says: “During Great Lent, Saint Mandilion (sancti mantellis) and Saint Ceramion are covered with veils until Holy Saturday” (82 ). Leo Tuskus connects this ritual with another Lenten ritual that is also being uploaded on Holy Saturday. At the same time, the main miraculous icon of the Pharos Church - the Mother of God Oykokira (domina domus), usually standing behind the altar, was carried away and closed in the imperial bedchamber, the doors of which were covered with fabrics (83). The impossibility during the period of grief and repentance to contemplate the face of the Mother of God Oykokira or "Lady of the House" (one might think - the patroness of the palace church and the imperial house), as well as the demonstrative concealment of precious reliquaries with Mandylion and Keramion were, most likely, preparation for the Easter celebration - the return of the most important miraculous images of Christ and the Mother of God to the sacred space of the Pharos temple-reliquary, a kind of festive theophany.

In the XI - XII centuries. Many pilgrims report about Mandylion in the Church of Our Lady of Pharos in the Great Imperial Palace (84). An important testimony in 1200 was left by Nikolai Mesarit, who was the keeper of relics in the Church of Our Lady of Pharos (85). However, we find practically no new information in these messages. We learn that Mandylion was venerated along with Keramion, brought to the palace church in 968 (86). From 1032 to 1185, a letter from Christ to Abgar (87) was kept in the palace church, so that a full complex of the most important Edesian relics was collected. It is noteworthy that they were located in the immediate vicinity of the main relics of the Passion of the Lord, and such a context undoubtedly influenced the perception of the Edesian shrines.

Precious evidence of the location of the relic in the space of the temple is brought to us by Robert de Clari, who was a direct participant in the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1204. Speaking about the sights of the “Holy Church” of the palace, he reports with topographic accuracy and the concreteness of a military man about what he saw: “There were two rich vessels of gold (vaissiaus d'or), which hung in the middle of the church (capele) on two thick silver chains; in one of these vessels there was a tile (tuile), and suddenly, a piece of linen (touaile) ”(88). Knowledge of the structure of the Byzantine temple suggests that Mandylion and Keramion were suspended from two supporting arches and placed opposite each other. In such an unusual arrangement of relics, one cannot but see a special plan that needs explanation.

In our opinion, Mandylion and Ceramion, shown facing each other, apparently should have evoked in memory a great miracle that happened in a niche above the gates of Edessa - the reproduction of a face not made by hands on the tile that closed this niche (89). According to the "Tale of the Emperor Constantine", between the images, from the moment the niche was closed to the miraculous acquisition of relics, an inextinguishable candle burned as a sign of incessant worship (Tale, 28). Shown in the center of the temple as if hanging in the air, two relics created a mystical space of a miracle happening - the reproduction of the Image Not Made by Hands, a visibly revealed revelation and a kind of Theophany. The sacred space of the gateway niche of Edes, created by two icons, acquired a monumental dimension in the space of the palace reliquary temple. The liturgical context was also important - the miracle of the appearance of the image not made by hands was compared with the miracle of the presentation of the holy gifts in the Eucharist. The Byzantine ideal of the post-iconoclastic time was realized in this program with possible perfection: the Icon and the Eucharist united in an integral spatial image. In our opinion, it was this authoritative and sacred model that underlay one of the central themes of the entire Byzantine temple decoration of the 11th - 15th centuries, namely, the placement of images of Mandylion and Keramion on the eastern and western domed arches.

The images of Mandylion and Keramion located opposite each other, recalling the sacred spaces of the Edessa niche and the Church of Our Lady of Pharos, were perceived by the Byzantines as a stable topos. His correct understanding was undoubtedly facilitated by the sermons that were read at the celebration of the Image Not Made by Hands. One of these Byzantine texts was recently published - the so-called. “Didascalia of Constantine Stilbes on the shrines of Mandylion and Keramion”, most likely, pronounced on the holiday on August 16 under Patriarch George Xiphilin between 1194 and 1197. (90). In didascale, two images of Christ not made by hands are presented as one whole - a miraculous time-lasting epiphany. The text itself is constructed as a complex and poetic interweaving of historical legends about relics, biblical images and high theology, revealing the symbolic meaning of the icons that were revealed. Such sermons were an integral part of festive services. They clearly show how deep the theological and liturgical comprehension of Mandylion was in the era preceding the conquest of Constantinople by the crusaders.

image of Christ from the chapel of St. Matilda, Vatican

Turning to the Byzantine liturgical tradition, we can note that by the XI century. the divine service of the holiday of August 16 is taking shape - the Transfer of the Image Not Made by Hands from Edessa to Constantinople. It is reflected in the typicons and service menaea. For example, in the Constantinople Evergetida typicon, which was most widespread in Byzantium of the 11th-12th centuries, it is indicated that on the morning of August 16, the “Word of Metaphrastus on Holy Mandylion” (an abbreviated synaxial version of the “Tale of the Emperor Constantine”) is read. Among the readings at the liturgy, the text from “Second Epistle to the Corinthians” (2 Cor. 3: 4-11) (91) is especially highlighted. Reference is also made to the Gospel texts without specifying specific chapters. They are named in another influential Studio-Alekseevsky charter. These are readings from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 9: 51-55; 10: 22-24; 13: 1), which are supplemented with verses of another apostolic letter (Colossians 1: 12-18).

The early history of the canon of the Image Not Made by Hands is interesting, in which at the turn of the XI-XII centuries. significant changes have been made. This probably happened under the influence of a theological dispute about the nature of holy images, initiated by Leo of Chalcedon (92). At the end of the XI century. this Byzantine metropolitan consistently opposed the melting down of precious liturgical utensils with icon images, which was carried out by order of the emperor Alexei Komnenos to replenish the state treasury. Leo of Chalcedon believed that the sanctity of the image (character) partially transfers to the very matter of the image, which, accordingly, cannot be destroyed. Among the arguments in support of his innocence, the Byzantine theologian cited one of the troparians of his contemporary canon, Mandylion (93). A church council convened by the emperor in 1095 condemned Metropolitan Lev, rejecting all his theological arguments (94). One of the practical consequences of the cathedral was the disappearance of the 12th century manuscript menaion. troparion to Saint Mandylion, who quoted Leo of Chalcedon in his letter. The above episode of theological and liturgical censorship allows us to see another facet of the intense religious life that surrounded the relic of the Image Not Made by Hands in the Byzantine capital until 1204.

This date was the last in the fate of the relic, clear information about which no longer appears in historical sources. There is no doubt that Mandylion was captured by the Crusaders. However, unlike many other captive shrines of the Byzantine capital, he disappears from sight. The death of the greatest shrine gave rise to legends. According to the most popular of these, Mandylion, along with other looted treasures, was sent by the Doge Enrico Dandolo to Venice. However, according to God's providence, the ship with Mandylion sank near the coast in the Sea of \u200b\u200bMarmara. In the XIX century. The Greeks of Constantinople reverently pointed out the “exact” place of the sinking of the Venetian ship and, accordingly, the underwater location of the Image Not Made by Hands (95). However, this popular story should be recognized more as a folk fantasy than a historical plot, since it does not find confirmation in ancient sources.

In recent years, the widest spread has been the version that the relic of the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands has survived to this day and has become world famous under the name of the Shroud of Turin. In the writings of the Sindonologists (researchers of the Shroud), the identification of the two relics became almost universally recognized, since it provided a rare opportunity to explain the vague history of the Shroud before the 13th century. (96). According to this theory, the Shroud, folded in such a way that only the face of Christ was visible, was brought to Edessa and venerated there as the Image Not Made by Hands on the board. After 1204, the relic could be owned by the Knightly Order of the Templars, from which the Shroud passed to the de Charny family in France, where it was first publicly displayed in the middle of the 14th century.

Unfortunately, the Mandylion-Shroud hypothesis, despite the understandable enthusiasm of numerous supporters, does not agree well with the existing facts (97). It contradicts the well-known descriptions of Mandylion and, first of all, with the data of the "Tale of the Emperor Constantine", the author of which, as is clear from the text, saw the relic itself, brought from Edessa. The Not-Made Image was carefully examined by the Byzantines both in Edessa and after it was brought to Constantinople in 944. It is impossible to imagine that the difference between a four-meter shroud and a plate fixed on a board and decorated with a gold frame could not be noticed.

However, in our opinion, the most important argument is the existence in Constantinople of two completely different relics of the Mandylion and the Shroud. Both were kept in the Church of Our Lady of Pharos and at the same time are mentioned in pilgrimage descriptions starting from the second half of the 11th century. In 1200, Nikolai Mesarit, an absolutely informed keeper of the relics of the Pharos Church, reports about the Not Made by Hands. “Captured as if on a primitive canvas” and completely separately about another relic of “the rowing shroud of Christ” (98). In 1204, the crusader Robert de Clari is the only witness who reports on the image of Christ on his grave shroud, in another place in his "Conquest of Constantinople" he speaks of the relic of Mandylion (99). Thus, on the eve of the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantines knew about the relic of the burial shroud with the image of Christ (a possible Turin Shroud), but did not mix this shrine with Mandylion at all.

In our opinion, the most likely version is that Mandylion, along with most of the relics of the Pharos Church, ended up in the possession of Baldwin II, the Latin king of Constantinople, who sold these relics to the French King Louis IX Saint. According to this theory, in the middle of the XIII century. Mandylion ended up at Sainte-Shapelle in Paris, a Gothic court chapel specially built to house the Crown of Thorns and other relics of the Imperial Church of Pharos. The relic of the Image Not Made by Hands disappears without a trace only in 1792 during the devastation of Sainte-Chapelle by French atheist revolutionaries.

It should be noted that this is the only version based on documentary evidence, namely, numerous inventories of 22 most important relics, from the XIII century. kept in a special reliquary ark above the altar of Sainte-Chapelle (100). The most important among the inventories is the official act of June 1247, according to which Baldwin II officially transferred all rights to 22 Byzantine relics to King Louis IX (101). In this protocolly accurate list of the main relics of the Church of Pharos, in the eighth place, between the Iron Chain of Christ and the Stone from the Sepulcher, is mentioned the “Holy plate fixed on the board (sanctam toellam tabuae insertam)”. In another even earlier description of the relics of 1241 about the sacred object it is said that it is “The board, which, during the removal of the Lord from the cross, His face touched” (102). In other inventories, the relic is called tabula, mappa, mappula, “the holy cloth (trelle) fixed on the board with the face of Our Lord Jesus Christ”, “Veronica”, “the image of the holy face of Our Lord or Veronica”, and, finally, simply “the holy face ”(103).

From a number of inventories from the XIII to XVIII centuries. it becomes clear that Louis IX, among the relics of the Pharos Church, the authenticity of which was confirmed by Baldwin II, received a certain plate with the face of Christ, which was fixed on the board. The image of Christ allowed the compiler of inventories of the 16th century. identify him with the Roman "Veronica", which looked like the Byzantine Savior Not Made by Hands. More detailed inventories and engravings of the 18th century. give an idea of \u200b\u200bthe structure and appearance of the reliquary, which in the Great Reliquary of Sainte-Chapelle was located under the cross-relic of the Holy Lance to the right of the central Crown of Thorns (104). The board with the board was placed in a Byzantine flat box with a sliding lid (approximately 60 x 40 cm). It was covered with thin plates of gilded silver and adorned with precious stones. The descriptions leave no doubt that we are talking about a small cloth attached to a board. The entire background over the office of the face was covered with thin gold plates, leaving only the face of Christ visible.

Among the relics of the Church of Pharos, only Mandylion matched the descriptions of Sancta Toella of Sainte Chapelle. It is noteworthy that, as we know from the “Tale of the Emperor Constantine” (25), the plate with the Image Not Made by Hands was also attached to the board and decorated with a gold frame. It is no less significant in this context that the ancient icon-painting copies of the Constantinople relics - the Genoese and Vatican Mandylions - are decorated in exactly the same, rather unusual way. The entire background, except for the face of Christ, is covered with a smooth gold plate of the setting, as if cutting out the face with a sharp contour, with a characteristic trident in the lower part for the flowing strands and beard. The reliability of the ancient Byzantine evidence of the Edessa relic finds unexpected confirmation in the French inventories of the New Age. The identification of Constantinople Mandylion and Parisian Sancta Toella seems to us more than probable.

However, there is one very significant objection to this identification. Why did the greatest Byzantine relic remain virtually unknown in the West? In our opinion, the explanation can be found in the fact that Saint Louis IX created the state, absolutely dominant cult of the Crown of Thorns, for which the Pope's special blessing was received. It is interesting that in the same XIII century. the popes created a similar in meaning Roman cult of the so-called “Veronica” (vera icona) - the image of Christ not made by hands on a board, revered in St. Peter's Cathedral (105). A special veneration of the Byzantine Not-Made-by-Hands Image in Paris would constitute a dangerous competition for the Roman cult. It is possible that some kind of oblivion of the Byzantine Mandylion ("Holy Plate") in the Catholic world was the result of a special agreement between the popes and the French kings, a kind of payment for the full support of Rome for the Crown of Thorns cult and the status of Saint-Chapelle as the main reliquary of the Christian world. However, here we must stop our reasoning, since we are entering the shaky ground of undocumented guesses and logical assumptions.

Apparently, we cannot give a final answer about the fate of Mandylion, as well as the two relics of Keramion. We can only state with certainty the fact that since 1204 in the Byzantine world the relics of the Image Not Made by Hands no longer exist. However, for our plot it is much more important that, having disappeared as a real object, the life of Mandylion as the most important iconic image of Christ not only did not stop, but even received a new impetus for development. In hundreds of lists, Mandylion spreads throughout the Orthodox world and, especially, in Ancient Russia. The desire to establish a mystical connection with a really existing relic of the True Image was an inexhaustible spiritual source and a constant stimulus to the development of the iconography of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which became the dominant theme of all Orthodox art.

Notes:

1. Evseeva L.M., Lidov A.M., Chugreeva N.N. Savior Not Made by Hands in the Russian Icon. Moscow, 2005.S. 12-39.

2. In Byzantine sources, the relic of the Image Not Made by Hands was also called himation, rakos, soudarion, ekmageion, heiromaktron, othony. The word "Madillion", most likely derived from the Arabic mandil (towel), is spread in the X century., And from the XI century. the inscription “IC XC. TO AGION MANDYLION ”appears in the Byzantine images of the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands on the board in the status of the official name of the relic and of the iconographic type (an early example in the Cappadocian paintings of Karanlik Kilise in Goreme). The history of the term is discussed in: Walter Chr. The Abgar Cycle at Mateic // Studien zur byzantinischen Kunstgeschichte. Festschrift fuer H. Hallensleben. Amsterdam, 1995. P. 223-224.

3. Translation of the Greek soudarion (boards, scarf, bedspread). In the most ancient Old Slavonic manuscripts of the Gospels, this was the name of the scarf, which was tied around the head of the resurrected Lazarus (John 11:44). See: Old Church Slavonic Dictionary (based on X-XI century manuscripts). M., 1994.S. 723

4. There is considerable literature on Mandylion. The main corpus of Greek texts is published in the fundamental academic publication: Dobschutz E. von. Christusbilder. Untersuchungen zur christlichen Legende. Leipzig, 1899. Hft. I. S. 102-196, 158 * -249 *; Hft.II. S.29 ** - 156 **. For Russian translations and research of early Syrian texts associated with Mandylion, see: E.N. Meshcherskaya. The Legend of Avgar is an early Syrian literary monument. M., 1984; Meshcherskaya E.N. Apocryphal acts of the apostles. M., 1997.

The history of the relic is discussed in more detail in the article: Cameron A. The history of the Image of Edessa: the telling of a story // Okeanos. Essays presented to Ihor Sevcenko. Harvard Ukranian Studies. 1983. V.7. P. 80-94 (with main bibliography). Of the latest publications, it is necessary to highlight the collection of articles: The Holy Face and the Paradox of Representation. Ed. H. Kessler, G. Wolf. Bologna, 1998.

5. Apparently, the creator of the Tale was one of the close associates of the Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. The translation of the Greek text into Russian has been specially prepared and is published for the first time in the appendix to this edition. The translation is based on the critical edition of Dobschuts. A new critical edition of the text is currently being prepared by B. Flusin. Note that some modern researchers admit the direct participation of Emperor Constantine in the compilation of the Tale.

6. It has come down to us in a manuscript of the 13th century, the language of which indicates an earlier origin of the text. See: Meshcherskaya. Apocryphal deeds. P.143-152

7. This story is known in another more detailed version from the text of the "Epistle to Avgar", created in connection with the transfer from Edessa to Constantinople in 1032 of the relic of Christ's Letter to Abgar. The text has survived both in the Greek original and in translations into many languages. It says that “ Christ ordered the envoy of Avgar, an artist by profession, to come to the synagogue, where he sat preaching to the people. The messenger entered the synagogue and began to paint the image of Jesus, but he could not manage to convey his features. Then his companion said: “Go and give me the wages that you have from Abgar. And coming up in front of everyone, he fell at Jesus' feet and gave him the wages. The Lord, having soaked his hands in water, washed his face and put a cloth on his face, imprinted his face on it.Thus, the image of Jesus appeared on the cloth, which amazed everyone sitting in the synagogue. After handing over the payments to the messenger, Christ sent him to Avgar”. See: Acta Apostolorum Apokrypha. Ed. R.A. Lipsius. Darmstadt, 1959. S.281-282

8. Evagrius Scholasticus. Church history. IV, 27 (Translated and commented by I.V. Krivushin.SPb., 2001. C.211-215)

9. The Letter of the Three Patriarchs to Emperor Theophilos and Related Texts. Ed. by J.A. Munitiz, J. Chrysostomides, E. Harvalia-Crook, Ch. Dendrinos. Camberley, Surrey, 1997. P. lii-liii, 32-35. For Russian translation, see: The Legend of the Miraculous Icons in the "Epistle of the Eastern Patriarchs to Emperor Theophilus" // Miraculous Icon in Byzantium and Ancient Rus. Ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 1996. P.429

10. Eusebius of Caesarea. Church history. I, 13 (M., 1993. P. 41-44)

11. Egérie. Journal de voyage (Itinéraire). Ed. P. Maraval. P., 1982 (Sources chrétiennes, 296)

12. Procopius of Caesarea. War with the Persians. II, 12. (M., 1993. S. 119)

13. Dobschutz believed that the legend of the Image Not Made by Hands originated soon after the siege of Edessa in 544 in the Greek-speaking Chalcedonian circles of this city (Dobschutz. Op.cit. P. 120). Cameron associated the “acquisition of the image” with the special historical situation of the Persian military threat in the middle of the 6th century. (Cameron. Op.cit. P.84-86).

14. New edition of the Teachings of Addai: Desreumaux A. Histoire du roi Abgar et de Jesus. Turnout, 1993. Rus. per. see: Meshcherskaya E.N. Apocryphal deeds. Pp. 79-80, 64. The tradition of a man-made portrait was reflected in the Arab-Christian "World History" by Agapius of Manbij (about 941): “ Hanan who was a painter after receiving this answer from our Lord Messiah. - may He be glorious! - wrote a portrait of our Lord Messiah on a square board, - may He be glorious! - wonderful paints; and returned with this picture to Edessa, where he presented it to his ruler Abgar the Black. Abgar received this treasure with great reverence as an unprecedented gift”(Jesus Christ in documents of history. SPb., 1999. P.441).

15. Acta Thaddaei // Acta Apostolorum apocripha. Lipsiae, 1891, S. 273-278; Palmer A. Une version grecque de la legend d'Abgar // Histoire du roi Abgar et de Jesus. Brepols 1993. P.137

16. Movses Khorenatsi. Story. Yerevan, 1990.p.86

17. Stepanyan L. Hagiographic monument “History of the Ripsimian saints” // Armenia and Christian East. Yerevan, 2000, p. 381. In the Armenian tradition, there are several legends about Avgar and the Image Not Made by Hands. One exotic apocrypha, known in the texts of the 12th century, but dating back to the more ancient Syrian original, tells about an unseven chiton that appeared from heaven and was sent by Abgar to Christ, their personal meeting after resurrection in Jerusalem and other equally incredible details, see: Marr N. Ya. The composition of John Chrysostom about the unseven Chiton, descended from above, and the history of Avgar, the king of the Armenians // Collection of students of Professor V.R. Rosen. SPb., 1897. S. 81-96

18. In this life of St. Daniel of Galash (VI century) it is said that the saint received blessings from the image of Christ in Edessa. However, this evidence is regarded as a later interpolation see: Drijvers H.J.W. The Image of Edessa in the Syriac Tradition // The Holy Face. P.17

19. Evagrius Scholasticus Church history. Books III-IV. SPb., 2001.S. 213-214. In recent literature, this story in the history of 594 is sometimes regarded as a later interpolation: Chrysostomides J. An investigation concerning the authenticity of the Letter of the Three Patriarchs // The Letter of the Three Patriarchs. P.XXIV-XXXVII. Drivers, on the basis of an analysis of Syrian sources, supported the opinion about the interpolation made in Constantinople around 787. In his opinion, the earliest historical evidence of the Image of Edessa not made by hands dates back to the beginning of the 8th century, and the legend is formed in Edessa in the 7th century. around the real fact of the existence of the pictorial icon of Christ, which is mentioned in the text of the "Teachings of Addaya" of the beginning of the 5th century, see: Drijvers. Op.cit. P.30. At the same time, the opinion about interpolation in the Evagrius text was not supported by a number of researchers. See: M. Whitby Evagrius and the Mandylion of Edessa // Bulletin of British Byzantine Studies, 20 (2000). P.90-91. Bernard Flüsen and Christopher Walter disagree with the opinion on interpolation, whom I sincerely thank for discussing this issue with me.

20. “Having occupied the city (Edessa), the emperor Nicephorus took the sacred tile and, reverently laid it in a chest made of gold and precious stones, gave it to be preserved in the temple of the Mother of God, which was at the palace”: Leo the Deacon. Story. IV, 10 (M., 1988. S. 40). For basic information about the Keramion relic, see: Raff T. Das ‘heilige Keramion’ und ‘Christos der Antiphonites’ // Festschrift L. Kretzenbacher. Munich, 1983. S. 145-149

21. Yahya of Antioch reports that Ceramion was captured by Nicephorus Phoca in the Syrian city of Mempetz (Hierapolis) in 966 (Histoire de Yahya-ibn-Sa'id d'Antioche. Ed. J. Krachkovsky, A. Vasiliev // Patrologie orientale , 18 (1924) P. 730-732). According to the anonymous legend “On the transfer of the miraculous Ceramion from Hierapolis by Phocaus Nicephorus” (BHG 801n), this relic was brought to Constantinople on January 24, 967, first to the Blachernae temple, later transferred to Saint Sophia, and finally placed in the Church of All Saints of the Bolshoi imperial palace. See: Halkin F. Inedits byzantines d'Ochrida, Candie et Moscou. Bruxelles, 1963. P. 253-260.

22. Tradition has come down to us in the Chronicon ad annum 1234 pertines, based on earlier Syrian historians of the 8th-9th centuries. See: Drijvers H.J.W. Op.cit. P.24

23. Mikeladze K. Reflection of the legend about the miraculous image of the Savior in Georgian art // The Miraculous Icon in Byzantium and Ancient Rus / Ed. A.M. Lidov. M., 1996. S. 90-95. Skhirtladze Z. Canonizing the apocrypha: the Abgar cycle in the Alaverdi and Gelati Gospels // The Holy Face. P.69-93. The oldest surviving Georgian encaustic icon, presumably the 6th century, - the miraculous image of the Anchiskhat Savior (now the Museum of Art of Georgia in Tbilisi) - belonged to the iconographic type of the Savior Not Made by Hands. According to a legend known from Georgian sources of the 12th century, the icon was brought by the Apostle Andrew from Hierapolis. A later version of the legend identifies the icon with the Edessa image itself, transferred to Constantinople and, during the iconoclastic persecution of the emperor Leo the Isaurian, came to Georgia (Ibid. P.71-72).

24. The origin of the Camulian image is described in detail in the Syrian “Ecclesiastical History” of Zechariah Ritor (XII, 4), dating back to the 6th century. : The Syriac Chronicle Known as that of Zachariah of Mitylene. Trans. F.J. Hamilton and E.W. Brooks. L., 1899. P. 320. Belting H. Likeness and Presence. A History of the Image before the Era of Art. London., Chicago, 1995. P. 53-55. There was also another version of the emergence, it is set forth in the "Word on the acquisition of the Camulian image not made by hands", attributed to St. Gregory of Nyssa and created, apparently, not earlier than the iconoclastic era. See: Dobschutz. Op.cit. S.12 *** - 18 ***.

25. The story is quoted in his Chronicle by Michael the Syrian: Chronique de Michel le Syrien patriarche jacobite d'Antioche (1166-1199). Ed. J.-B. Chabot. Paris, 1901. P.476-477. See the analysis of this text: Drijvers. Op.cit. P.21-22. Dionysius Telmakhresky notes that he learned this legend from his maternal grandfather Daniel, son of Moses Tur Abdinsky. Thus, the story itself arose no later than the 8th century.

26. Segal J.B. Edessa. ‘The Blessed City’. Oxford, 1970. P.214

27. The story is set out in the Chronicle of 1234 (Anonymi auctoris Chronicon ad annum Christi 1234 pertinens. Ed.J.-B. Chabot. Louvain, 1916-1920, 1937, 1974. II, 135, 101,102), but dates back to earlier For the stories of Dionysius Telmakhresky and Theophilos of Edessa, as well as local legends that appeared in the 7th-8th centuries, see: Drijvers. Op.cit. P.29

28. The water of the well, according to legend, healed both Christians and gentiles. She was especially helpful for leprosy, elephantiasis and gout (“Avgar's disease”). Soon after the defeat of Edessa in 1144, the well in the destroyed monastery was visited by the new ruler of the region, Zangi, who, having healed from a leg disease, ordered the establishment of a hospital at the well. See: Sigal. Edessa. PP.250-251. It is interesting that this miraculous well was revered back in the 19th century. According to the legends of the Armenians of Urfa (Edessa), near the city there was a “well of Mandilion” (Jeb-al-Mendil): Avgar was healed of leprosy with water, which filled the well in which the Image of Not Made by Hands was hidden, see: Smirnov Ya.I. Word of the 10th century about how the image of the Savior on Ubrus was revered in Edessa // Commentationes philologicae. Sat. articles in honor of I.V. Pomyalovsky. SPb., 1897.C.9.

29. Acts of the VII Ecumenical Council // Acts of the Ecumenical Councils. Kazan, 1891. V.7. C.17 (Mansi, 13. Col. 192).

30. Gouillard J. La vie d'Euthyme de Sardes // Trauvaux et Mémoirs, 10 (1987). P.35

31. Georgius Syncellus. Ecloga Chronographica. Ed. A.A. Moshammer. Leipzig, 1984. P. 399.21 - 400.3

32. Dobschutz. Op.cit. S.107 ** - 114 **. For a translation of most of this text, see: The Miraculous Icon. Pp. 127-128.

33. Cameron A. The Mandylion and Byzantine Iconoclasm // The Holy Face. P.33-54. On the basis of various sources, the author shows the gradual growth of the popularity of Mandylion in the era of iconoclasm, especially emphasizing the role of the Palestinian monastery of St. Sava, the monastery of St. John of Damascus, in this process

34. De fide orthodoxa IV, 16; PG. T. 94. Col. 1173A; John Damascene. An accurate exposition of the Orthodox faith // Creations of the Monk John Damascene. Source of knowledge Per. D.E. Afinogenova, A.A. Bronzova, A.I. Sagarda. M., 2002.S. 313

35. PG. T.94. Col. 1261B. John Damascene. Three words of defense against those who condemn holy icons or images. Per. A.A. Bronze. SPb., 1893.

36. Grotz H. Beobachtungen zu den zwei Briefen Papst Gregor II. an Kaiser Leo III // Archivum Historiae Pontificiae, 18 (1980). S.9-40

37. Ibid.

38. Alexakis A. Codex Parisinus Greacus 1115 and its Archetype. Washington, 1996. PP.348-350

39. Ibid. P.348 (translated by A.Yu. Nikiforova)

40. See: B.M. Melioransky. George the Cyprian and John of Jerusalem, two little-known fighters for Orthodoxy in the 8th century. SPb., 1901. P.6, XX-XXII. Cit. in the lane. A.Yu. Vinogradov

41. Chrysostomides. Op.cit. P.XXVII - XXXII. However, not all researchers are convinced by the author's arguments. I would like to take this opportunity to thank K. Walter and B. Flüsen for discussing this issue with me.

42. This point of view, with an indication of all the primary sources, is loosely substantiated in the work: D.E. Afinogenov. On the Problem of the Edessa Ubrus and the Epistle of the Three Eastern Patriarchs (in press).

43. Nicephori Refutatio et Eversio. Ed. J.M. Featherstone (Corpus Christianorum, Series Greaca, vol. 33). Turhout 1997 7, 54-56; 184, 56-59; Nicephori Antirrhetici adversus Constantinum Copronymum // PG. T.100, col. 260A, 461AB

44. The Letter of the Three Patriarchs. P.32-35; Miraculous icon. P.428

45. The Letter of the Three Patriarchs. P.150-153

46. \u200b\u200bMiraculous icon. P.428

47. Ibid. P.429

48. One such collector of shrines was Leo VI the Wise (886-912), see: AM Lidov. Miraculous icons in the temple decoration. On the symbolic program of the imperial gates of St. Sophia of Constantinople // Miraculous icon. P.47, 61.

49. Arab historian of the first half of the XI century. Yahya of Antioch gives an interesting detail: the Edesian emir asks permission for a deal from the Baghdad caliph, who is gathering a council of Qadis and legalists to resolve the issue of transferring Mandilion to the Greeks. See: Histoire de Yahya-ibn-Sa'id d'Antioche. Ed. J.Krachkovsky, A.Vasiliev // Patrologie orientale, 18 (1924). P.730-732

50. Successor of Theophanes. Biography of the Byzantine kings. Published by Y. N. Lyubarsky. SPb., 1992.S. 178.

51. Successor of Theophanes. Page 178

52. These sources were recently analyzed in a special study: Patlagean E. L'entrée de la Sainte Face d'Edesse à Constantinople en 944 // La religion civique à l'époque mediévale et moderne. Rome, 1995. P. 21-35. The author assumes direct participation in the development of the ritual of introducing the Image to Constantinople by the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus himself - the author of the famous treatise "On the ceremonies of the Byzantine court" (De ceremoniis)

53. On the Blachernae temple and its structure, see: J. Papadopoulos Les palais et les églises des Blachernes. Thessalonike, 1928. The upper church probably means the “Sacred washroom” (agion lousma) located above, where, according to the testimony of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, there were several revered icons (De ceremoniis. Col. 551-556)

54. Later, the first meeting of Mandylion with the emperor - kissing the Image Not Made by Hands in Blachernae was captured in miniature of the 12th century. from the Madrid manuscript of "The Chronicles of John Skylitsa" (fol. 131a): Grabar A., \u200b\u200bManoussacas M. L’illusration du manuscrit de Skylitzé de la Biblioteque Nationale de Madrid. Venice, 1979. Fig. 158. P. 77, 157-158

55. This episode is presented in the so-called Synaxaris version somewhat differently: young emperors, with the participation of Patriarch Filaret, carry a chest with a relic on their shoulders, following from Blachernae to the Golden Gate. See: Synaxariu Ecclesiae Constantinoplitanae. Ed. H. Delehaye. Bruxelles, 1902. P. 897-904; Patlagean. Op.cit. P.25

56. Loparev Khr. Old testimony of the position of the robe of the Virgin in Blachernae in a new interpretation // VV. 1895. II / 4. S.581-590.

57. Complete edition of the Greek text of the sermon: Sternbach L. Analecta Avarica. Cracow, 1900. P.305

58. For a recent study of the Golden Gate of Constantinople from the Middle Byzantine era, see: Mango C. The Triumphal Way of Constantinople and the Golden Gate // Dambarton Oaks Papers, 54 (2000). PP.173-188

60. About the Byzantine triumphs of the VIII-X centuries. see: McComick M. Eternal Victory. Triumphal Rulership in Late Antiquity, Byzantium, and the Early Medieval West. Paris, 1986. PP. 131-188.

61. MacCormack S. Art and Ceremony in Late Antiquity. Berkeley, Los Andgelos, London, 1981. P. 84-92

62. Skaballanovich M. Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Kiev, 1915.S. 9-10

63. The Syriac Chronicle Known as that of Zachariah of Mitylene. Trans. F.J. Hamilton and E.W. Brooks. L., 1899. P. 320; Kitzinger E. The cult of images in the age before Iconoclasm // Dumbarton Oaks Papers, 8 (1954). P. 99-100, 124

64. For this icon see: Breckenridge J.D. Christ on the lire-backed throne // DOP. 1980-1981. T.34-35. P. 247-260; Lidov. Miraculous icons. P.53

65. Belyaev D.F. Byzantina. Book. II. Daily and Sunday receptions of the Byzantine kings and their festive outings to the church of St. Sophia in the 9th-10th centuries. SPb., 1893. Pp. 16, 35, 47, 229, 244.

66. About this church Theotokos tou Farou, built by Constantine V in the middle of the VIII century. and rebuilt under Michael III (842-867), see: Janin R. La géographie ecclésiastique de l'Empire byzantin. Paris, 1953. I. T.3. P.241-245 (on p. 244, see a detailed list of relics for Nikolai Mesarit and Anthony of Novgorod). Lidov A.M. Church of Our Lady of Pharos. Imperial Reliquary Temple as the Archetype of Sacred Space // Byzantine World: Art of Constantinople and National Traditions. Abstracts of the International Conference, Moscow, October 17-19, 2000 St. Petersburg, 2000. P.37-40

67. The Tale of Bygone Years // PLDR. XI - early XII century. M., 1978.S. 52-53

68. Note that the passionate and eucharistic meaning of the Mandylion will gradually increase in the X-XII centuries. as the entire Byzantine culture was “liturgized”. The clearest confirmation of this process can be found in Byzantine iconographic programs. See: Sh. Gerstel. Miraculous Mandylion. The Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands in Byzantine Iconographic Programs // Miraculous Icon. S.76-87.

69. Dobschutz. Christusbilder. S.176

70. Ibid. S.176-177

71. Grabar A., \u200b\u200bManoussacas M. L'illusration du manuscrit de Skylitzé de la Biblioteque Nationale de Madrid. Fig. 246. P.108

72. Sterligova I.A. Icon-reliquary "Descent into Hell" // Christian relics in the Moscow Kremlin. Ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2000.S. 36-39

73. Ibid. P.38

74. Vita S. Pauli Junioris // Wiegand Th. Der Latmos. Berlin, 1913. S. 127

75. Dubarle A.-M. L'homélie de Grégoire le Référendaire pour la réception de l'image d'Edesse // Revue des études byzantines. 1997. V.55. P.5-51. See also a chapter in the book: L'image d'Edesse dans l'homélie de Grégoire le Référendaire // Dubarle A.-M., Leynen H. Histoire ancienne du linceul de Turin. Paris, 1998. T.2. PP. 35-46

76. Dubarle A.-M. L'homélie de Grégoire le Référendaire. P.28-29

77. It is interesting that the testimony of Gregory Refendarius echoes the data of the Syrian treatise on the Image Not Made by Hands in Edessa, which has come down to us in a Latin manuscript of the 10th century. (Vossianus Lat. Q 69). It speaks of the image of Christ written in blood. See: Zaninotto G. L'immagine Edessene: impronta dell'intera persona di Cristo. Nuove conferme dal codex Vossianus Latinus Q 69 del secolo X // L'indentification scientifique de l'Homme du Linceul Jesus de Nazareth. Paris, 1995. P.57-61

78. PG. T.109. Col. 812A-813. The continuation of the text is noteworthy: the impressions of the young emperors are interpreted by the monk Sergius who was present when considering Mandylion. He connected the vision of the eyes and ears with the eyes of the Lord, directed to the righteous, and His ears - to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is turned to sinners to drive out the memory of them from the earth (Psalm 33:16). This prediction, in the context of subsequent historical events, is considered as the triumph of the righteous Constantine Porphyrogenitus and the overthrow of the sons of Roman Lakapin.

79. Il Volto di Cristo. Ed. G. Morello, G. Wolf. Roma, 2000. Cat.III.I; III.2. P.91-92. See also chapter L.M. Evseeva in this edition

80. However, the monochrome effect may be a consequence of deliberate stylization under the ancient “mysterious” Image. Having had the opportunity to carefully examine both images at the exhibition "The Face of Christ" in Rome in March 2001, I came to the conclusion that the visible pictorial layer of the Vatican and Genoese Mandylion can be dated to the XIV-XV centuries. The same opinion is shared by Herbert Kessler, who saw icons without salaries. Thanks to Professor Kessler for discussing this issue with me. The opinion that exists in the scientific literature on the date of the Vatican Mandylion is up to the 6th century, based on subjective stylistic analogies, in our opinion. cannot be accepted. See: Bertelli K. Storia e vicende dell'immagine edessena // Paragone, 217/37 (marzo 1968). P.10; Belting H. Likeness and Presence. P.210

81. Ciggaar K.N. Une description de Constantinople dans le Tarragonensis 55 // REB. 1995. T.53. P.120-121. Rus. per. see: Tarragonese Anonymous. “About the city of Constantinople”. Latin description of the relics of Constantinople of the XI century. Per. L.K. Maciel Sanchez // Relics in the art and culture of the Eastern Christian world. Ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov. M., 2000.S. 158-159

82. Bacci M. Relics of the Pharos Chapel. A view from the Latin West // Eastern Christian relics. Ed.-comp. A.M. Lidov (to be published)

83. Bacci M. La Vergine Oikokyra, Signora del grande Palazzo. Lettura del un passo di Leone Tusco sulle cattive usanze dei greci // Annali della Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. Serie IV. Vol. III, 1-2 (1998). P. 261-279

84. One of the earliest evidence of the end of the XI century. in the so-called "Anonymous Mercati", which is based on a Greek guide to the shrines of Constantinople: The Miraculous Icon. P.439. Latin testimonies are collected in: Bacci M. Relics of the Pharos Chapel. In addition to the Latins, Anthony Novgorodsky informs about the Not-Made-by-Hands. Listing the relics in “ royal gold polat”He indicates“ ubrus, on it is the image of Christ and two ceramides”: Book of the Pilgrim. Legend of the places of saints in Constantinople Anthony, Archbishop of Novgorod in 1200. Ed. Hr.M. Loparev. SPb., 1899.S. 19

85. After listing 10 relics of the passions, called the Decalogue (by analogy with the Ten Commandments), it is said about Mandylion and Keramion: “ I will present to you now the Law-Giver himself, captured as if on a primitive canvas and inscribed on soft clay as if by some miraculous painting art”. See: Nikoloas Mesarites. Die Palastrevolution des Johannes Komnenos. Ed. A. Heisenberg. Wurzburg, 1907 S. 29-32; Nikolay Mesarit. Decalogue about the relics of the Passion kept in the Church of Our Lady of Pharos in Constantinople. Translated by A.Yu. Nikiforova // Relics. P. 129

86. See note 16

87. There is some unexplained oddity in the history of the relic. According to the text of the Tale of 944, the Letter of Christ was brought to Constantinople along with Mandylion. However, according to other Byzantine sources (Georgy Kedrin, John Zonara), it was captured in Edessa in 1032 by the military leader Georgy Maniak, who sent a Letter to the Emperor Roman Argyr (PG. T. 122. Col. 233 C; T.135. Col .177 C). The letter is kept in the Church of Our Lady of Pharos and is repeatedly mentioned by pilgrims until 1185, when it was stolen and disappeared without a trace.

88. Robert de Clari. La conquete de Constantinople. Ed. P. Lauer. Paris, 1956. P. 82; Robert de Clari. Conquest of Constantinople. M., 1986. S. 59-60. It is curious that the author expounds a strange folk legend about the appearance of the images of Christ on the board and tiles, which has practically nothing to do with the famous legend of Avgar.

89. Lidov A.M. Relic as an iconic image in the sacred space of the Byzantine temple // Relics. Pp. 28-29

90. Flusin B. Didascalie de Constantin Stilbes sur le Mandylion et la Sainte Tuile // Revue des Etudes Byzantines. 1997.T.55. P.53-79. The text in the manuscript is titled “Didascale of the blessed monk Cyril, the future bishop of Kyzikos, who at that time was the deacon and didascal of Khalkitis (the Church of Christ of Khalkitis of the Great Imperial Court-AL)”.

91. Dmitrievsky A.A. Description of the liturgical manuscripts stored in the libraries of the Orthodox East. Vol. 1. Kiev, 1895, p. 489-490

92. The plot is revealed and analyzed in the study: Grumel V. Leon de Chalcedoine et le Canon de la Fete du Saint Mandilion // Anallecta Bollandiana. 1950. T.68. P.135-152

93. Ibid., P. 136-137, 143-152 (edition of the Greek canon quoted by Leo of Chalcedon)

94. Weyl Carr A. Leo of Chalkedon and the Icons // Byzantine East, Latin West. Art-historical studies in honor of Kurt Weitzmann. Princeton, 1996. P. 579-584. Analysis of theological controversy with detailed bibliography of the issue.

96. First proposed by Ian Wilson in his bestselling book: Wilson J. The Shroud of Turin. The burial cloth of Jesus Christ? L., 1978. P. 92-164. Detailed argumentation in a special monograph: Dubarle A.-M. Histoire ancienne du Linceul de Turin. Paris, 1985.

97. For a criticism of this hypothesis, see: Fiey J.M. Image d'Edesse ou Linceul de Turin // Revue d'Histoire Ecclessiastique, 82 (1987). P.271-277; Cameron A. The Sceptic and the Shroud // Cameron A. Continuity and Change in the Sixth-Century Byzantium. London, 1981. V. PP. 3-27. Recently, serious criticism has appeared among sindonologists: Lombati A. Imposibile identificare la Sindone con il Mandylion: ulteriori conferme da tre codici latini // Approfodimento Sindone, 2 (1998), pp. 1-30

98. Nikolay Mesarit. Decalogue. Pp. 128-129

99. Robert de Clari. La conquete de Constantinople. P.82; Robert de Clari. Conquest of Constantinople. Pp. 59-60, 66

100. Gould K. The sequences de Sanctis reliquiis as Sainte-Shapelle inventories // Medieval Studies, 43 (1981). PP. 315-341

101. Riant P. Exuviae Sacrae Constantinopolitanae. Geneve, 1878. T. 2. PP 133-135

102. Tabula quedam quam, cum deponeretur Dominus de cruce, ejus facies tetigit. See: Gould K. Op.cit. P. 331-332, 338

103. Ibid. PP.338-339

104. The evidence was reviewed in a special article in the newest catalog: Durand J. La Sancta Toile ou “Veronique” // Le trésor de la Sainte-Chapelle. Paris, 2001. P.70-71

105. According to the official legend, “Veronica's Platus”, miraculously appeared when Christ wiped his face during the Way of the Cross, was brought to Rome from Jerusalem. It was politically important for the popes that the great shrine comes to Rome directly from the Holy City. The disappearance of the Edesa history and the associated ideas about the Constantinople priority in this tradition seems completely not accidental. For the latest ideas about “Veronica” and her many images in Western European art, see the scientific catalog: Il Volto di Cristo. Ed. G. Morello, G. Wolf. Roma, 2000. PP. 103-167.

On December 19, 2009, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates Saint Abgar, the first king to believe in Jesus Christ.

Abgar (Avgar, Avgar) is the dynastic name of a number of rulers of Osroena, a small Hellenistic state in Northern Mesopotamia with its capital in Edessa (modern Urfa in southeastern Turkey). The 15th representative of the dynasty, Abgar V.

Abgar V - king Established in 4 BC e. - 7 A.D. e. and 13-50 years. n. e., with the nickname Ukkama or Uhomo, that is, "black". According to Tacitus, he took an active part in the unfolding in 49-50. fight for the throne of Parthia, supporting King Gotarzes against the Roman protege Meherdat. Procopius of Caesarea also cites the legend about the long stay of Abgar Ukkama at the court of Emperor Augustus in Rome and tells about the trick he resorted to to return to his homeland.

It is Abgar Ukkam that the tradition considers the first Christian ruler of Osroena, thereby attributing the emergence of Christianity in the Mesopotamian region to apostolic times. Several ancient Christian apocryphal legends are associated with his name, of which the most famous "Correspondence of Abgar with Jesus Christ", the original original of which has not survived.

The existence of the correspondence is known from two main sources: the Greek translation of the Syrian documents from the archives of Edessa, made around 303 by Eusebius of Caesarea, and the more extensive Syrian legend of the beginning of the 5th century, known as the "Teachings of the Apostle Addai".

According to legend, Abgar Ukkama, a leprosy patient, sent his archivist Hannan (Ananias) to Christ with a letter in which he asked Christ to come to Edessa and heal him. Hannan was an artist, and Abgar instructed him, if the Savior could not come, paint His image and bring it to him. Hannan found Christ surrounded by a thick crowd; he stood on a stone from which he could see better, and tried to portray the Savior. Seeing that Hannan wanted to make His portrait, Christ demanded water, washed, wiped his face with a cloth, and His image was imprinted on this plate. The Savior handed this payment to Hannan with the command to carry it with a letter in return to the one who sent it. In this letter, Christ refused to go to Edessa himself, saying that he must fulfill what he was sent to do. After completing His work, he promised to send one of His disciples to Abgar.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

On December 19, 2009, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates Saint Abgar, the first king to believe in Jesus Christ.

Abgar (Avgar, Avgar) is the dynastic name of a number of rulers of Osroena, a small Hellenistic state in Northern Mesopotamia with its capital in Edessa (modern Urfa in southeastern Turkey). The 15th representative of the dynasty, Abgar V.

Abgar V - king Established in 4 BC e. - 7 A.D. e. and 13-50 years. n. e., with the nickname Ukkama or Uhomo, that is, "black". According to Tacitus, he took an active part in the unfolding in 49-50. fight for the throne of Parthia, supporting King Gotarzes against the Roman protege Meherdat. Procopius of Caesarea also cites the legend about the long stay of Abgar Ukkama at the court of Emperor Augustus in Rome and tells about the trick he resorted to to return to his homeland.

It is Abgar Ukkam that the tradition considers the first Christian ruler of Osroena, thereby attributing the emergence of Christianity in the Mesopotamian region to apostolic times. Several ancient Christian apocryphal legends are associated with his name, of which the most famous "Correspondence of Abgar with Jesus Christ", the original original of which has not survived.

The existence of the correspondence is known from two main sources: the Greek translation of the Syrian documents from the archives of Edessa, made around 303 by Eusebius of Caesarea, and the more extensive Syrian legend of the beginning of the 5th century, known as the "Teachings of the Apostle Addai".

According to legend, Abgar Ukkama, a leprosy patient, sent his archivist Hannan (Ananias) to Christ with a letter in which he asked Christ to come to Edessa and heal him. Hannan was an artist, and Abgar instructed him, if the Savior could not come, paint His image and bring it to him. Hannan found Christ surrounded by a thick crowd; he stood on a stone from which he could see better, and tried to portray the Savior. Seeing that Hannan wanted to make His portrait, Christ demanded water, washed, wiped his face with a cloth, and His image was imprinted on this plate. The Savior handed this payment to Hannan with the command to carry it with a letter in return to the one who sent it. In this letter, Christ refused to go to Edessa himself, saying that he must fulfill what he was sent to do. After completing His work, he promised to send one of His disciples to Abgar.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

13:10 - REGNUM

... "The 33rd year after the birth of Christ is the adoption of the Christian faith by the Armenian king Abgar." This date contains many amazing things. Even many of those who personally saw the Savior and the miracles performed by Him doubted the truth of His teachings. At the same time, the king a distant country accepts the teachings of Christ in the year of His crucifixion. How could Abgar find out about what was happening? What instilled in him confidence in the infallible truth of the doctrine unfamiliar to him? In search of answers to these questions, we turned to the bishop of the Armenian Church, historian of the 5th century, Saint Movses Khorenatsi ...

Movses Khorenatsi about Abgar, the son of Arsham

In his "History of Armenia" Movses Khorenatsi tells how the Armenian king Abgar heard about Jesus Christ and his miracles.

The grandees of King Abgar (Avgar) were sent to the city of Betkubin (or Eleutheropolis, a city in Judea, 40 km southeast of Jerusalem) to resolve state affairs.

“On the way back,” writes Movses Khorenatsi, “they went to Jerusalem to see our Savior Christ, prompted by the rumor of miracles, and, being their eyewitnesses, told Abgar. The amazed Abgar sincerely believed that this is the true Son of God, and said: "These are the possibilities not of man, but of God, for none of people can raise the dead, but only God." And since his body was struck by a terrible disease that befell him in the Persian country seven years earlier, and people were unable to cure him, he sent him a letter with a prayer to come and cure him ... "

Abgar, apparently not being able to go to Judea himself, sent this request to the Lord Jesus, begging Him to come to him in Edessa. Not being sure that the request would be fulfilled, Abgar sent the skilled painter Ananias to Palestine, instructing him to depict the face of the Lord on the icon; the king wanted to have at least that consolation in his illness that he would see the image of the face of Jesus Christ; so great was his love for Christ, inspired by hearing by faith.

The historian cites the text of the message of King Abgar to the Savior:

“Abgar, the son of Arsham, the ruler of the country, (sends) greetings to Jesus the Savior and benefactor who appeared in the land of Jerusalem.

I heard about you and about the healing done by your hands without potion and roots. For, as they say, you give the blind their sight and walk the lame, cleanse the lepers, drive out unclean spirits and heal the suffering also with chronic diseases. You even raise the dead. When I heard all this about you, I was convinced in my thoughts in one of two things: either you are God who came down from heaven and you do it, or you are the Son of God and you do it. That is why I am writing to you with a plea to take the trouble to come to me and heal from the disease that I suffer. I also heard that the Jews murmur against you and want to give you over to torment; my city is small and beautiful, it would be enough for both of us. "

The messengers who delivered the letter met Jesus in Jerusalem. The answer to Abgar's message was the words of the Savior, recorded by the Apostle Thomas:

“Blessed is he who believes in me without seeing me. For it is written about me: those who see me will not believe in me; those who do not see will believe and will live. And about what you wrote to me - to come to you, then I must do here everything for which I was sent. And when I do this, I will ascend to the one who sent me. When I ascend, I will send one of my disciples here, so that he cures your diseases and gives life to you and your relatives. "

Together with the letter, Ananias conveyed to King Abgar the image of the Savior that miraculously appeared before his eyes: “The Lord ordered to bring water and, having washed His holy face, wiped it off with the four-pointed garment given to Him (cloth folded in four). And - lo and behold! - simple water turned into paint, and the holy semblance of a Divine face was imprinted on the trim. The Lord, giving this image to Ananias, said: "Bring it, give it to him who sent you."

Movses Khorenatsi points out that "the image of the Savior's Face is kept in the city of Edessa."

King Abgar, called Ukkama, or Uhomo, which means "black", according to the chronicles, twice ruled the Osroen kingdom in the Armenian part of Northern Mesopotamia with the capital in Edessa (modern Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey; until 1993 - Urfa): for the first time since 4 years BC until 7 A.D., and after that from 13 to 50.

The Osroen kingdom was founded in 137 BC. and ceased to exist in A.D. 216. King Abgar V of the Armenian Arshakid dynasty, nephew of Tigran the Great, the fifteenth ruler of the kingdom, gained fame in the IV century when Eusebius of Cessaria discovered a Syrian document in the Edessa archive, testifying to his correspondence with Jesus Christ.

Testimony of Eusebius of Caesarea

In his "Church History", the Bishop of Caesarea of \u200b\u200bPalestine writes about King Abgar, "who gloriously ruled the peoples beyond the Euphrates and suffered from a terrible and incurable disease by human means" and "as soon as he heard about the name of Jesus and his deeds, many times witnessed by all, letter carrier, asking for deliverance from the disease. "

The bishop also quotes a letter "written by the Abgar-Toparch (the ruler of the country, district. - M. and G. M.) to Jesus and sent to him through Ananias the messenger to Jerusalem":

“I have heard about You and about Your healings, which are performed by You without medicines and roots. They say that You make the blind sighted, the lame - walkers and lepers you cleanse, and you drive out unclean spirits and demons, and you heal those who are tormented by a long-term illness, and raise the dead ... And therefore I considered it necessary to ask You to take the trouble to come to me and the disease that I have, heal. I also heard that the Jews murmur against You and want to harm You. I have a small city and a beautiful one, which is sufficient for both. "

In the "Church History" I found a place and the answer "Jesus through Ananias the messenger to the toparch Abgar":

“Blessed are you who believed in Me without seeing Me, for it is written about Me: Those who have seen Me will not believe in Me, but those who have not seen Me will believe and will live. About the same that you wrote to Me so that I came to you, then I must fulfill everything for which I was sent here, and after the fulfillment I will be taken to him who sent Me, and when I am taken (lifted up), I will send you one of My disciples, to heal your illness and life to you and to all who are with you, to provide ”.

The revelations of Jacob Lorber

In 1844, the German mystic Jacob Lorber published "The Correspondence of Jesus with Abgar Ukkam, Prince of Edessa". Here are excerpts from his work (translated from German by L.P. von Offenberg, 1940, Geneva; publishing house Lorber-Verlag, Germany).

Abgar's first appeal to the Lord:

“Abgar, king of Edessa - to Jesus the Healer who appeared in the vicinity of Jerusalem, Glory!

I have heard about You and about the healings You perform without herbs and medicines; for there is a rumor that you make the blind see, the lame walk, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, heal incurable ailments and even raise the dead.

And after I heard all this about You, I came to the conclusion that one of two assumptions must be correct: either You are God who came down from heaven, or, Doing such things, You must be at least the Son of the Almighty God.

Therefore, I write to You and ask You: deign to come to me and heal me from my illness.

I also heard that the Jews are plotting evil against You. I own a small, but quite comfortable state, and there is enough space for both of us.

Therefore, come to me, my highly esteemed Friend Jesus, and stay to live in my capital, where everyone will carry You in their arms and in their hearts.

I look forward to you with the greatest impatience in my heart!

Sent with my faithful messenger and servant Brach. "

The Lord's first answer:

“Blessed are you, Abgar! For you have Faith without seeing Me! As the Scripture says about Me: “Those who have seen will not believe in Me, so that those who have not seen Me believe and inherit Life

As for your letter, in which you ask Me to come to you, because of the persecution of the Jews, I will tell you the following: it is necessary that everything for which I came to earth be fulfilled with Me in these places.

Truly I say to you: the time is approaching when Everything will come true with Me, according to the Scriptures, after which I will return to the One from whom I came from Eternity.

Have patience with your mild illness.

As soon as I am in heaven, I will send you My disciple, and he will help you and give true healing to you and to all yours. "

Written by Jacob, a disciple of the Lord, near Nazareth, and entrusted to Brach, messenger and servant of the king of Edessa.

Soon after Abgar received a letter from the Lord, the king's eldest son and heir fell seriously ill. All the healers of Edessa declared his illness incurable. This plunged Abgar into complete despair, and in his grief he wrote a second letter to the Savior.

Abgar's second appeal to the Savior:

“Abgar, the unfortunate prince of Edessa, to Jesus, the good Healer.

Honor and glory to the Lord!

Jesus, the kindest Savior!

My eldest son and heir is dying. He was so happy with me at your possible arrival in our city. An evil fever has laid him down and threatens to carry him away every minute.

I know from my servant that you heal such sick people even at a distance - without any medicine, but only by the power of Your will.

Jesus Savior! Thou who are truly the Son of the Most High God - heal my son! He loved you so much that he is ready to sacrifice his life for you. Speak one word and Your almighty Will will heal him.

Jesus! Savior! I implore You: save, save, save my son now and do not postpone this until after Thy Ascension proclaimed by You. I'm sick too.

Written in my capital Edessa. Forwarded with the same faithful servant. "

The Lord's second answer:

“Abgar! Great is your faith, and that alone would heal your son; but because I have found more with you than in all Israel, I will do more for you than you think!

Although you will lose your son in this visible world, you will be spiritually enriched a hundredfold!

Because of this true, inner, based on great Faith Love for the Lord, one has to lose bodily "in this visible world" the most precious thing! But spiritually, such Love enriches a hundredfold - in the eternal kingdom of the Lord!

Who of us has not met with this ?! Yes, if we devote ourselves entirely to the Lord and His Kingdom of Heaven, then "bodily" we lose a lot in the world; for one cannot serve two masters at once.

If we want to reach the Eternal and Imperishable, we should not cling to the passing and perishable ... "

At the end of his letter, the Savior mentions that a poor wandering young man should come to the city of Abgar one of these days: "Receive him, and with this you will delight my heart."

Abgar's third appeal to the Lord:

“Abgar, the worthless prince of Edessa - to Jesus the Savior, who appeared in the vicinity of Jerusalem, Eternal Glory!

… Looking at my sick son, who loves You more and more every day, I involuntarily, too, yearned for You more than before. Forgive me for writing to You about this. After all, I know that all our thoughts are known to You before us, but, despite this, I write everything to You - as a person in general.

I am doing this on the advice of the young man whom You entrusted me. I already have it, and he told me that this is how everyone who has a request to You turns to You. We also learned from him that he saw you. He speaks coherently, and most importantly, he knows how to figuratively tell and describe.

And, to the great joy of my son, who is still alive, although very weak, this young man told us about You, describing Your appearance to us in such detail and clearly, that we seemed to see You standing, as if alive, before our eyes.

There is a famous painter living in my capital. I called him, and from the words of the young man he immediately drew your half-length portrait.

The face struck us, but when the young man assured us that you, Lord, you look exactly like that, our joy was boundless.

I take this opportunity to convey Your portrait to You through my messenger along with this letter. I ask You: tell the messenger Your opinion regarding the resemblance to You.

Jesus, Savior of the human race! Don't be angry with me for this! For it was not curiosity that prompted us to do this, but only boundless Love for You and an immense desire to have at least something that could give us an idea of \u200b\u200bYour appearance and Your appearance ...

Remember us, Lord, in your heart!

May Your Holy Will be for us! "

The Savior's third answer:

(Sent 10 days later with the same messenger)

“My beloved son Abgar! Accept My Blessing, My Love and My Grace!

I often say here in Judea to those whom I have delivered from all kinds of ailments: "Your Faith has done this for you," but I have not asked anyone yet: "Do you love Me?" - and no one has yet told Me from the depths of his heart: “Lord! I love you!"

But you, not seeing Me, believed that I am the One God, and now you love Me, as you have long since been reborn from the flame of My Spirit.

Abgar! Abgar! If you only knew - if you were only able to understand how dear you are to Me and what a joy you are for My fatherly heart! Infinite bliss could destroy you, because you could not survive it!

Henceforth, remain steadfast, in spite of the fact that you hear about Me from the Jews, filled with anger, who will soon deliver Me into the hands of the executioners!

If you hear this and still do not doubt Me, then, after your son, you will be the first to spiritually take a living part in My Resurrection after death! ..

And keep this in your heart until I rise again, then My disciple will immediately come to you, as I told you in My first letter. He will heal you and all yours, except your son, who will painlessly pass into My kingdom before Me!

As for the similarity of the portrait with My appearance, then your messenger, who has seen Me three times already, will tell you about this in detail.

If anyone wishes to have my image and is guided by the same reasons as you, then there will be no sin in this - but woe to those who make an idol of Me!

And keep that image a secret to yourself.

It was written in Judea by a disciple who is close to my heart, and sent with the same messenger. "

Abgar's fourth appeal to the Savior:

(Written 7 weeks after his third appeal)

“Abgar, the worthless prince of Edessa, to Jesus the Savior, who appeared near Jerusalem and is now persecuted by unreasonable and blind Jews who do not see the primordial and sacred Light, the Sun of all suns - among them!

My priceless Savior! Jesus! Today, what you said in your second letter has been fulfilled: two days ago my son reposed painlessly!

On his deathbed, with tears in his eyes, he asked me to write to You again and say how grateful he is to You for saving him from suffering and fear of death.

Dying, he kept your image on his chest all the time, and his last words were: “My heavenly Father! Jesus, you are eternal Love! You, Who is the true Life from century to century, now You live as the Son of man among those who were created by Your omnipotence, which gave them life and appearance. You, the One, are my Love forever and ever! I'm alive! I'm alive! I live by You, and in You - forever! "

After these words, my son closed his eyes.

I know, Lord, that You know how my son ended his life here, and that I and my entire court wept bitterly for him, but still I write to You about this, as a person to a person, especially since this was the last will of my son !

Lord! Forgive me, a sinner before You, for bothering You with the fourth epistle and hindering You in Your holy and great work, but besides, I again ask you: do not take away your consolation from me!

Therefore, I ask You, my priceless Savior: deliver me from these mental torments and torments ...

But Thy Will be done, not mine. "

The fourth answer of the Lord:

(Written by the hand of the Lord in Greek, while the previous epistles were written in Hebrew)

I know about your son, and I know how beautifully he ended his life here, but even more beautifully he began a new life in My Kingdom!

And you are doing the right thing that you mourn for him, for there are few righteous in this world, and those who are like your son are worthy to be mourned ...

So, console yourself with the knowledge that you are mourning the good and the good!

Keep this sadness for a while. You will mourn Me too soon, but not for long, for My disciple will come and completely heal you!

From now on, be generous and merciful, and in return you will find mercy! Do not forget the poor, for they are My brothers, and what you will do to them - you will do to Me, and I will repay you a hundredfold!

Seek the Great, that is, My Kingdom - then the Small in this world will come to you. If you strive for the Small in this world, then see how the Great does not reject you!

Behold, in your dungeon a criminal is imprisoned, who, according to your wise laws, is subject to death!

I tell you: Love and Mercy are higher than Wisdom and Justice!

Deal with him according to the law of Love and Mercy, and you will forever unite with Me and with the One from Whom I came in the image of a man!

It was written by Me in Capernaum and sent with the same messenger. "

Abgar's fifth appeal to the Lord:

(Written 3 weeks after the Lord's response to the fourth letter)

“Abgar, the insignificant prince of Edessa, to Jesus the Savior, who appeared in Judea, in the vicinity of Jerusalem, as a Ray of eternal Power that renewed the heavens, worlds and beings, not known by the“ first-called ”, but known now - by those who have hitherto been in darkness.

… And the day when Your disciples understood in spirit Who You, Lord, was for them the happiest and sunniest day in their lives. I feel the same way now from my night!

If only it were not for the disease of my legs! I would have been with You for a long time, but I am lame and unable to walk, and now, my despicable legs now deprive me of the opportunity to achieve the greatest bliss. Although now I endure everything with joy, for You, Lord, have descended to me, an insignificant grain of sand, and considered me worthy to speak with You in writing.

And You taught me so great and revealed to me so many wonderful and spiritual things that such a Teaching can only come from You, Lord, but from a person - never!

What did I know before about life after the death of the body? All the sages of the world could not explain this to me. Although, according to our religious legends, our gods are immortal, but these legends are just as far from life as dreams, in which you either walk on the sea or sail on a ship on land!

You, Lord, have proved to me by word and deed that only after the death of the body begins true, spiritual, perfect and free Eternal Life!

And henceforth, eternal gratitude to You, Lord, for all Your endless mercies will be the goal of my life, that's why I write to You about this, although I realize that all my gratitude is nothing before Your Grace!

Lord! What can I give You when all that I have is Yours and from You ?!

And it seems to me that sincere gratitude to You, emanating from the depths of the heart, is the most worthy for humanity, since ingratitude as such is inherent in it most of all.

That is why, apart from gratitude, I can give you nothing as a gift! I will also tell You that from now on I have decided to arrange everything in my country according to Your Will and Your instructions.

I fulfilled Your wish and not only released that state criminal, but also accepted him into my school and allowed him to my table.

Perhaps, in doing so, I, as they say, overdid it a little, but my human mind does not undertake to discuss this act, so I write to You about it, for You will show me the true path and direct me.

You alone, Lord! Jesus! - my love and my sons obedience! Thy Will be done! "

The Lord's fifth answer:

“Listen, beloved son and brother My Abgar!

Now I have 72 disciples and among them 12 apostles, but all of them, taken together, do not have your Faith, although you are a pagan and have never seen me, you have not seen countless miracles that do not stop from the day of my birth.

And may your heart be filled with great hope, for it will happen, and it has already happened in part, that I will take the Light from the children and give it to you - the pagans, for only recently have I found among the Romans and Hellenes living here a faith that cannot be found in all Israel.

Love and Humility disappeared from the hearts of the Jews, and among you, the Gentiles, I found the fullness of these feelings.

As a result, I will take the Light away from the children and give it to you; I will give all My Kingdom from now on and forever! And children can eat the garbage of this world.

Do you want My Will to become law in your country? While this is difficult, for everything requires a certain maturity. My Law is Love. If you want to introduce something from Me in your country - then introduce this Law, and you will see how everything will go easily with My Will!

For understand: My Will and My Law are so closely interconnected that, in essence, they constitute one whole, as one whole the essence of I and the Father!

Of course, much is still associated with My Will, but you are not yet able to understand this. When My disciple comes, he will initiate you into everything. And, as soon as he baptizes you in My Name, the Spirit of God will descend on you and will continue to guide you.

You did the right thing with the criminal, and understand that I am doing the same now with you - the Gentiles.

And may this act serve as your mirror of what I am doing now, and in the near future I will completely fulfill it. The last one for your comfort and blessing!

Abgar's sixth appeal to the Lord:

(Written 10 weeks later)

“Abgar, the worthless prince of Edessa, to Jesus the Savior, who appeared in the vicinity of Jerusalem, for the salvation of all peoples with a pure heart, who voluntarily wish to live according to His Word!

Lord! .. You are not only the best healer in my eyes, but the Creator and Lord of the universe from century to century!

Therefore, only You can I tell you about the terrible state disaster that befell us, begging You from the very depths of my heart to take this terrible disaster away from us.

As You should know, ten days ago we had a mild earthquake, which, thanks to You, destroyed almost nothing.

But on the second day after the earthquake, the water became cloudy throughout the country, and everyone who drank this water first suffered from insane headaches, and then lost their minds and became like possessed people.

By my decree, I immediately forbade the use of local water throughout the country until a new order, and in the meantime I ordered all my subjects to gather in Edessa, where they receive from me wine and water, which is delivered to me from afar on ships.

I think that these orders did not harm me, for it was true Mercy and Love for my people that prompted me to do this.

With complete humility in my heart, I ask You, Lord! Help me and my people! Deliver us from this trouble! ..

Thy Holy Divine Will be done! "

When the Lord read this epistle, He was indignant in spirit and exclaimed, and his voice sounded like rolling thunder: “Satan! Satan! How long will you tempt the Lord and your God ?! What did this small and hardworking people do to you? Why are you torturing him ?! But, so that you may know again the Lord and your God in Me, I command you: "Get out of that country forever!" Amen! Once you were content to scourge the bodies of people in order to tempt them, as I allowed it with Job, but what are you doing now with My land ?! If you have courage, attack Me, but leave My land and the people who carry Me in your heart until that time that will be given to you for the final test of your free will! "

And only after these words the Lord called one of the disciples, who inscribed the following answer to Abgar.

The sixth answer of the Lord:

“My beloved son and brother Abgar!

It was not yours who did this to you, but My enemy! You do not know him, but I have known him for a long time!

But he did not have long to rule. Soon the prince of this world will be defeated. Do not be afraid of him, for for you and your people I have already defeated him.

And from now on you can again use the water in your country. It has already been cleared and rendered harmless.

See? Meanwhile, as you loved Me, something bad happened to you. But under the influence of this misfortune, your Love for Me intensified and strengthened, which is why it prevailed over the power of darkness, and from now on you are forever free from the devils of hell.

That is why Faith is subjected to great temptations and trials, and she has to go through fire and water! But the flame of Love drowns out the fire of trials, and the water evaporates under the influence of the power of Love.

What has happened now to your country under the influence of nature - will happen one day in a spiritual sense to many because of My Teachings!

And those who get drunk from the pools of false prophets will go mad!

Accept My Love, My Blessing and My Grace, my brother Abgar! "

The seventh appeal of Abgar to the Lord:

(Written 9 weeks after Abgar received the sixth answer of the Lord and handed over to the Savior five days before his entry into Jerusalem)

Abgar, the insignificant prince of Edessa, to Jesus the Savior, who appeared in the vicinity of Jerusalem, as the salvation of all peoples, the Lord Anointed from century to century, God of every creature and of all people and spirits - both good and evil!

... Lord! From Your first letter, which You most mercifully deigned to write to me, I know that, according to Your own Will, everything must come true with You in the way the crafty Jews are now planning to do it ...

As a Roman vassal and a close relative of the Emperor Tiberius, I have loyal spies in Jerusalem who are especially vigilant about the arrogant clergy there.

So, my faithful servants informed me in detail about the plans of these obstinate and prideful scribes and Pharisees and about what they are planning to do with You. They not only want to lime You and kill You in their own way, that is, to stone or burn you, no! They think this is not enough for You!

They intend to subject You to the most inhuman execution, showing the highest and unheard of cruelty!

Lord! Just listen to me: these beasts in human form are going to nail You to the cross and leave You on it, until You die on this pillar of shame a slow death and in terrible torment! ..

They want to present you as a state traitor and instigator of last year's popular uprising against the government.

By doing so, they hope to gain the condescension of the Romans in order to continue their nefarious work. Of course, they will not succeed, and you know better than me that they will not deceive the Romans.

Lord! If you only deign to accept a service from me, your most devoted friend and admirer, I will immediately send messengers to Rome and to Pontius Pilate, and I guarantee that these animals will themselves fall into the hole that they dig for you!

But knowing You, Lord, as I know You, and that You do not need anyone's advice, and even less advice from people coming, I am sure that You will do as You see fit; but I, as a man, considered it my duty to convey to You in detail everything that I learned and to warn You!

At the same time I ask You to accept my most sincere gratitude for the great mercy shown to me and my people.

Lord! Just say: what can I do for You ?! May Your Holy Will always be! "

The last answer of the Lord:

“Listen, my beloved son and brother Abgar!

Everything is really the way you wrote to Me, but nevertheless everything must be fulfilled with Me according to My Word!

For otherwise not a single person will attain Eternal Life!

Now you are not yet able to understand this, but I ask you: do not take measures to justify Mine, for your efforts will be in vain - such is the Will of the Father, Living in Me, from Whom I came in the form of a man!

And may the Cross not frighten you, to which I will be nailed!

For from now on, this Cross will be the cornerstone of the Kingdom of God, as well as His gate until the end of time!

I will only stay in the grave for three days!

On the third day I will rise again, as the eternal conqueror of death and hell, and I will judge all the wicked by righteous judgment, but for those who are in My heart I will open the Gates of Heaven!

When, in a few days, you see the sun darken, then know that your best friend and brother died on the cross!

May this not frighten you either, for everything must be fulfilled!

When I rise from the dead, then, at the same time, you will see a sign from Me, by which you will know My Resurrection!

Accept, my beloved brother Abgar, My Love, My Grace, and may My Blessing be with you! "

“The letters of the Lord contain the basic teachings of His gospel and an ingenious summary of our salvation through the sacrificial death of the Savior. Thus, the correspondence between Jesus and Abgar can be called a “little Gospel” that reveals to us the Love of our Heavenly Father, who graciously bestowed salvation on his children - His Teachings, His death on the cross and His victorious resurrection from the dead.

Some discrepancies between the versions presented in different sources will be obvious to the attentive reader.

Apostle Thaddeus: “We left ours. Shall we take someone else's? "

Let's return to Movses Khorenatsi. The historian writes:

“After the ascension of our Savior, the Apostle Thomas, one of the twelve, sent from there one of the seventy — Thaddeus to Edessa to cure Abgar and preach the word of the Lord. He, having appeared, went into the house of a certain Tubia, a Jewish nobleman, according to rumors, from the Bagratuni clan, who at one time hid from Arsham and did not abandon Judaism, like his other relatives, but remained faithful to his laws until he believed in Christ. The news of Thaddeus spread throughout the city; Abgar heard and said, "This is the one that Jesus wrote about," and immediately called him. And as soon as he entered, a wonderful vision appeared on his face to Abgar. And rising from the throne, he fell on his face and bowed to him. And all the nobles present were surprised, for they did not see the vision. And Abgar said to him: "Are you really a disciple of the blessed Jesus, whom he promised to send here to me, and can you heal my illness?" And Thaddeus answered him: "If you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, you will be given the desire of your heart." Abgar told him: “I believed in him and in his Father. Therefore, I wished to come with my army and exterminate the Jews who crucified him, but was stopped by the Roman authorities. "

After these words Thaddeus began to preach the gospel to him and his city, and putting his hand on him, he healed him ... He also healed all the sick and sick in the city. And everyone believed and were baptized himself Abgar and the whole city ...

The Apostle Thaddeus baptizes a certain master of silk headdresses and, giving him the name Addé, ordains Edessa as the spiritual head and leaves in his place with the king. He himself takes from Abgar a letter (instructing) everyone to listen to the Gospel of Christ, and comes to Sanatruk, the son of the king's sister, who ruled our country and the troops ... "

So Abgar became the first baptized king in history. As a reward for his healing, he offered Thaddeus valuable gifts, which he rejected with the words: “We left ours. Shall we take someone else's? "

Apostle Thaddeus brought to Armenia the tip of a spear with which a Roman soldier pierced the crucified Christ. Preaching in Armenia, the apostle converted many pagans to Christianity, including the king's daughter, Sandukht. Meanwhile, King Abgar writes several letters to his nephew Sanatruk and other kings, telling about his healing and urging them to convert to Christianity. Despite all the efforts of his uncle, Sanatruk remained deaf to all exhortations: he ordered the death of Thaddeus and Sandukht.

It will take another two and a half centuries for the Armenian king Tiridates to legalize Christianity as an official religion in his state in 301, proclaiming Armenia the first Christian country in the world.

The image of the Lord not made by hands

Abgar's love for the Savior was embodied not only in their correspondence, but also in their actions. By order of the king, the statue standing in front of the central gate of Edessa was destroyed. According to the existing custom, everyone who wanted to enter the city had to bow to this statue first and only then go through the gate.

At this place, by order of Abgar, a stele with the Image of the Lord Not Made by Hands was installed, the inscription under which read: "Christ God, everyone who trusts in You will never lose faith in You."

The Holy Face of Jesus Christ, presented by the Savior to King Abgar, was recognized and revered as a true portrait of the Lord and served as a model for all Christian iconography.

A difficult fate awaited the portrait. In 944, during the reign of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, a Byzantine emperor of Armenian blood, the Holy Image from Edessa was transported to Constantinople. In 1362, Saint Face was forcibly taken from the Byzantine capital to Genoa by captain Leonardo Montaldo. 22 years later, the captain, already being a Doge of Genoa, presented the Not-Made-by-Hands Image of the Lord to the Armenian Church of St. Bartholomew. In 1507, when Genoa was captured by King Louis XII, Saint Face was kidnapped and taken to France. Soon the Genoese bought the Image and the relic returned to the Church of St. Bartholomew, where it is kept to this day in a silver case decorated with precious stones.

It is noteworthy that the Image Not Made by Hands was placed on the banners of the Russian troops in order to protect them from enemies. In the Russian Orthodox Church, there is a pious custom, when a believer enters a church, to read together with other prayers the troparion to the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

In December, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates St. Abgar, the first king of Armenia who believed in Christ. In 2016, the saint's day falls on December 6.

The Edessians are the descendants of King Abgar from Edessa

According to legend, the Edessians from the North Caucasian village of Edissia (among the local Armenians - Edessa) are the distant descendants of the inhabitants of Great Edessa, by the will of fate found themselves near Old Shemakha (the village of Kilvar), located in the territory of Eastern Transcaucasia.

But even here they did not find a peaceful life. It was only at the beginning of the 18th century that there was hope for an escape from slavery. It was breathed in by the Caspian campaign of Peter the Great in 1722 - 1723. However, the withdrawal of the Russian army from Transcaucasia made the life of the Armenian population even more unbearable. Here is what the Turkish-speaking Armenian peasants wrote to Peter the Great on October 28, 1725 (who by that time had died in Bose): “The population of our villages was forcibly made Turks, our manuscripts, books and churches were burned, our priests were exterminated. Many people were destroyed by the sword because of their faith. Now we are Turks during the day, and at night we become Armenians, we have no other choice. Our way out is you yourself, our request is as follows: for Christ's sake ... send troops, free us ... after which we will all be among your troops ... ”The answer came only at the end of the century (1797) in the form of a letter of gratitude from Emperor Paul I to the Armenians who moved to the region of Derbent: “Listening to the request of the Armenians of Derbent and other environs, I instruct those who wish to resettle to make such resettlements and, upon arrival, choose their own kind of life, receiving land for their consumption”.

Two years later, the Kilvars founded the Kasaeva Yama tract to the north of Mozdok (in 1851, at their urgent request, the village was renamed into Edissia - Edessiya). The Edessians not only managed to preserve the faith of their ancestor Abgar, but also to return to the original language of Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet.

Saint Mandylion (Not-made image of Jesus Christ on the trim) with a story of finding in a frame .; Byzantium; XII century; location: Italy. Genoa. Armenian Church of St. Bartholomew

The month of August is 16 days. Transfer of the image of our Lord Jesus Christ not made by hands from Edessa to Constantinople

God bless, father!

1. Abgar, hearing about the miraculous healings of Christ in Jerusalem, sends to Him with a letter Ananias

It is necessary to talk about the very grace of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. When he performed many miracles beautifully and all nations became aware of Jesus, Abgar heard about this, the prince of Edes, who suffered from black leprosy and unpleasant weakness. And wishing to see the Creator himself with his own eyes and not being able, Abgar sent a pleading message to Jesus, saying in it: “I heard about you, Lord, and about your healings, performed only by words. You give healing to the sick: to the blind - insight, to the lame - to walk, to the deaf - to hear. You cleanse lepers and who are suffering from long-term ailments, you heal. And the bleeding woman who touched your clothes, you healed, and you raise the dead. And I heard and understood in my heart that you are one of the two who came down from heaven, and that you are the Son of God. I also hear that, Lord, that the Jews are murmuring against you and want to kill you. My city is small, and the people in it are kind. And it will be enough for both of us. "

2. Ananias, having come to Jerusalem and met Christ preaching in the temple, tries to portray Him on the board

Jesus says to Ananias, who was sent by Abgar to Jesus: “Know henceforth, because, not seeing me, you believed, health is prepared for you. I was sent to fulfill the whole truth, and then I have to ascend to where I descended from. And now, I will send to you one of my disciples - Thaddeus, so that he will heal your ailment.

When Abgar heard such words, he sent a scribe, skilled in writing icons, to Jerusalem, so that he would write the image of Jesus secretly on the shroud. And Luke came to Jerusalem, and entered the congregation where Jesus taught, and, standing in a remote place, began to paint the image of the Jesus face with natural colors, wondering how he would be able to comprehend the incomprehensible divine Word. However, the secretary secretly made what was happening. And immediately Jesus called out, saying: "Luke, Luke, the Avgarian ambassador, give me the shroud that you brought from Abgar."

And Luke entered the assembly, and gave Jesus the shroud. And immediately Jesus asked for water, and washed his most pure and divine face with water, and wiped off his shroud. Oh miracle, above the mind, beyond the mind! That simple water was transformed into colors and, having rolled down, was fixed on the shroud, and the image of Jesus appeared on the shroud, so that everyone was horrified and in fear. And Jesus gave him to Thaddeus the apostle and sent him to the city of Edessa, where Abgar lay sick on his bed for six years. And Luke the ambassador set out with Thaddeus, carrying an image not made by hands. And they came to a place called Hierapolis, and stayed outside the city in an inn. And fearing, they hid the image of the Lord between two clay slabs.

And a pillar of fire appeared from heaven, and stood over the place where the hidden image of the Lord was. When the guards saw such a miracle, they screamed in a loud voice. And when all the people in the city heard, they were alarmed, and there was great confusion in the city. Thaddeus and Luke quickly took the image of the Lord and set off on their way. When the townspeople came to the place where the pillar of fire stood, they were horrified and fell on their faces and, looking, saw that that image of the Lord had been imprinted on one of the stones. They, the townspeople, having taken this imprint, carried it to the city. And when they entered the city gates, behold, the blind, lame, possessed and lepers began to gather, shouting and crying: "Jesus, Savior of the highest God, have mercy on us!" And, touching the likeness of the image of the Lord, they received healing. When the townspeople saw this glorious miracle, they glorified the all-merciful God and believed in the Holy Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

When Thaddeus and the ambassador approached the city of Edessa and were a mile away from it, a certain lame crawling appeared and, seeing the apostles of the Lord, shouted, saying: "Have mercy on me!" And the apostle of the Lord, who bore the image of the Lord, touched him, and immediately jumped up lame and ran quickly into the city in front of the apostles. And when they saw him, all the townspeople marveled, saying: "Isn't this the son of that widow who crawled on her knees?" Some said: "He", while others: "Looks like him." And they quickly reported about him to Prince Avgar. And he called him to him and asked him: "Who healed you?" The young man answered, saying: “When I was a mile from the city and begged for alms from passers-by, a certain man walked along the road with a friend. I began to beg them for alms. And one of them touched me, and, jumping up, I recovered completely, as you see me. "

Avgar thought it was Christ, and sent many servants to meet him. And as they walked, they met the apostles bearing the image of the Savior not made by hands. And when they came to the ward to Abgar, where he was lying on a bed weak for six years, Abgar, seeing the ubrus, on him the image of Jesus Christ, immediately wanted out of joy, as it were, to get up from the bed on which he was lying. And then he jumped up from the bed and became healthy in an instant with the whole body, as if he had never been ill. And he freed himself from incurable suffering, and fell before the most pure image, and began to bow down with love. And then Abgar said to the apostle Thaddeus: "What should I do?" And the apostle said to him: "Be baptized!" And he was baptized in the city of Edessa with his wife and children, and everyone related to his house was baptized by the apostle. And all his city was baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The most pure and wonderful shroud, on which the image of Christ, Prince Avgar commanded over the city gates, equipping an honorable and well-made place, to arrange. He gave the order that every person entering or leaving the city should first bow down to the holy and honest image, and then enter the city or leave, writing over it like this: “Master of many mercy, Christ, our God, hope for all countries of the world, have mercy us, for we believe in you. Anyone who trusts in you will not fail in expectations.

Then, when many years passed, a certain idolater became the ruler of that city; he wanted to destroy that divine icon of Christ, replacing it with a demonic statue of vile idols. Upon learning of this, the bishop of the city conceived a plan. Since the place was rounded, as if in the form of a stone vault where the image of the Savior was, the bishop at night, when no one knew, lit a lamp in front of the divine image and laid it with a brick. He fenced the image of the icon with slabs and lime outside and made the wall even. And since the icon became invisible, the wicked departed from intent. "Why," he said, "has such a treasure become invisible?"

Then, many years later, the Persians came and wanted to take the city of Edessa by storm. The townspeople cried out to God with tears, asking for mercy and help from him. And immediately they soon found liberation. One of the nights to Eulalia, the bishop of that city of Edessa, a luminous wife appeared in a vision, saying to him: “Above the city gates is hidden the image of Christ not made by hands. Having taken him, you will quickly deliver this city and its people from troubles. " And showed him that place. The bishop, with great joy, as soon as dawn began, dismantled the fence and acquired the most pure image of Christ, not made by hands and a burning lamp. On the brick laid to preserve the icon, another image, indistinguishable from the first, was imprinted. About a miracle! For so many years that lamp did not go out, and the treasure was not discovered. When the bishop took the most pure icon and stood over the gates of the city and raised his hand up, holding in his hand that honest and not made by hands of Christ, it was as if the Persians were being persecuted by fire. And so having suffered, the disgraced Persians retreated from the city of Edessa. Some died, others were beaten.

But it was God's will for this holy image of the Lord to remain in the glorious and God-protected city of Constantinople. Then Roman, the Greek king, who was then in power, sent two thousand liters of gold and ten thousand silver and two hundred Saracens, noble men, to the owner of the city of Edes, so that he would send that most pure icon, the image of the Lord, to him, and he would give him long-term peace if get what you want. The king sent to the city of Edessa for an amazing, and wonderful, and praiseworthy treasure, one hundred bishops, two thousand and six hundred priests, and forty thousand deacons, and abbots, and monks, and monks, who can name the number. And when they came to the city of Edessa, they took that most pure image of the Lord, begging with tears, and with psalms and songs, crying out: "O Lord, Lord, have mercy!" And when they approached the Greek country, it became known to the king and patriarch that they had already approached with an image not made by hands.

The king went out with all the dignitaries, and the patriarch with all the clergy, and all the people - countless men and women. The ships covered the sea with candles and incense. And when they came together, they began to proclaim: “Glory to you, the many-merciful ruler, who wished to come to us, your unworthy servants! Glory to you, most generous Lord, who made it possible for us sinners to bow to your most pure image! Glory, Christ, to your will, for you arrange everything for the benefit and for the salvation of the human race! " And when everyone entered the city, the patriarch carried over his head the golden ark, in which was a treasure dearer than the whole world. And the people, following, cried: "Lord, have mercy!" And others sang various hymns: "Christ coming, clearly our God!" Others shouted loudly: “Rejoice, city of Constantine! Behold the king, your deliverer has come. Not on a colt, as before, to Jerusalem, but now on a most pure icon, wishing to save us from the delusion of evil idols. " Many sick people, without number, received healing: the blind received their sight, the deaf began to hear, the lame began to run faster than the chamois, the dumb began to speak, and all the possessed people received healing. All the same they proclaimed in a loud voice: “Take,” they said, “the city of Constantine, glory and joy. And you, Roman - King Porphyrogenitus, strengthen your kingdom! " And they entered the Church of the Wisdom of God on the 16th day of August, and they accepted this honest treasure.

To him the king, and the saint, and just the whole multitude bowed down with joy and, having kissed him, laid him in a golden shrine. And hence - the bright triumph of the coming to the divine image of the divine-human image of Christ, our true God, performing, celebrating, sending glory to him with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Old Russian literature. Anthology.
Historical and literary site (http://old-ru.ru/)