Armenia's Jewish Past  - 11.20.2000

 

Hebrew University Expedition Studies Jewish Cemetery in Armenia

In October 2000 a group of three experts from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem surveyed an ancient Jewish cemetery in Armenia. Director of the expedition was Hebrew University's Professor of Armenian Studies, Michael Stone and he was joined by archeologist David Amit and by Armenian Studies graduate student and professional photographer Yoav Loeff. In Yerevan they also met Sergio LaPorta, Harvard Armenian Studies doctoral student, who spent last year in Jerusalem.

The cemetery is in the region of Vayots Dzor, south and west of Yerevan. The Hebrew University group worked closely with the Primate of the Diocese of Siwniq, Bishop Abraham Mkrtchyan, who strongly supports the study of the unusual and very important find and provided much assistance to the scholars and archeologists. Over 40 tombstones were found at this site, and on them were 16 inscriptions in Hebrew and Aramaic. The find is unprecedented and there is no information in known historical sources about a Jewish minority in Armenia in the Middle Ages: the inscriptions are dated to the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century.

This discovery provides major new data for both Armenian and Jewish history and the existence of this Jewish community, now indubitable, will change important aspects of our understanding of the period. At that time Vayots Dzor and, indeed, the whole Siwniq region, was an important center of Armenian intellectual life, and home of several of Armenia's famous "University Monasteries", such as Gladzor and Tat'ew.

An agreement was drawn up between the Armenian Studies Program of the Hebrew University, the Institute of Archeology of the National Armenian Academy of Sciences headed by Prof. Aram Kalantarian, and the Diocese of Siwniq of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This agreement provides for the continued study of this and similar sites, for joint publication of the results of the research, and for general scholarly cooperation. The Israeli team plans to return to Armenia in the spring to continue work on this site with Armenian colleagues.

The work was supported by the Ben Tzvi Institute and The Foundation for Biblical Archeology. The Israel Antiquities Authority contributed the time of David Amit and Bishop Abraham Mkrtchyan of Siwniq provided lodgings, logistical support and other assistance.