Home Saint Manuscripts

Most commonly the primary holy objects of the Home Saints are wonder-maker books. They are stored in special chapels, decorated corners or rooms in the houses. Some of those books are medieval codices that have not only religious but also artistic and historical value.

Sometimes the priests would hide the highly significant books under the soil to protect them from destruction by enemies or the books sank in water while clergymen were crossing wild rivers trying to rescue them. Later ordinary people found them through a miracle.

It is not a surprise that most of these manuscripts have many pages burnt or damaged by water. Some people noticed a chest floating towards them while crossing the river Aras (Arax) on the way of the forceful migrations and preserved the book from inside it.

Others were able to hide and guard the books that literally flied out of the fires of Bolsheviks. Some found the manuscripts while renovating the newly-bought house. Several people learnt about the hidden codices from their dreams.

People believe that those books, as well as the holy sanctuaries where they are stored, are like churches and monasteries. Many of these books were indeed stored in functioning convents. Powerful gospels were placed in a separate place and attracted hundreds of pilgrims.

In that case, the church can be given a second name, one of which is the name of the miraculous book. One such example is Holy Power Mother of God (Surb Zoravor Astvatsatsin) Church of Yerevan, where until the mid 19th century the Surb Zoravor Gospel was stored.

In the scene of the Final Judgment Jesus sits on a Four-faced chair (The Throne in Heaven) surrounded by symbols of St. Evangelists. At the bottom of the picture good and evil deeds are weighed on scales. The miniaturist also added Holy Mother of God and St. John the Baptist.