The Armenian Alphabet

King Tiridates accepted Christianity for his country in A.D. 301, making Armenia the first Christian nation. To translate the Bible, and thereby strengthen the Christian faith, Mesrop Mashtotz (354-439) wanted to develop an alphabet for Armenia. By this, he also hoped to preserve unity for this country, split between Greek and Persian rule.

Mashtotz had tried desperately to fit other alphabets to Armenian. Finally, in A.D. 406, he "received the alphabet in a heavenly vision." The alphabet shows influences from Greek and Pahlavi (Persian-Aramaic). A calligrapher finalized its form.

This alphabet and Bible allowed the church to develop independently. These have given moral fortitude through centuries of tribulation, and provided cultural identity in spite of worldwide dispersion.

Related Information

	See Mesrop Mashtotz.
	See the Armenian script.