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E00129: The Armenian History, written in Armenian and attributed to Sebeos in the 7th c., recounts the Emperor Maurice's request for the body of the Prophet *Daniel (the Old Testament prophet, S00727) from King Khosrow, followed by the miraculous refusal of the relics to move from Iran.

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posted on 2014-11-01, 00:00 authored by naleksidze
The Armenian History attributed to Sebeos, Chapter 14:

The chapter recounts the story of the Emperor Maurice's request from Khosrow the body of the prophet Daniel and accompanying miracles.

Եւ եղեւ ընդ աւուրսն ընդ այնոսիկ խնդրեաց թագաւորն Յունաց ի թագաւորէն Պարսից զմարմին մեռելոյ առն այնորիկ, որ կայր ի Շաւշ քաղաքի, ի գանձու արքային, եդեալ ի պղնձի աւազանի, զոր պարսիկն անուանէ Կաւ Խոսրով, եւ քրիստոնեայքն ասեն զԴանիէլի մարգարէի: Եւ արքայն Խոսրով հրամայէ տալ նմա զխնդիրն: Իսկ տիկինն Շիրին յոյժ խռովեալ էր ի վերայ իրացն. իբրեւ ոչինչ կարաց առնել զկամս թագաւորին դարձուցանել՝ հրաման ետ ամենայն քրիստոնէից աշխարհին, զի պահաւք եւ աղաւթիւք խնդրեսցեն ի Քրիստոսէ, զի մի՛ շարժեալ գնասցէ յաշխարհէն շնորհն այն:
Եւ ժողովեալ ամենայն երկիրն ի տեղին յայն, ուժգին խնդրուածովք եւ արտասուագոչ ողբովք խնդրէին ի Քրիստոսէ արգելուլ: Եւ ածեալ նմա ջորիս, եւ բերեալ նմա դեսպակ արքունի, եւ առին գնացին: Իսկ իբրեւ ելին ընդ դուռն քաղաքին, յանկարծաւրէն ցամաքեցան աղբիւրքն, որ ելանէին ի մէջ քաղաքին եւ հոսէին արտաքս. եւ ամենայն երկիրն վայիւ եւ աղաղակաւ գնային զհետ նորա:
Եւ եղեւ իբրեւ մեկնեցան ի քաղաքէն ասպարէզս երիս՝ յանկարծակի զտեղի առին ջորիքն որ ի դեսպակին. եւ ոչ ոք կարաց զնոսա շարժել ի տեղւոջէն: Եւ դարձեալ անդրէն յանկարծակի բռնաբար սուր սուր հարկանելով զամբոխն պատառեցին եւ զգունդն բռնութեամբ, եւ ընթացան անդրէն ի քաղաքն. եւ եղեւ իբրեւ մտին ընդ դուռն քաղաքին՝ անդրէն արձակեալ բղխեցին ջուրք գետոյն, եւ հոսէին ջուրքն արտաքս լի յորձանաւք ջուրց իբրեւ զառաջինն:
Գիտութիւն արարին կայսերն վասն նորա փութանակի: Եւ նորա տուեալ տանել նմա պատարագս՝ հրամայեաց առնել որպէս եւ նայն կամեցաւ. թողին զնա եւ գնացին ի բաց:


'It happened in those days that the Greek king [Maurice] requested from the Persian king the body of that dead man which was kept in the city of Shawsh [Susa], in the royal treasury, placed in a bronze container. The Persians called it [the body of] Kay Khosrov, and the Christians said it was that of the prophet Daniel. King Khosrov ordered his request to be honoured. But queen Shirin was greatly disturbed over these events. Since she could do nothing to change the king’s will, she ordered all the Christians of the land to beseech Christ with fasts and prayers that that [source of] grace should not be removed from the country.

The whole populace gathered at that place; with fervent requests and tearful laments they begged Christ to prevent [its departure]. They brought mules for it and a royal carriage, took [the body] and set off. But when they had gone out through the city gate, suddenly the springs which came up in the middle of the city and flowed outside, dried up. The whole populace with sighing and lamentation followed it.

It happened that when they had gone a distance of three stades from the city, suddenly the mules attached to the litter stopped, and no one was able to move them from the spot. Abruptly turning back, they forcibly broke right through the crowd and the troops, and ran into the city. When they entered the city gate, the waters of the river were released and flowed, and the springs gushed forth in abundance as before.

They rapidly informed the emperor [Khosrov] about this. He had offerings brought to it [the corpse] and ordered them to act as it wished. They left it and departed.'

Text: Abgaryan 1979, 85-86. Translation: Thomson and Howard-Johnston 1999, 30-31.

History

Evidence ID

E00129

Saint Name

Daniel, the Old Testament prophet : S00727

Saint Name in Source

Դանիէլ

Type of Evidence

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)

Language

  • Armenian

Evidence not before

660

Evidence not after

661

Activity not before

582

Activity not after

602

Place of Evidence - Region

Armenia

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Hadamakert Հադամակերտ Hadamakert Başkale

Major author/Major anonymous work

Sebēos

Cult activities - Places

Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave

Cult Activities - Miracles

Miraculous behaviour of relics/images Saint aiding or preventing the translation of relics Miracle after death Power over elements (fire, earthquakes, floods, weather)

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Monarchs and their family Crowds Other lay individuals/ people Animals

Cult Activities - Relics

Bodily relic - entire body Transfer, translation and deposition of relics

Source

The History attributed to Sebeos is one of the rare extant Christian chronicles from the 7th century. It was written near the end of the first phase of the Islamic conquest, when hopes temporarily rose among the Christians that the Islamic occupation would soon be over. Sebeos' task was to chronicle the events that, according to him, led to the disaster of the Islamic invasions. In a familiar Armenian tradition, he depicts himself as a continuator of earlier history writers, and sets out to connect his History with his immediate predecessor, Łazar P'arpec'i. Sebeos' principal interest lies in the reign of the Sasanian king Khosrow II (590-628). Sebeos' History is an important work, as he does not confine himself to a narrow account of affairs purely Armenian, but elaborates on the historical context and the influence of the mutual relations between Sasanian Iran and the East Roman empire on Armenia proper. Contrary to Movsēs Xorenac'i and other hellenophile authors, Sebeos considers Armenia an integral part of the Persian world and choses a Sasanian perspective. Therefore, Sebeos effectively chronicles the demise of the Sasanian empire, with a particular interest in the campaigns of Heraclius and the rise of Islam.

Discussion

The tradition of Daniel being buried in Susa is not supported by any Biblical authority. For Thomson's commentary, see Thomson and Howard-Johnston, 175. The tomb of Daniel, although empty, is still shown in Iran on the bank of the Karka river. Maurice's devotion to relics and his acquisition of them is also attested by other sources.

Bibliography

Edition: Abgaryan G. (ed.), Պատմութիւն Սեբէոսի [The History of Sebeos] (Yerevan: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1979). Translation: Thomson, R.W., and Howard-Johnston, J., The Armenian History Attributed to Sebeos (Translated Texts for Historians 31; Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1999).

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    Evidence -  The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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