Now in 699 A.E. [1250] this is what happened. It was noised about that within the borders of [the district of] Xach'en hail had fallen, and mixed with the hail many fish the size of figs fell to the ground. We did not see this [g321] with our own eyes, but there were many to confirm that they were eyewitnesses. Yet another such event they relate resembles a fable. [They say that] on the shores of the Gegham Sea [Lake Sewan] there is an awan named Kot'. In its borders, in a village close to the mountain they found a gigantic man, dead and half-buried, wearing new clothes and new shoes; and by his head was a hole, as though he had been [271] punctured by a spike. On [the wound] was a small amount of cotton. When they removed the cotton, blood gushed from him and when they replaced the cotton, the blood stopped. Even if they put on a new cotton, not his own, the blood would flow until they replaced the old cotton. Many people were gossiping about this, but whether it is true or false, we do not know.
But this [next event] definitely took place. That same year [1250] a certain deceiver arose named Dawit', motivated by the demonic spirit, like the deceivers Judas and Theudas.
There is a village named Tsar by the Sea of Geghark'unik' [Lake Sewan] in the Xach'en area, close by Handaberd fortress where Jermuk is. In Tsar was this man of the poor and indigent, who worked their watermill and fed himself, his wife and children in this way.
One night, Satan appeared to him in the form of light [g322] and dared to say: "I am Christ and I have come to take you to preach my message. I shall send to you people who will come from all over in need of healing. Boldly put your hand upon them. Take the beam from the olive-press in your village, make a cross of it and erect it at the doors of the church." [272] And [Satan] taught him all kinds of other wily tricks.
So [Dawit'] began to sermonize, saying: "Christ appeared to me and said 'Turn world, and perform healing'". Others went to him and started to sing his praises and to call him Dawit' Miaynakeats' (the Cenobite) and Sk'anch'elagorts (the Wonder-Worker). By force they took the beam from the oil-press of his house, fashioned a lofty cross from it and erected the cross at the door of the church. They sacrificed bulls to it, and to all the pilgrims who came from all parts they gave portions of the bulls' meat and bones and they also gave shavings of the cross and "holy wafers" made of grains of millet which were in the watermill. For the same Satan who encouraged [Dawit'], stirred all the districts to go to the celebrity there—men, women, little children, as well as even priests, azats and all the sick and afflicted.
At first, faking, [Dawit'] took nothing from them. Like unto the Antichrist, this is how he preached: "Who am I but a poor and sinful man? Yet Christ had commanded me to preach. Fast on Monday, do not swear, and come, kiss me and your sins shall be forgiven as shall the sins of your people till the seventh generation" [g323].
[273] When someone possessed by a devil came to him, [Dawit'] seized a thick club and struck mercilessly; he trampled on [the afflicted person's] throat and cried: "Out, dog, out, dog! Dawit' Miaynakeats' commands you!" And he would say to the afflicted one: "Behold, fear no more. You are healed." Then the demoniac would depart, having the same evil in him, only multiplied. Yet wherever the afflicted person would go when people would inquire [about Dawit'], he dared not say "I was not healed," for [Dawit'] had enjoined that if they said this, they would be possessed by the dew immediately. Although the man dared not say "I was not healed," from his very deeds it was clear that he was continually posssssed. Those who previously had suffered pain for periods of months and weeks, after going [to Dawit'] were tormented every day. To the consumed and wasted who went to him, he said: "Come before me and dance!" And they did so with joy, since these kinds of dews like to play and dance. Dawit' said: "Come, kiss me and my wife. Depart and fear no more." To lepers he said: "By the command of God there is no cure for this illness. But I forgive you your sins since you came to me." As for the bent and hunched, he ordered four men to hold them, two at the head and two at the feet. And then [Dawit'] would say: "Stretch and twist them." Then the men stretched them [274] violently and all the joints in their bodies cracked. And the man they held would scream "Vay!" from the severity of the pain. Then Dawit' would trample on his shoulders and muscles and the afflicted one would cease breathing, like a dead man, or would in fact die. [Dawit'] would say about those who [g324] died: "His hour had come. It was not possible for him to live. It is a blessing that he died, for he will suffer no more." And of those who survived, half-dead, but were not healed he said: "They did not have complete faith in us, therefore they were not cured." Regarding the demoniacs on whose throats he trampled and who died, he would say: "This person died long ago and I have just now removed the dew which caused him to move about." To the blind he said: "Would you rather that I open your eyes or forgive your sins? For I know that your time is short and that you will die soon." Then [the blind person] would say: "If that's how it is, it's better for me if you forgive my sins." And [Dawit'] would say to him: "I forgive your sins."
In this way he captivated everyone's minds until there was such a multitude gathered by him that the area could not accomodate the people. Now since it was summertime, the [275] multitude went into the meadows and onto the mountains where they slept and worked all sorts of wickedness. For women who never would have dared to commit adultery and prostitution in their own homes because of their husbands, parents, and children, now, going on pilgrimage, copulated openly with whomever they wished. The men too worked this same evil with whomever they desired. The people went [g325] with many gifts: gold, silver, bulls and sheep. Those [pilgrims] who went and came back treated with scorn those who had not gone and drew back from them as if from sinners and people worthless in their sight.
Furthermore, by reason of the goods and their own greed, even priests came and adhered to him, waiting in attendance on him, washing his feet and sprinkling the water on themselves and on the assembled multitude.
As for the Deceiver, he hypocritically took nothing from anyone although he did take from the hands of the priests and his servants. The lord of the village, who was an Iranian, took a portion of the goods for himself, because an exceedingly large number of pilgrims brought things and gave them gladly. Should any vardapet or priest prevent or impede their going [to Dawit'], the people cursed and slandered them, implying that they were [276] jealous and malicious men and saying: "They cannot perform his deeds and do not wish for the benevolence of that saint."
Then the great vardapet Vanakan who was living in the monastery of Xoranashat (opposite Erdevank' fortress) wrote a document of scolding and rebuke, saying: "Why do you consider the appearance of the devil to be Christ, oh Christians? For Satan is accustomed to take the form of a luminous angel." And [Vanakan] excommunicated those who had eaten of that [g326] abominable meat or who had kept the wood shavings or millet. He placed on them as penance observation of a forty-day fast and five hundred genuflexions, after which they would become worthy of the blessed Mystery. We too wrote rebukes and anathemas and sent them to many places. Lord Hamazasp, the bishop of Haghbat, did likewise.
Lord Grigores, the bishop of Dadi monastery [Dadevank'] and vardapet Vardan, called the Joyous Son, came to that village with many priests, crosses, and gospels since [the village] was in their diocese. And they held an evening service, setting in their midst that duplicitous man [Dawit'] so that perchance the impure spirit would quit him. When they asked: "What do you see?" He replied: "When I fall on my face upon [277] the ground, the dew appears from the earth and speaks with me."
Then the bishop and priests wanted to destroy the cross which the heretic had erected. But the entire mob [of Dawit's followers] arose with swords and clubs and wanted to kill [the clerics]. They escaped the mob and cursed the brazen ones with severe oaths. But then some of them repented and went beseeching the bishop and priests to free them from the bonds of the curses. And people handed over the man to them.
Now while they were taking [Dawit'], the group chanced upon people from Garhni who were coming from the great court. [Dawit'] beseeched them to request him from the bishop since, he said, he was their relation and from Garhni. For he had [g327] previously told the people: "I am from the Arsacid line and it is necessary that one of my sons be king and the other kat'oghikos, and it is fitting that the vision of Saint Sahak be fulfilled on them." So the bishop gave him over to them, demanding an oath that he would no more lead people astray. Thus, finally, the wickedness disappeared.
And I arose, praying and reading the Gospel, that perchance the sin-loving and impure spirit would be driven out. But, [279] as the man related, she ignored this and sat laughing. Not seeing her, we arose and departed.
They assembled all the learned men of their country in the city of Sis in Cilicia: Armenian, Greek, Syrian and other [280] Christian peoples located there. The Greeks said "only from the Father" and some of the Syrians, said it otherwise. Now the Armenian assembly wrote to the East, to Greater Armenia to the learned vardapet Vanakan, since at the time he was venerable, and to vardapet Vardan, to Yovsep' and others to see what they would say and then to make a reply to the Latins.
They examined the Bible, the writings of the Apostles and the prophets and holy doctors of the Church who had cleansed the Church of heretics. They followed [using] the expression of two [natures], as the Latin confession. All the books of the Bible are full of such expressions. [There follow several lengthy sections on doctrine, which we omit. This includes chapter 51. (Confession of the Faith) and chapter 52. (Vanakan Vardapet's Advice on Dogma), as well as the remainder of chapter 50.]
Now he, who had his personality endowed with all these good things, who took others and instructed them in the same doctrine, passed to the Lord, paying the debt of nature. And his death happened as follows.
In the monastery (which he himself had built) named Xoranashat because of the numerous churches there (which is located opposite Ergevank' fortress and by the side of Gardman) he made a venerable structure, creating a portico out [g346] of polished stone at the door of the very church he himself had built. And he taught doctrine to those who gathered by him from all districts.
During the days of Lent he became ill, with an illness which in fact caused his death. Before his holy soul was consigned to the hand of God, he called the brothers and consoled them with sweet and agreeable words. He implored them to remain firm in order, in orthodox faith and pious. And then with a sweet breath his clean soul was freed from the fetters [283] of the body on the tenth of the month of Areg, according to the new [calendrical] system on March 18th, according to the Roman [calendar] two days before the beginning of spring, on Saturday, the day of the remembrance for the venerable Cyril, patriarch of Jerusalem (who arranged the passages which are read [in Church], who wrote the book entitled The Call and the martyrdom of saint Orend and his six brothers, who were martyred by the impious Maximian). [Vanakan] was a follower of their ways and thus he was worthy of [dying on the day of their] remembrance.
A countless multitude assembled at his burial, and with great sorrow and grief they lamented exceedingly, for they were deprived of the venerable one's luminous doctrine and salutary [g347] words. They took and buried him at the head of the monastery on the eastern side, close to the smaller church where the graves of the poor were located, for [Vanakan] himself had so ordered.
Lord Sargis, bishop of the district, was there with many vardapets and priests. Also lord Nerses, kat'oghikos of Aghbania/Aghuania went and the bishop lord Yovhannes, one day after the burial. [There was] lamenting and heavy weeping over his grave and [there was] comforting of the monks there, [after which] each [284] returned to his place.
The directorship of the monastery was taken by [Vanakan's] brother's son, the priest Poghos, while doctrinal teaching was taken over by vardapet Grigoris, Vanakan's student and relative.
And this occurred in the year 700 A. E. [1251]. Through his prayers may God grant peace to the whole world and to us a part in his resurrection and crowning.
The power of healing was given to him, for by putting on his hand and by praying he cured many illnesses. They further requested from him a written protection for their persons [i.e., a charm] and he always gave this to all who sought it. Not only did the Christians do this, but many of the non-believers as well. Thus he wrote the name of the Holy Trinity and profound words of prayer and then gave it to them; and they took it in faith and attached it to their persons.
Regarding [Yovhannes] many people have much to say, but especially our brother the wonderful vardapet Vardan, whose words are worthy of belief, since they were bound to each other in friendship. For we did not see him in person because of the distance, yet [Vardan] in consolation related to us things from his life especially saying that [Yovhannes] himself had said: "I went to the holy city of Jerusalem to worship in the Holy Land, and I stayed there some days, lodging in [the monastery of] Saint James [g349].
"One evening before the ringing of the bell which summons everyone to prayer, while I was praying in the blessed Church, [286] the vardapet who was the director of St. James called me and said, 'Come and hear the marvellous events which my youngest priest relates.' When I went to him he called the priest who had seen the wondrous vision and said: 'Now say what you related to me earlier so that he too may hear it.' And the priest began to speak, saying: 'Before your coming to the church, I was praying in the gallery of the holy church and suddenly the picture of the archangel Gabriel (which is drawn opposite the picture of the most blessed Mother of God) began to speak and said, 'Rejoice and be glad, for the Lord is with you. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.' Then all the pictures of the saints began to utter the same [phrase] for a long while: 'Rejoice and be glad, for the Lord is with you.'
"Astonished, I glorified God and examined the calendar, for that day was the 30th day of the month of Areg, the seventh of April, and the 15th of Nisan. That vision and the marvellous demonstrations testify to the correctness [of the date] of the Armenian [observance of the] feast. We say that the blessed Virgin received the glad tidings on the 30th of Areg, April 7th, and the 15th of Nisan, not as other peoples (especially the Greeks) thoughtlessly say, on the 25th of March" [g350].
The honest man related this in the firmness of orthodox faith.
[287] That holy man Yovhannes related something else of a similar nature: "I was," he said, "in the area of the Jordan River, praying where the Lord and St. John the Baptist had been. Three men, Tachiks by background, approached me and besought the seal of holy baptism. I postponed giving it until another day, so that they would be baptized by others, for I saw that they were rough men, and I judged them to be insincere.
"The eldest of them said to me: 'We are from the Iranian city of Zangi and Muslim by faith. We built a large and beautiful minaret and readied whatever was necessary for the opening celebration. I ascended to the top of the dome in order to give the worthless cry according to Tachik belief. And lo, I saw to the east that the earth was torn asunder and one spot was filled with unbounded light and a king, awesome and wondrous sat on a throne of glory and about him a luminous multitude who blessed him with inexpressible sounds. Coming to worship him were all the Christian peoples, each with the leaders of its faith, adorned in venerable glory; and as they worshipped him, he accepted their greetings. At last, another people came with much greater glory than those preceding, and their leaders were quite remarkable. When they approached and [288] worshipped the king, he arose from his throne before them and kissed them together with their leaders and honored them more than all the other peoples [g351].
'And while I was standing there awestruck, dumbfounded and amazed, my elder son here ascended [the minaret] to me and said: 'Why do you delay? All the people are waiting.' He too looked to the east and saw the same vision and was stunned. Now as we had delayed a very long while, the crowd became annoyed and my younger son here came and reproached us for our delay. But since the vision had vanished at his arrival we related to him the cause of our delay and the substance of the vision, and immediately we wished to preach from that height Christ as the true God and [to announce] ourselves as Christians. He stopped us, saying: 'Since this is the way things are, let us act wisely. If we now confess Christ, the mob of Tachiks will kill us and will say that as a result of our wrongful deeds we were killed by them, who knows? Instead, let us go and give them the food which we have prepared, and then let us go to the holy city of Jerusalem and there become complete Christians, and be baptized especially by those [g352] Christians whom you say that the king received with great joy and pointed out to you in the vision. They are the Armenian people who were the lot of Thaddeus, Bartholemew and Saint Gregory.'
[289] 'We listened to his words and descended to the people, not relating anything to anyone. We left all our property moveable and immoveable and came to Jerusalem. And we beseeched God to let us encounter that people who were glorified in the vision. God showed us you and we saw the same sign above you. Now we implore you, give us the seal of Christ and make us complete servants of your God.'
"And when I saw their joy and that the call had come from the Lord, I baptized them in the holy Jordan River in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and I gave them communion in the honored Body and Blood of the Son of God. Greeting us, they arose from the city and went to the great city of Rome to see the tombs of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to the glory of Christ."
This same wonderful Yovhannes said that "There were forty men of Armenian nationality who went to the Sinai desert to the mountain where God appeared to Moses and gave him the stone tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments, to worship God and to see the holy places [g353].
"At the base of the mountain there was a Latin monastery maintaining a rigorous discipline, and it was there that they [290] lodged. Although they wanted to ascend the mountain, the residents of the monastery enjoined them, saying: 'Do not spend the night up there, for those who have done so have seen frightful horrors, and destruction has encompassed many of them.'
"But [the Armenians] ascended boldly, taking no food with them, and they stayed several days. The residents of the monastery were amazed, wondering what had happened since there was no other way up [than the one traversed] and they assumed that the Armenians had died there from the terrors.
"But [the Armenians], after completing their worship descended the mountain with glorious and wondrous visages. And there were forty two of them. The astonished residents of the monastery went before them with torches and lanterns and gave them refreshment with great honor. And they wondered greatly, since when the party had ascended the mountain there were forty men, and yet when they descended there were forty two, and they knew that no one else had gone up except for the forty.
"When they set the table the two additional glorious men [291] arose and cared for those at the table and would not permit any of the men from the monastery to serve them, saying: 'It is our custom to care for our brethren.'
"And as soon as they had eaten what was seemly, the two saluted the forty and disappeared. They were Moses and Elias. Seized with great awe the residents of the monastery [g354] honored the forty like angels and set them on their way with great honor."
The saint-loving Yovhannes narrated this speaking in the third person out of humility, so that no one knew that he himself was with them.
After this he traversed many districts and visited many cities and reached the city of Colonia. And many many Turks and Tachiks came to him and were baptized because of his wonderful conduct and the healings he performed.
But the Iranians were jealous of him and the prince of Colonia seized him and a priest, gathered dry wood, placed them in the midst of it and set the wood afire. The priest with him wept, and Yovhannes exhorted him to be brave, saying: "Fear not, God may rescue us from the fire, as He rescued the [292] Three Infants."
And while the flames rose higher, a young prince fell from the wall, yet arose unharmed. When they asked: "How is it that you are alive?" He replied: "That man whom you have thrown into the fire lifted me up in his arms and did not allow me to hit the ground." At once the prince sent and ordered that they be removed from the fire and permitted to go wherever they pleased.
[Yovhannes] passed through many districts and went to the great kat'oghikos of the Armenians, lord Kostandin, at Hrhomkla. The latter received [Yovhannes] joyfully with great honor and did not let him depart. [Yovhannes] remained there until he passed to Christ, and he was buried there. Having completed his life holding to his faith, he achieved the garland which never fades, and life everlasting. May his prayers support us and forgive our sins and may his memory be among all the saints in Jesus Christ our Lord, to Whom glory forever [g355].
He became extremely strong and grew more powerful than all, made the world obedient to him and placed all lands in tribute. Furthermore his relations held him to be greater than anyone else, and their king, whom they call Khan, sat on his throne by [Batu's] command. For Guyuk-Khan had died and his clan debated as to who among them should be enthroned. They all deemed him worthy of sitting on the throne or of chosing who should be king.
They summoned him from the north to come to their land and rule over all. [Batu] went to firm up the kingdom, and left as the head of the troops his son, named Sartakh. He himself did not take the throne but seated there one of his relations named Mongke (Mangu). Then he returned to his troops [g356].
Now some of the relatives were dissatisfied with the affair since they had in mind either that they themselves be enthroned or else to have enthroned Guyuk-Khan's son, whose name was [294] Xocha-Khan. They dared not revel their dissatisfaction at the time, but when Batu had returned to his troops, they began to be rebellious toward Mongke-Khan and to agitate.
When Batu heard of this he ordered many relations killed including grandees among whom a certain great chief named Elch'i-Gada. The latter previously had been ordered by Guyuk-Khan to be general of the T'at'ar army in the east and the land of Armenia in place of Baiju. But while he was on the road in Iran, he received news of the death of Guyuk-Khan. And he stayed where he was to see who would take the throne of the kingdom.
The chiefs of the army in the East rebelled [from Elch'i-Gada] and came to Batu since they did not want the former to rule over them, as he was a conceited man. They said: "This man also has rebelled from Mongke-Khan." And [Batu] ordered that [Elch'i-Gada] be sent to him. He was seized and taken in fetters and wickedly killed [g357].
Then [many people] started coming [to Batu]: kings and royal offspring, princes and merchants, and all who were distressed, who had been deprived of their patrimonies. And [Batu] through just decisions gave to each who came to him his districts, patrimonies and principalities as well as written [295] documents. And no one dared to oppose what he had commanded.
[Batu] had a son named Sartakh whom we mentioned above. He was nourished by Christian tutors (dayeaks) and when he reached maturity, he believed in Christ and was baptized by the Syrians who had nourished him. He granted many liberties to the Church and to Christians and with the acquiescence of his father he wrote a decree of freedom for the priests and the Church and sent it everywhere threatening death to anyone collecting taxes either from the Church or its servitors, no matter what their nationality; [this also applied to] the Tachik mosques and their attendants.
Hence, taking courage, vardapets, bishops, and priests went to him and [Sartakh] received them all with affection and fulfilled their requests. He himself lived piously and religiously, taking a tent-church about on his travels and always performing the divine service.
Among those who went to him was Hasan, the great prince of Xach'en and the Artsakh region, whom they endearingly called Jalal, a pious religious man and a modest Armenian by nationality. [Sartakh] received [Hasan] with affection and honor as well [g358] as those accompanying him: prince Grigor (customarily called Tghay) who was then an old man, prince Desum a modest lad, [296] vardapet Markos and bishop Grigor.
[Sartakh] took [Hasan] to his father [Batu] who honored him greatly and returned to him his patrimony, Ch'araberd, Akanay, and Karkarhn, which the Turks and Georgians previously had stripped from him. He also received a document guaranteeing freedom for lord Nerses, kat'oghikos of the Aghbanians/Aghuans, for all his properties and goods, that he be free and untaxed and freely travel everywhere in the diocese of his authority and that no one disobey what he said.
Jalal returned to his home joyously, but after some days being harassed by tax collectors and by Arghun, he went to Mongke-Khan.
And Mongke-Khan ruled in the year 700 A.E. [1251].
People thought about leaving their abodes and going to foreign lands wherever they might find food. But since all the surrounding districts from Spain to Asia to Iran to Mesopotamia had already been eaten through, people were in a quandary as to what to do. They then started to take refuge in the hand and powerful arm of the Almighty, which created life from nothing, and which always cares for them with His pity, for Whom the impossible is possible. With tears and vows they looked to Him to end the scourge in the land.
Now merciful God quickly gave ointment to a bad wound and "the same one who was stricken, him He healed." For there came multitudes of small spotted birds, usually called tarm (flock) because of their numbers. Ranging themselves on the edges, [298] they ate the whole multitude of locusts, to the point that not one could be found. Then one could see all mouths uttering praises of God and all minds were astonished. But this following tale about the birds is worthy of awe [g360].
They say that in the Iranian area, in a land called K'irman, there is a certain water. Those who go there put it into glass bottles and take it, without looking back. And they do not put the water on the earth, but instead tie the bottles to poles and shake them; and the birds perch there. As many birds as are desired come after this water, and so the birds came after the locusts. However, we believe the whole affair was due to the concern of God, that on account of the sins of the land He allowed the scourge to come and then out of His mercy healed [the land] as He saw fit and gave [this water] as medicine and ointment for the scourge of locusts [which caused] the gobbling up of the multitude of their young.
They took this command and went throughout all the lands to complete the work. They also reached the lands of the Armenians, Georgians, Aghbanians/Aghuans and the districts surrounding them. They began recording everyone from age eleven up excepting the women. And they demanded the most severe taxes, more than a man could bear; and people became impoverished. They harassed the people with unbelievable beatings, torments and tortures. Those who hid were seized and killed. Those who were unable to pay the rate had their children taken to pay their debt, for they circulated about with Iranian Muslim attendants.
Furthermore the princes, lords of the districts, became their coworkers in harassing and demanding taxes for their own profit. Nor were they content with just this. Instead, all the artisans (aruestagets) whether in the cities or the villages were taxed. Furthermore fishermen of the seas and lakes, miners and blacksmiths and painters/plasterers [were taxed] [g362]. Is it necessary to explain in detail the level of profit which [300] they extracted from people? And they alone profited. They took all the salt mines, in Koghb and other areas.
They similarly profited greatly from the merchants and heaped up vast quantities of gold, silver, and precious stones. Thus everything became expensive and the lands became filled with lamentation and complaints. Then they left in charge of the lands wicked ostikans who demanded the same amount every year by list and in writing.
But one wealthy mnerchant was respected by them. He was Umek whom they called Asil, a benevolent man whom we sometimes recalled [above], who lived through the T'at'ars' destruction of the city of Karin together with his sons Yovhannes, Step'anos, and his brothers. At this time he was dwelling in the city of Tiflis and was called "father" of the king of the Georgians, Dawit'. He was honored by the Khan in writing and by all the [Mongol] nobility. He gave generous gifts to Arghun and those with him and was much esteemed by them.
However, [the tax collectors] took nothing from the clergy as they had no order from the Khan to do so. The sons of Sarawan, named Shnorhawor and Mkrtich', were also prosperous and wealthy [g363].
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