Mesrob Mashdotz and the Creation of the Armenian Alphabet

Mashdotz's Early Years

Mashdotz was born in the village of Hatsekatz, in the province of Daron, some time in the late 4th century.  As a child, his father, Vartan, sent him to learn Greek literature. 

Eventually, he served in the royal court of Armenia, where he was admired for his understanding of law and military matters.  But Mashdotz still found time to read the Bible and the works of Christian philosophers.  He was eager to learn more about God.  He was filled with such love for his faith that he left his duties in the court, became a monk and, for a time, lived alone on a mountainside with little to eat or drink.  He hardly slept, praying day and night, thinking about his new life.

His Mission

Soon he had a group of young followers who wanted to learn from him.  With his students, Mashdotz went to the province of Goghtn, a place still untouched by Christianity, where he successfully taught about Christ.  Mashdotz was overjoyed to see the people reject their superstitions and fears and accept the word of Jesus.  He was so moved that he became more determined than ever to spread the teachings of the Lord.

Mashdotz went immediately to his spiritual father, Catholicos Sahag.  This great man had the same concern, and they prayed together for strength to carry out their plan. 

They called a council of priests to see what might be done to develop an alphabet for Armenia, since the Armenian people would need to read and learn in their own tongue.

With the blessings of the king and Catholicos Sahag, Mashdotz sent his pupils on a mission; some were sent to Edessan to learn Syriac while others were sent to Samosata to learn Greek.  These were the alphabets already used in worship and in Bible reading and the students needed knowledge in them to be better translators.

While his students were eagerly training, Mashdotz withdrew from the world and prayed day and night for help from God.  It seemed an impossible task to devise an alphabet out of absolutely nothing.  But it is not impossible with the help of God.  With guidance provided by God came all the letters of the Armenian alphabet. 

God Provides the Alphabet

They came to Mashdtoz in a vision, which showed the letters carved into rock.  They were all as clear and well defined as if they had been traced on snow.

Mashdotz found a Greek scribe who was able to draw all the letters with the right curves and lines.  Once this miraculous set of letters was finished, Mashdotz brought his pupils together at once to translate the Holy Scriptures into the new written Armenian. 

They began with the proverbs of Solomon.  Not surprisingly, the first words written in the new Armenian alphabet were, as tradition tells us, "that men may know wisdom and instruction, understand words of insight."  Immediately they began to teach others the alphabet and set out translating at a feverish pace.

Though the people of Armenia had been visited by the great St. Gregory the Illuminator less than a hundred years before, they had not yet taken the faith into their hearts because there was no written language.  Now they were beginning to worship, read Scripture, and learn all the profound concepts of their faith for the first time.

A great teaching movement began: young men were taught the Armenian alphabet and sent off to teach both the alphabet and the faith to their countrymen allover Armenia.  And in turn, people from all over Armenia came to study these letters and the Word of God.