Armenian Apostolic Church

The Armenian Apostolic Church (Armenian: Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցի), also called the Armenian Orthodox Church or the Gregorian Church, is the world's oldest national churchThe Journal of Ecclesiastical History - Page 268 by Cambridge University Press, Gale Group, C.W. DugmoreThe Armenian Massacres, 1894-1896: 1894-1896 : U.S. media testimony - Page 131 by A. Dzh. (Arman Dzhonovich) Kirakosian and one of the most ancient Christian communities.The Antiquities of the Christian Church - Page 466
by Johann Christian Wilhelm Augusti, Georg Friedrich Heinrich Rheinwald, Carl Christian Friedrich Siegel

 History 
The Kingdom of Armenia was the first state to adopt Christianity as its official religion, when St. Gregory the Illuminator converted Armenian King Tiridates III and members of his court.Academic American Encyclopedia - Page 172 by Grolier Incorporated. Estimated dates vary from 284 to 314. Garsoïan (op.cit. p.82), following the research of Ananian, favours the latter. That occured in the early 4th century and is traditionally dated to 301 (after Mikayel Chamchian 1784).  The church teaches that Gregory was imprisoned by Tiridates in an underground pit, called Khor Virab, for 13 years, and then treated Tiridates of an incurable disease, which made him accept Christianity.

The church's tradition is that it originated in the missions of two Apostles of Jesus Bartholomew and Thaddeus, in the 1st century. The church would therefore be one of the oldest denominations of Christianity.

 References 

Related pages
 Hnevank
 Armenian Catholic Church

 Other websites 
 The Armenian Church
 Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia
 Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
 Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople 
 Araratian Patriarchal Diocese
 Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada
 Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) 
 The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Western) 
 New Armenian Apostolic Church Library of Books and Video
 Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church Library Online: English | Armenian | Russian
 Prayer Book of the Armenian Church 
 Armeniapedia - Armenian Apostolic Church
 Some information
 Basic info 
 Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the US  General Information
 Directory of Armenian Churches Worldwide

Category:Oriental Orthodoxy
Category:3rd-century establishments