64 HOEMUZD EASSAM^ ESQ., ON BIBLICAL LANDS^ THEIR 



lepers, and thou easiest out impure spiiits and demons, and 

 thou healest those that are tormented by long disease, and 

 thou raisest the dead. And, hearing all these things of thee, 

 I concluded in my mind one of two things : either that thou 

 art God, and, having descended from heaven, doest these 

 things, or else, doing them, thou art the Son of God. 



" ' Therefore, now I have written and besought thee to visit 

 me, and to heal the disease with which I am afflicted. I 

 have also heard that the Jews murmur against thee, and are 

 plotting to injure thee ; I have, however, a very small but 

 noble state, which is sufficient for us both.' " 



This epistle he thus wrote, whilst yet somewhat enlightened 

 by the rays of divine truth. It is also worth the time to 

 learn tlie epistle sent to him from Jesus, by the same bearer, 

 which, though very brief, is yet full of power, written in tlie 

 following style. 



" The answer of Jesus to King Agbarus : — ' Blessed art 

 thou, Agbarus, who, without seeing, hast believed in me. 

 For it is written concerning me, that they who have seen me 

 will not believe, that they who have not seen, may believe 

 and live. But in regard to what thou hast written, that I 

 should come to thee, it is necessary that I should I'ulfil all 

 things here, for which I have been sent. And after this 

 fulfilment, thus to be received again by Him that sent Me. 

 And after I have been received up, 1 will send to thee a 

 certain one of my disciples, that he may heal thy affliction, 

 and give life to thee and to those who are Avith thee.' " 



It is difficult to conjecture what the word " Armenia " or 

 "Armenian" means, unless indeed it is a corruption from the 

 word Aramean or Aram where Edessa or Orfa is situated, as 

 they claim that city as having been their seat of learning, 

 and from where, as they allege, Christianity reached them 

 through Agbarus, the king of Mesopotamia, Avho as Eusebius 

 asserted had written to Christ to heal him from his disease. 

 They call themselves Hazasdain or Haikh, named after a son 

 of Togarmah, grandson of Japheth, who fled from the 

 tyranny of Bell of Assyria and settled in the country which 

 bears his name. The conquest of the land by Semiramis 

 and the revolt of Barvir against Sardanapalus are the 

 chief events of the early history. It is recorded that this 

 Assyrian queen had founded the city of Wan, and called it 

 after her " Schaninamjera," but after its decay it was rebuilt 

 shortly before the invasion of Alexander the Great, by an 

 Armenian king named Wan, after whom it was subsequently 



