Isaac of Armenia
Armenian saint
b. 29 Sep 348 · d. 10 Jul 439
22nd Catholicos of All Armenians
Offices
Isaac or Sahak of Armenia was the catholicos of the Armenian Church from c. 387 until c. 438. He is sometimes known as Isaac the Great or Sahak the Parthian in reference to his father's Parthian origin. He was the last Armenian patriarch who was directly descended from Gregory the Illuminator, who converted the Kingdom of Armenia to Christianity in the early fourth century and became the first head of the Armenian Church. He supported Mesrop Mashtots in the creation of the Armenian alphabet and personally participated in the translation of the Bible into Armenian.
Related people
- Sandoukht Mamikonian child of · traditional
- Nerses I child of · traditional
- Aspuraces I succeeded · inferred
- Sahakanoysh parent of · traditional
- Mambre Vertsanogh teacher of · traditional
- Ghevond Erets teacher of · traditional
- Eznik of Kolb teacher of · traditional
- Brkisho of Armenia preceded · inferred
Events
Places
- Caesarea in Cappadocia birth
- Yücetepe death
How we know
Recorded as a historical figure.
- History of the Armenians 1 claim — Mesrop makes an alphabet and Isaac translates the Bible
- Oriens Christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus 1 claim — Oriens Christianus I, coll. 1375-1376 — Catholici Armeniae Majoris, no. XI