This publication explores Archimandrite Nikodim (Rotov)’s service in the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem from 1956 to 1959, as a hieromonk, abbot, and archimandrite, as well as as a member of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, deputy head, and head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. It presents a comprehensive study of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission’s activities in Jerusalem in the context of its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate, the fulfillment of its mandates, and close cooperation with the USSR Embassy in Israel. During this period, relations were actively maintained and developed with the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Israeli government institutions, and, to some extent, with the Jordanian authorities, representatives of Christian churches in Israel, government officials represented by the Israeli Ministry of Religions, and others. During this period, the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem faced a number of challenges to its existence, including a severe staff shortage at the Gorny Monastery, delays in recruiting new Mission staff due to delays in issuing entry visas, and military actions in Palestine. The Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem faced the requisition of its property in Haifa and Ein Karem, resulting in a reduction in the Mission’s land holdings. These events occurred during the first decade of Israel’s existence — at that time, a new state in the Middle East, which was actively struggling to preserve its future. The second part of the publication consists of full-text documents, a unique source from the State Archives of the Russian Federation, on the relationship between the REM in Jerusalem and the Moscow Patriarchate. This official correspondence consists of 28 documents prepared by Archimandrite Nikodim (Rotov) in the form of reports, dispatches, and telegrams, sent to Moscow to inform the hierarchy about life at the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, as well as the activities of the Jerusalem Patriarchate and its hierarchs. A key feature of the documents is their official nature and the wide range of topics they cover. For example, they extensively cover the Mission’s economic, representative, and liturgical activities, as well as internal affairs. Issues of economic and financial activities are covered to a lesser extent.

Keywords: Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Moscow Patriarchate, Russian Orthodox Church, Jerusalem Patriarchate, Jerusalem, Holy Land, Israel, Jordan.

For citation
Palamarenko E.V. Correspondence of Archimandrite Nikodim (Rotov) during his service at the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem in 1956–1959. Christianity in the Middle East, 2026, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 5–67. https://doi.org/10.65324/cme019

This article is dedicated to the publication of materials from the archive of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos concerning the life of Archimandrite Lazarus (Moore). Fr. Lazarus was an Orthodox Englishman and the first clergyman of the Church of England to be received into the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Because of the uniqueness of this case for the Russian emigration, and because the controversial issue of the validity of the Anglican priesthood had not yet been unequivocally resolved among the Orthodox Churches, the question of his conversion to Orthodoxy was specifically discussed by the Council of Bishops in the fall of 1935. Prior to the sessions of the Council, Archbishop Anastasius (Gribanovsky), who had taken the Englishman under his patronage and was preparing for the Council a report on his acceptance, organized trips to Yugoslavia and Mount Athos for the then priest Edgar Moore. As a consequence of his stay on the Holy Mountain, a number of documents were found in the archives of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery, as well as the Englishman’s contacts with several members of the monastery, in particular, with the future Archbishop of Brussels and Belgium, Basil (Krivoshein). He maintained these contacts until the late 1930s, when the outbreak of World War II made further interaction impossible. The published archival material is historically valuable, as it contains much information about Father Lazar’s preparation for conversion to Orthodoxy, about his trip to Mount Athos and then back to Yugoslavia, about his life in Palestine, where he served in the Church of Mary Magdalene in Gethsemane at the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.

Keywords: archimandrite Lazarus (Moore), Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Church of England, Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, Archbishop Basil (Krivoshein), Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

For citation
Tihonov A.A. Materials for the Biography of Archimandrite Lazarus (Moore) from the Archive of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos. Christianity in the Middle East, 2026, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 68–88. https://doi.org/10.65324/cme020

This research paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the historical evolution, institutional status, and survival strategies of the Caucasian Albanian Church from the 8th century to the mid-13th century. The chronological framework encompasses a pivotal stage in the region’s transition from Late Antiquity to the High Middle Ages, a period defined by a radical shift in civilizational paradigms and political dominance. The author focuses on the adaptation of Albanian ecclesiastical institutions to the environment of foreign religious rule that emerged following the Arab expansion, the establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate, and the subsequent rise of the Turkic emirates and the Great Seljuk Sultanate. The study provides a detailed examination of the legal and political status of the Albanian Catholicosate. Following the decline of the secular power of the Mihranid dynasty, the Church transformed into an autonomous ethno-confessional corporation with the recognized status of dhimmi. Particular attention is paid to the legal and economic foundations of the Church: the author argues that the preservation of monastic latifundia and judicial prerogatives was made possible through the skillful integration of canon law norms into the broader Islamic legal framework. The article reconstructs the administrative geography of the Catholicosate, characterized by a gradual shift of its center of gravity from Islamized lowland centers, such as Barda and Ganja, to the inaccessible highland redoubts of Khachen and Artsakh. This «spatial migration» is viewed as a deliberate strategy for preserving sovereignty and ethno-cultural identity. Special emphasis is placed on the «Golden Age» of the Principality of Khachen under Hasan-Jalal Dawla, a period when the Caucasian Albanian Church reached the apogee of its internal consolidation. The author explores the role of the See of Gandzasar as the supreme judicial and sacred arbiter of the region, capable of acting as a legitimate legal subject in dialogue with the Mongol Ilkhans. The final part of the work examines the intellectual landscape and manuscript culture of the Catholicosate as a repository of historical memory. The study concludes that the institutional resilience of the Church, based on the symbiosis of canon law, monastic economy, and dynastic legitimacy, allowed it to preserve the Albanian cultural code through five centuries of foreign rule, transforming Khachen into the final bastion of ancient Albanian civilization.

Keywords: Caucasian Albania, Caucasian Albanian Church, Albanian Catholicosate, Christianity in the East, history of Azerbaijan, Abbasid Caliphate, Seljukids, Eldiguzids, Shirvanshahs, Arran.

For citation
Nikonorov A.V. Institutional Evolution and Survival Strategies of the Caucasian Albanian Church under the Abbasid Caliphate, the Great Seljuks, and the Ildeguzid Atabegs in the 8th–13th centuries. Christianity in the Middle East, 2026, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 89–131. https://doi.org/10.65324/cme021

From the beginning of the sixteenth century a major portion of Transcaucasia passed under the rule of Safavid Empire and on the whole (without short intervals of Ottoman occupation) stayed under the control of Safavid shāhs till the fall of their state in 1722. The long Safavid predominance in a greater part of Transcaucasia was possible not only owing to the military strength of that state, but also to its far-sighted governance applied in the regions, which considered their social-political and ethno-confessional peculiarities. Eastern Georgia governed by the vālīs, the Islamized rulers from Bagratuni royal dynasty, although influenced considerably by Persian administrative governance, had practical independency. In the other regions of Transcaucasia included the bīglarbīgīs of Chukhūr-i Sa‘ad, Ganja-Karābāgh and Shīrvān, having a significant amount of local indigenous Christian population, Safavid government was applied more profoundly. Safavid shāhs with the purpose to strengthen the borders of their state appointed Muslim governors (bīglarbīgs), often from the leaders of Qizilbāsh tribes, encouraged the settlement of these tribes there by granting land possessions and other privileges in the mentioned regions. Safavids also tried to have social elements among local Christians who would be faithful to them and support them in case of need. Such elements were the rural rich landlords and merchants, involved partially in the local administration, and having their possessions and rights confirmed with shāhs’ orders. Consequently, supporting the Safavids became essential also for the protection of their own interests: their social — economic status and activities. However, Christian religion was not very convenient for some posts especially in the second half of the 17th century, when the role of Shiite clergymen in the Safavid State increased. Tolerance practiced as regards the Christian religion of some officials sometimes was substituted with pressure to adopt Islam and they were converted.

Keywords: Safavids, Transcaucasia, local government, Qizilbash tribes, Armenia, Georgia, Christians, Christianity.

The research was supported by the Higher Education and Science Committee of Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia (Research project “International Trade and the South Caucasus at the Civilizational Crossroads of East and West in the 9th–19th Centuries” № 24WS-6A027).

For citation
Kostikyan K.P., Melikyan L.K. On Some Peculiarities of the Ethno-Religious Composition of Safavid Administration in the Regions of Transcaucasia. Christianity in the Middle East, 2026, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 132–149. https://doi.org/10.65324/cme022

Medieval Armenian manuscripts provide a distinctive source for studying the literary schools of Narek and Cilicia from the 10th to the 13th centuries. They allow the identification of familial relationships within each school and the exploration of creative connections between them. This article examines prosopographical approaches in medieval Armenia from these perspectives. The School of Narek (10th-11th centuries) is represented by prominent figures such as Khosrov of Andzewatsʻikʻ, Anania of Narek, and St. Gregory of Narek. The subsequent development of literary traditions in a new context is exemplified by the School of Cilicia (12th-13th centuries), whose notable representatives include Nersēs Shnorhali, Grigor Tgha, and Nersēs of Lambron. In the School of Narek, Khosrov of Andzewatsʻikʻ is recognized as the progenitor of Gregory of Narek, while Anania of Narek, abbot of the Narek Monastery, was Gregory’s maternal uncle. In the Cilician school, Nersēs Shnorhali was the uncle of Grigor Tgha and the cousin of Nersēs of Lambron. The literary works of the Cilician school’s leading figures exhibit profound connections with the legacy of the Narek School. Special attention is given to the reception of St. Gregory’s heritage in the Cilician school, including elements of Neoplatonic ethics and Eastern Christian mysticism. The results of this study help clarify the nature of cultural and intellectual continuity between these two schools and their representatives.

Keywords: Medieval Armenian manuscripts, Prosopography, School of Narek, School of Cilicia, Literary schools, Eastern Christian mysticism, Armenia, Gregory of Narek.

For citation
Apresyan A.G. Prosopography of Medieval Armenian Christian Manuscripts in Mediterranean Armenia. Christianity in the Middle East, 2026, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 150–160. https://doi.org/10.65324/cme023

This study aims to reconstruct the historical narrative from the perspective of the Assyrian minority inhabiting a small region of southeastern Turkey. Moving beyond the central-state paradigm, the authors approach the Assyrian community as an autonomous historical entity whose experiences provide a valuable basis for interpreting the past. The case of the Assyrians provides an important point of reference for reassessing selected historical events, not only in terms of their development but also in the context of the political, social, and cultural mechanisms that shaped them. This approach illuminates the significance of these events from the perspective of a community whose historical experience has long been marginalized in mainstream historiography. The article focuses on one of the most prominent figures associated with the historic city of Āzakh, located in present-day southeastern Turkey. Inhabited by Assyrians from ancient times until World War I, the settlement retained its ancient name, spelled Āzekhu, Āzekh, and Āzakh, for over two and a half thousand years. Only in the 1920s was this name officially replaced by the Turkish name İdil. Simultaneously, the study traces the fate of the Āzakh people over the past two centuries, analyzing the historical processes that led to their almost complete displacement from their ancestral homeland. The city’s former inhabitants dispersed across numerous countries and continents. In addition to the Syrian city of Dērīk, whose ancient name was recently Arabicized as al-Mālikiyya, significant Āzakh communities have emerged in Europe, North America, and Australia. In Sweden, one of the main centers of this diaspora is the city of Norrköping. Throughout its long history, Āzakh has remained an important center of Christianity, a faith professed by its inhabitants since the earliest centuries of the Christian era. The city has produced numerous clergy and individuals who have played significant roles in religious, cultural, and social life. To this day, Āzakh remains associated with clergy, writers, poets, artists, and social activists. Among those of Āzakh descent is Bishop Yūḥānon Laḥdō, the youngest of the Assyrian bishops, currently serving in Sweden and residing in Södertälje. A strong attachment to their ancestral homeland continues to be a central element of identity for descendants of the former Āzakh inhabitants. Mentions of the Āzakh often evoke a sense of collective memory rooted in a centuries-long commitment to Christianity and in ongoing efforts to preserve religious faith, cultural heritage, and communal cohesion in the face of recurring adversity.

Keywords: Assyrians, Türkiye, Ottoman Empire, Christianity, Middle East, Assyriology, Stephen of Azakh, Eastern Christianity.

For citation
Abdalla M. Stephan of Āzakh (1770–1834): A Life Journey and Achievements, and What Befell Āzakh in the Two Centuries After His Death. Christianity in the Middle East, 2026, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 161–185. https://doi.org/10.65324/cme024