DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43337#0435
432 I THE WALL PAINTINGS OF AKHTALA MONASTERY
Gandzaletsi, «and that they would remain unshriven and not celebrate
the feasts of the holy martyrs at the end of each day»178. The Mono-
physite leader of the Georgian-Armenian forces, Zakare, insisted that
it was essential to use mobile churches and did not want in any re-
spect to concede to the Chalcedonians among whom his brother Ivane,
the newly converted patron of Akhtala, occupied the most prominent
place. Zakare’s position met with sharp resistance from the Armenian
clergy who opposed the policy of reconciliation with the Chalcedo-
nians and upheld national customs in questions of ritual. Finding no
support in the church of Eastern Armenia, the commander turned to
the king of Cilicia and the Catholicos who replied that he «might do as
he requested; for this not only did not contradict Holy Writ but there
is also a decree of our own fathers...»179. The Catholicos Johannes even
sent Zakare a «tower with a cupola in the form of a church and also
people to erect and decorate it, a marble altar and other appurtenances
for the liturgy»180.
The issue of field churches was the reason for the convocation of
the synod of 1205 in Lori. This synod played an important role in the
13th-century Armenian ecclesiastical history, effectively strengthening
both the Chalcedonians and the activities of Zakare and Ivane Mkha-
rgrdzeli to bring the two confessions closer together181. For us it is
important that a central place among the arguments from Holy Writ
cited to prove the correctness of field churches was the story of Joshua
who defeated the pagans below the walls of Jericho after conducting
a service. The introduction of the unusual depiction of a church in
the Akhtala composition of the «Joshua before the Archangel Michael»
may be interpreted as a reference to the genuinely Chalcedonian rite of
the «field church» which became so important at the time the murals
were being painted.
ROYAL SAINTS
Below the composition «Joshua before the Archangel Michael» a dis-
tinctive series of royal saints is to be found, located in the lower tier
to the west of the south entrance. It begins on the jambs of the south
entrance where fragments of the medallion depicting Christ crowning
two full-length figures of saints at the peak of the vault. Now we may
Gandzaletsi, «and that they would remain unshriven and not celebrate
the feasts of the holy martyrs at the end of each day»178. The Mono-
physite leader of the Georgian-Armenian forces, Zakare, insisted that
it was essential to use mobile churches and did not want in any re-
spect to concede to the Chalcedonians among whom his brother Ivane,
the newly converted patron of Akhtala, occupied the most prominent
place. Zakare’s position met with sharp resistance from the Armenian
clergy who opposed the policy of reconciliation with the Chalcedo-
nians and upheld national customs in questions of ritual. Finding no
support in the church of Eastern Armenia, the commander turned to
the king of Cilicia and the Catholicos who replied that he «might do as
he requested; for this not only did not contradict Holy Writ but there
is also a decree of our own fathers...»179. The Catholicos Johannes even
sent Zakare a «tower with a cupola in the form of a church and also
people to erect and decorate it, a marble altar and other appurtenances
for the liturgy»180.
The issue of field churches was the reason for the convocation of
the synod of 1205 in Lori. This synod played an important role in the
13th-century Armenian ecclesiastical history, effectively strengthening
both the Chalcedonians and the activities of Zakare and Ivane Mkha-
rgrdzeli to bring the two confessions closer together181. For us it is
important that a central place among the arguments from Holy Writ
cited to prove the correctness of field churches was the story of Joshua
who defeated the pagans below the walls of Jericho after conducting
a service. The introduction of the unusual depiction of a church in
the Akhtala composition of the «Joshua before the Archangel Michael»
may be interpreted as a reference to the genuinely Chalcedonian rite of
the «field church» which became so important at the time the murals
were being painted.
ROYAL SAINTS
Below the composition «Joshua before the Archangel Michael» a dis-
tinctive series of royal saints is to be found, located in the lower tier
to the west of the south entrance. It begins on the jambs of the south
entrance where fragments of the medallion depicting Christ crowning
two full-length figures of saints at the peak of the vault. Now we may