Antiquities

The six-pointed star is an ancient international symbol

The six-pointed star is an ancient international symbol

Traditionally, the Star of David (Hebrew: מָגֵן דָּוִד, “Shield of David”; pronounced mogendovid in Yiddish) is an ancient symbol, an emblem in the form of a six-pointed star (hexagram), in which two equilateral triangles are superimposed on each other: the top one – apex up, the bottom one – apex down, forming a structure of …

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Tigran I Yervandid and Cyrus II Achaemenid - Defeat of the Median Kingdom

Tigran I Yervandid and Cyrus II Achaemenid – Defeat of the Median Kingdom

According to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, the Median Empire was defeated by the Armenian King Tigran in alliance and with the assistance of Cyrus II. The historical grain of this message unfolds when compared with the account of Xenophon, a Greek historian of the 5th to the early half of the 4th century BC, …

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David Anhaght, author of the world's first textbook on arithmetic problems

David Anhaght, author of the world’s first textbook on arithmetic problems

David the Invincible, also known as David Anhaght, was an Armenian scholar and mathematician active in the 5th and 6th centuries. Remarkably, he holds the distinction of creating the very first textbook of arithmetic problems known to the world. To this day, an original copy of this pioneering work is preserved at the Matenadaran, a …

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Sasun - The Heart of Ancient Armenia

Sasun – The Heart of Ancient Armenia

Sasun, along with Taron, Ayots Dzor, and Maseatsotn, can rightly be called the heart of Armenia. This province embodies not only our centuries-old history – Sasun is the birthplace of the world-famous Armenian epic “Sasna Tsrer” (“Sasun Madmen”, an alternative name – “Sasuntsi David”) – this quintessence of the ancient pre-Christian Armenian tradition and the …

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The Fall of the Artashesid Dynasty, Artashes II

The Fall of the Artashesid Dynasty, Artashes II

Armenia was surrounded by armed Romans. The invaders looted a great wealth accumulated in Armenian cities and shrines. The renowned Roman historian Pliny the Elder provides a detailed account of the pillage of the famous temple of the goddess Anahit in the settlement of Eriza, describing how avaricious Roman soldiers dismantled the golden statue of …

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