The inscriptions dating back to the 5th century provide evidence of Armenians traveling to the holy land in large numbers
According to Prof Michael E. Stone, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, “The number and spread of the Armenian inscriptions are surprising.
The Armenians at least as far as can be told from their graffiti writing propensities seem to have been one of the most active groups of Christian pilgrims to the Sinai.
What is striking, however, is not merely the quantity but also the age of the inscriptions.”
The oldest known Armenian inscription in Armenia dates to 490 AD in Tekor, southeast of Kars. The oldest surviving manuscript is the so-called Gospel of Queen Mlkeh, which is dated 862 AD.
However, a tombstone found under the Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, contains an Armenian inscription which must be earlier than 447 AD. the date that appears on a mosaic laid over the stone. Just a few years after St. Mesrob Mashdots created the Armenian alphabet.
Related links: by Michael E. Stone (Author) Uncovering Ancient Footprints: Armenian Inscriptions and the Pilgrimage Routes of the Sinai
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