Abgar

The word Abgar is the name of the rulers of the Kingdom of Osren, with its capital in Edessa, which was founded in 137 BC and was destroyed at Caracalla in 216 AD. Among all the rulers, the 15th was the most famous, with the nickname of Ukkama, that is, the "black" who reigned from 13 to 50 years. AD According to Tacitus, he took an active part in the unfolding in the 49-50's the struggle for the throne of Parthia, supporting King Gotarses against the Roman protege Meherdat. Procopius of Caesarea also cites the legend of Abgar Uqama's long stay at the court of Emperor Augustus in Rome and talks about the cunning he resorted to to return to his homeland. His name became famous in the 4th century, when Eusebius of Caesarea in the Edessa Archives found a Syrian document, indicating his correspondence with Jesus Christ. This story with various additions appears in the Syrian manuscript "Doctrina Addaei", printed by archaeologist Georg Philipp in London in 1876, and in various Greek alterations. It is Abgar Uqqama who considers the tradition to be the first Christian ruler of Osren, thus bringing the appearance of Christianity in the Mesopotamian region to apostolic times.

Several ancient Christian apocryphal legends are associated with his name, of which the "Abgar's correspondence with Jesus Christ" mentioned above, the original original of which has not survived. According to Eusebius, Abgar, afflicted with a grave illness, asks for Christ's help, recognizing him as God or the Son of God, offering him his residence for the Word of God. For this, Abgar sent his archivarian Hannan to Christ with a letter in which he asked Christ to come to Edessa and heal him. Hannan was an artist, and Abgar entrusted him, if the Savior could not come, write His image and bring it to him. Hannan found Christ surrounded by a thick crowd; he stood on a rock, from which he was more visible, and tried to portray the Savior. Seeing that Hannan wants to make His portrait, Christ demanded water, washed, wiped his face with a handkerchief, and on this board His image was imprinted. The Savior handed this handkerchief to Hannan with a command to carry with a return letter to the one who sent him. Abgar attached the image of the Savior to the blackboard and placed it in a niche above the city gates, removing the idol there from there. Jesus Christ, rejecting the offer of Abgar, explains to the ruler that His divine mission connects Him with Jerusalem, but promises after His Resurrection to send to him one of the disciples who will heal him. After the resurrection of Christ, Eusebius continues, the apostle Thomas sent Edessa Fadeia, one of the 70 disciples, who brought healing to King Abgar and spread Christianity there.

This story is in close connection with the premise of the Savior of his miraculous image in Edessa. From this image, many copies, named abgar images, were written off from the 4th century. The holy image was glorified by great miracles, and many Christians from remote countries began to travel to Edessa to worship this shrine. Even now they can be found in Christian churches as icons of the Savior, and Abgar became not only a part of history, but also Christian Tradition.

Subsequently Abgar wrote several letters to his cousin, the Armenian king Sanatruk and other kings, telling about his healing and urging them to accept Christianity. He died three years after his conversion and baptism.

In December, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates St. Abgar, the first king to believe in Jesus Christ.