Book Series Eastern Christian Cultures in Contact, vol. 1

The Cheirograph of Adam in Armenian and Romanian Traditions

New Texts and Images

Michael E. Stone, Emanuela Timotin

  • Pages: 187 p.
  • Size:178 x 254 mm
  • Illustrations:1 b/w, 25 col., 2 tables b/w., 1 maps color
  • Language(s):English
  • Publication Year:2023


Buy print version
  • € 90,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
  • ISBN: 978-2-503-59997-7
  • Hardback
  • Available

Buy e-version
  • € 90,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
  • ISBN: 978-2-503-60104-5
  • E-book
  • Available


This book discusses new textual and iconographic evidence about the Legend of the Cheirograph of Adam, an apocryphal story dealing with the contract that Adam is said to have concluded with Satan after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Subject(s)
BIO

Michael E. Stone FAHA, PhD., DLitt is Professor Emeritus of Armenian Studies and Comparative Religion in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research is focused on Jewish Writings of the Second Temple period, and Armenian Studies.

Emanuela Timotin, dr. hab., is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Linguistics ‘Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti’ of the Romanian Academy (Bucharest). Her research areas are Romanian philology, charms and apocrypha.

Summary

This book explores the legend of Adam’s Contract with Satan that was made after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden.This legend was current in the Eastern Orthodox churches of SE Europe as well as in the Caucasus. Unknown forms of the legend have been found in two traditions, the Romanian and the Armenian, and are investigated here. Notably this legend has found its way into folk stories and sometimes into folk music, showing how widely it was accepted and distributed. This legend also inspired images in both traditions. In Romania the most striking illustrations are to be found in Bukovina province, in frescos on the famous painted churches of that region, as well as in manuscripts. In Armenia features of this story are incorporated into the iconography of the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Series' preface
Preface
Abbreviations and Critical Signs

Introduction

Part 1: New Armenian Evidence for the Cheirograph Legend
Armenian Folk Tales
A Literary Text
A Proposed New Piece of Armenian Iconographic Evidence
New Armenian Evidence from Literary Texts

Part 2: New Romanian Evidence for the Cheirograph Legend
The Legend of the Cheirograph in the Romanian Literary Tradition
Iconography
Between Literary and Iconographic Tradition

Epilogue

Bibliography
Index of Ancient and Medieval Sources
Subject Index