JEWISH STUDENTS RETURN FROM ARMENIA WITH ARTIFACT
Vestnik Kavkaza
Aug 2 2012
Russia
A group of students of the Jewish University in Jerusalem has returned
from Armenia with a unique artifact, hoping that the item would reveal
reasons why the Jewish community had vanished in Armenia.
Moses of Choren said that King Tigranes gave homes to Jews in Armenia.
Some of the feodaries appointed by the Romans of the Herod Dynasty
are Tigranes IV (circa 6th century BC) and Tigranes V (6061 BC)
in Great Armenia and Aristobul in Armenia Minor. The Persian Shah
Shapur II forced migration of the population to Iran (360370).
Amatuni and Mamikonyan, Armenian kings of Bagratuni, have Jewish
origins.
Oz, Mani and Harmon may refer to Armenia.
The first Jewish expeditions to search for Jews in Armenia were
operating in 2000-2002. Professor Michael Ston and Doctor David Amit
were supervising the expedition. They found an old Jewish cemetery
in Irgis with 40 graves buried in the 12-13th centuries.
A Jewish stela was found in the Herard Monastery.
by Peter Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza.