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An Ancient Armenian Lectionary (Conybeare)

This Armenian lectionary is one reconstructed by Conybeare from lectionary manuscripts and 
from a commentary on the lectionary by (as Conybeare supposed) Gregory Asharuni.  The 
information from the commentary is included below in italic font.  The base manuscript of the 
lectionary used by Conybeare dates to the ninth century, and the commentary manuscript to 
the ????th century.  For more information on the Armenian lectionary, see the more complete 
presentation of the Armenian Lectionary of Renoux.

Source:
Conybeare, Frederick Cornwallis.  Rituale Armenorum.  
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905:  507-527

 

Date, Festival Name, Time, Place and other comments

Old Testament Readings

New Testament Readings (sometimes including Psalms)

THEOPHANY

 

 

5 January: vigil of Epiphany

 

 

ninth hour, in Shepherd's Hut:

 

Ps 23 (resp .1); 
Alleluiah, Ps 80; 
Luke 2.8-20; 
<? Mt 1.18-25>

[night vigil:]

Gen 1.1-3.20; 
Isa 7.10-18; 
Ex 14.24-15.22; 
Mic 5.2-8; 
Pr 1.1-9; 
Isa 9.5-7; 
Isa 11.1-9; 
Isa 35.4-8; 
Isa 40.10-17; 
Isa 42.1-7; 
Dn 3.1-90;

 

6 January: Epiphany

 

Tt 2.11-15; 
Alleluiah Ps 110; 
Mt 2.1-12; 
Mt 1.18-25

7 January: in Shrine of Stephen

 

Ps 110; 
Ac 6.8-8.2; 
Jn 12.24-46.

8 January: in Martyrion

 

Ps 110 (resp .3), 
Before the day star I begat thee;
Heb 1.1-14; 
Ps 110; 
Mt 2.13-23.

9 January: Church of Holy Sion

 

Ps 110; 
Gal 4.1-7; 
Ps 132; 
Lk 1.26-38.

10 January: Mount of Olives

 

Ps 99; 
Heb 12.18-27; 
Ps 15; 
Lk 1.39-56.

11 January: Shrine of Lazarus, celebrating his raising

 

Ps 30; 
1Th 4.12-14; 
Ps 40; 
Jn 11.1-46.

12 January: in Golgotha

 

Ps 98; 
Col 2.1-15; 
Alleluiah Ps 84; 
Lk 2.21

Here ends the canon of the holy Epiphany.

By all the martyrs is this canon performed.

[Bd: In all commemorations of the holy martyrs this canon is performed.]

 

 

 

 

 

January 11: Commemoration of Peter and Abisolom.

 

Ps 116 (resp .15); 
Rom 8.28-39; 
Alleluiah Ps 116; 
Mt 10.16-22.

January 17: Commemoration of Anthony the hermit. Anastasis:

 

Ps 116 (resp .15); 
Heb 11.32-40; 
Alleluiah Ps 116; 
Mt 10.37-42.

January 19: Day of Theodosius the King. Anastasis:

 

Ps 132; 
1Tim 2.1-7; 
Alleluiah Ps 21.1; 
Lk 7.1-10

 

 

 

GREAT LENT

 

 

February 15 is the Quadragesima of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Martyrion:

 

Ps 98 
resp: All the ends…; 
Gal 3.24-29; 
Alleluiah Ps 96.2; 
Lk 2.22-40

March 9 is the commemoration of the 40 saints.

(same canon as other saints & then the acts of their martyrdom.)

 

 

March 12: Commemoration of Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem

 

Ps 116 
resp: Precious is the sight of the Lord; 
2Tim 4.1-8; 
Prayer Ps 116; 
Jn 10.11-16

March 29: John, bishop of Jerusalem. same as for Cyril

 

 

For the holy quadragesima:

first lection: Isa 1.16-20
second: Ezk 18.20-23
third: Rom 6.3-14
fourth: Col 2.8 ff
fifth: Heb 11.1-31
sixth: Isa 45.17-26
seventh: Eph 3.14-4.13
eighth: Jer 32.19-44
ninth: Job 38.2-39.35
tenth: 1Cor 8.5-9.23
eleventh: Heb 1.1-12
twelfth: Isa 7.11-8.10
thirteenth: Isa 53.1-54.5
fourteenth: 1Cor 12.8-27
fifteenth: Dan 7.13-27
sixteenth: 1Cor 12.1-7
seventeenth: 1Cor 12.8-27
eighteenth: Ezk 37.1-14
nineteenth: 1Tim 3.14-16
Here ends the canon of them that are going to be baptized.

 

First week of Lent:

 

 

Wednesday, Tenth hour, at Holy Sion:

Ex 1.1-2.10; 
Joel 1.14-20;
Ps 51 (resp .5) 

 

Friday, Tenth hour, at Holy Sion:

Dt 6.4-7.10; 
Job 6.2-7.13; 
Isa 40.1-8;
Ps 41 (resp .4)

 

 

 

 

Second week of Lent:

 

 

Monday, Tenth hour, Anastasis

1Sam 1.1-23; 
Hos 1.2-33; 
Jer 1.1-10; 
Ps 130 (resp .2)

 

Tuesday, Tenth hour, Anastasis

1Sam 1.23-2.26; 
Prov 2.1-3.10; 
Jer 1.11-2.3; 
Ps 27 (resp. 7)

 

Wednesday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Ex 2.11-22; 
Joel 2.1-11; 
Mic 4.1-7; 
Ps 57(resp .1)

 

Thursday, Tenth hour, Anastasis

1Sam 3.21-4.18(LXX); 
Pr 3.11-4.13; 
Jer 2.31-3.16; 
Ps 39 (resp .12)

 

Friday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Dt 7.11-8.1; 
Job 9.2-10.2; 
Isa 40.9-17; 
Ps 65 (resp .5)

 

 

 

 

Third week of Lent:

 

 

Wednesday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Ex 2.13-3.15; 
Joel 2.21-32; 
Ps 31 (resp .1)

 

Friday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Dt 8.11-9.10; 
Job 12.1-13.6; 
Isa 42.1-6; 
Ps 75 (resp .11)

 

 

 

 

Fourth week of Lent

 

 

Wednesday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Ex 3.16-22; 
Joel 3.1-8; 
Ps 77 (resp .1)

 

Friday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Dt 9.11-24; 
Job 16.2-17.16; 
Isa 43.22-44.8; 
Ps 83 (resp .18)

 

 

 

 

Fifth week of Lent

 

 

Wednesday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Ex 4.1-21; 
Joel 3.9-22; 
Ps 84 (resp .4)

 

Friday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Dt 10.1-15; 
Job 19.2-29; 
Isa 45.1-13; 
Ps 85 (resp .7)

 

 

 

 

Sixth week of Lent

 

 

Wednesday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Ex 4.21-5.3; 
Zech 9.9-16; 
Ps 86 (resp .15)

 

Friday, Tenth hour, Holy Sion

Dt 11.10-25; 
Job 21.1-34; 
Isa 46.3-47.4; 
Ps 88 (resp .2)

 

 

 

 

Saturday before Holy Week, Shrine of Lazarus

 

Ps 30 (resp .3); 
1Th 4.12-17; 
Alleluiah Ps 40; 
Jn 11.55-12.11

 

 

 

GREAT WEEK

 

 

Palm Sunday, Martyrion

 

 

Dawn?:

 

 Ps 98 (resp .8); 
Eph 1.3-10; 
Alleluiah Ps 99; 
Mt 21.1-11

Ninth hour, procession to Mt of Olives with palm branches; praying and singing there until tenth hour,when they descend to the Anastasis,

 chanting Ps 118 (resp .26)

 

Monday, Martyrion

Gen 1.1-3.20; 
Pr 1.1-9; 
Isa 40.1-8; 
Ps 65 (resp .5)

 

Tuesday, Tenth hour, Mt of Olives

Gen 6.9-9.17
Pr 9.1-11; 
Isa 40.9-17; 
Ps 25 (resp .1)

Mt 24.3-26.3

Wednesday, Tenth hour, Martyrion

Gn 18.1-19.30; 
Pr 1.10-19

Zech 11.11-14; 
Ps 41 (resp .4)

 

After the psalm, in Anastasis:

 

Mt 26.14-16

Thursday, Seventh hour, Martyrion

Gen 22.1-18
Isa 61.1-6

Ac 1.15-26
Ps 55 
resp .22 "Their words"

Then the catechumens are dismissed.

 

 

 

 

 

Then

 

Ps 23 (resp .5); 
1Cor 11.23.-.32; 
Mt 26.20-39

Sacrifice offered in Martyrion, before the Cross

 

 

Then: Proceed to Holy Sion

 

Ps 23 (resp .5); 
1Cor 11.23-32; 
Mk 14.12-26

Then: Proceed to Mt of Olives for evening service and vigil:

Ps 2 (resp .2)
Ps 41 (resp .5); 
Ps 59 (resp .1); 
Ps 88 
resp .5 "They are cut off from thy hand"; 
Ps 109
resp .2 "They spake of me, and with deceitful tongue"

Jn 13.31-18.1

 

 

 

Same evening: ascend the hillock (Mt Sion? Mt Olivet?)

 

Ps 109 (resp .4); 
Lk 22.39-46

Then assemble in the Room of the Disciples:

 

Mk 14.33-42

Then to Gethsemane, in the Mt of Olives:

 

Mt 26.36-56

Then to Golgotha,

singing Ps 118 (resp .1);

there: Mt 26.57-27.2

Then to Palace of the Judge:

 

Jn 18.28-19.16

Then to Golgotha,

singing psalms;

there: Lk 23.24-31

Friday

 

 

Dawn: adoration of True Cross before Golgotha

 

 

Sixth hour: assemble in Golgotha: 8 psalms and 5 gospel lections [sic]:

 

 

 

Ps 35 (resp .11)

 

 

Zech 11.11-14

Gal 6.14-18

 

Ps 38 (resp .17)

 

 

Isa 3.9-15

Php 2.5-11

 

Ps 41 (resp .6)

 

 

Isa 50.4-9

Rom 5.6-11

 

Alleluiah Ps 22 (resp .18)

 

 

Amos 8.9-12

1Cor 1.18-31

 

Ps 31 (resp .5)

 

 

Isa 52.13-53.12

Heb 2.11-18; 
Mt 27.3-53

 

Ps 69 (resp .22);

 

 

Isa 63.1-3

Heb 9.11-28
Mk 15.16-41

 

Ps 88 (resp .4)

 

 

Jer 11.18-21

Heb 10.19-31
Lk 23.32-49

 

Ps 102 (resp .1)

 

 

Zech 14.6-11

1Tim 6.13-16; 
Jn 19.25-37

They enter the church at the tenth hour

 

 

Saturday, dawn, Anastasis

 

 

Light torch in Anastasis:

Ps 113 (resp .2)

 

Bishop then lights three candles, then all others do.

 

 

Then to the Martyrion, with these as the vigil readings:

 Ps 188 (resp .24)
Gen 1.1-3.24
Gen 22.1-18
Ex 12.1-24
Jon 1.1-4.11
Ex 14.24-15.21
Isa 60.1-13 
resp "Behold there is come the king of glory of light, illumining all creatures"
Job 38.1-28
4Ki/2Ki 2.1-22
Jer 31.31-34
Jos 1.1-9
Ezk 37.1-14
Dan 3.1-90