Nerses_Bakur
Nerses Bakur
Catholicos and head of Caucasian Albanian Church
Nerses Bakur (Old Armenian: Ներսես Բակուր, romanized: Nersēs Bakur) was the Catholicos and head of Caucasian Albanian Church in the late 7th and early 8th century.
Nerses Bakur | |
|---|---|
| Catholicos of Albania, Lupenia and Chola | |
| Church | Caucasian Albanian Church |
| Installed | 688 |
| Term ended | 704 |
| Predecessor | Eghiazar |
| Successor | Simeon of Albania |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 704 Damascus |
| Denomination | Chalcedonian Christianity |
Attested in The History of the Country of Albania, he was mentioned as a bishop of Gardman during the tenure of his predecessor Eghiazar. Reportedly he was elected after the influence and intervention of Queen Spram, wife of Varaz-Tiridates I.[1]
A long proponent of Chalcedonian Christianity, the clique wanted to achieve political and religious independence of Albania through alliance with Byzantine Empire.[2][3] However, he didn't proclaim it openly until 702.[1] As part of reforms, he appointed his Chalcedonian ally Zakʿaria as bishop of Greater Arran bishopric (Old Armenian: Մեծ Առանք, romanized: Mec Aṙankʿ), succeeding previous Miaphysite bishop Yovēl. He also dismissed Israel (now bishop of Greater Kolmank) and Eghiazar – bishop of Gardman, Nerses' former seat. Rival clique was led by Sheroy – regent of Albania, as well as Yovhannēs (bishop of Qabala), Sahak (bishop of Amaras).[1][4]
Nerses' reforms in church alarmed Elias I (703–717), the Armenian Catholicos to intervene and apply to Caliph Abd-al-Malik.[5] Elias accused Nerses and Spram of swearing alliance to Byzantines and plotting against the Umayyad Caliphate.[6]Nerses and Spram were caught by Sheroy exiled to Damascus where he died.[7] His books were pillaged from his summer residence in Berdakor and was thrown into Tartar river.[8]He was succeeded by Simeon who was installed by Elias. After Nerses' death, Caucasian Albanian Church became a subject of Armenian Apostolic Church.
- Dasxuranci 1961, p. 190.
- Ihor Ševčenko; G. G. Litavrin; Walter K. Hanak, eds. (1996). Acts, XVIIIth International Congress of Byzantine Studies : selected papers, main and communications : Moscow, 1991. Shepherdstown, WV. p. 151. ISBN 1-891781-00-6. OCLC 38199632.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Samuel Macauley Jackson; Lefferts A. Loetscher (1977). The new Schaff-Herzog encyclopedia of religious knowledge. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House. p. 293. ISBN 0801079470. OCLC 755062834.
- Destin de la Géorgie (in French). 1984. p. 239.
- Stopka, Krzysztof (16 December 2016). Armenia Christiana: Armenian Religious Identity and the Churches of Constantinople and Rome (4th–15th Century). Wydawnictwo UJ. p. 88. ISBN 978-83-233-9555-3.
- Dasxuranci 1961, p. 192.
- Jost Gippert (2008–2010). The Caucasian Albanian palimpsests of Mt. Sinai. Turnhout: Brepols. pp. xix. ISBN 978-2-503-53116-8. OCLC 319126785.
- Dasxuranci 1961, p. 193.
- Dasxuranci, Movses (1961). The History of the Caucasian Albanians. Translated by Dowsett, Charles. London: Oxford University Press.