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Nerses Bakur

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Nerses Bakur
Catholicos of Albania, Lupenia and Chola
ChurchCaucasian Albanian Church
Installed688
Term ended704
PredecessorEghiazar
SuccessorSimeon of Albania
Personal details
Died704
Damascus
DenominationChalcedonian Christianity

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.

Election

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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]

Tenure

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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]

Deposition

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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.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Dasxuranci 1961, p. 190.
  2. ^ 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)
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Destin de la Géorgie (in French). 1984. p. 239.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Dasxuranci 1961, p. 192.
  7. ^ Jost Gippert (2008–2010). The Caucasian Albanian palimpsests of Mt. Sinai. Turnhout: Brepols. pp. xix. ISBN 978-2-503-53116-8. OCLC 319126785.
  8. ^ Dasxuranci 1961, p. 193.

Sources

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