Armenian Church commemorates Sts. Voskians

Today, on February 1, the Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates Sts. Voskians.

Sts. Voskians were five ambassadors sent by the Roman emperor to the Armenian king Sanatruk.
They came to Armenia in the middle of the 1st century, met the Apostle St. Bartholomew, and as a result of his preaching, they were baptized and converted to Christianity. One of them, Khrussi (in Armenian, his name means “Voski” (“Gold”), and hence the name “Voskians”), was ordained into the holy order of priesthood.

After the martyrdom of the Apostle St. Bartholomew, they were isolated in the mountains of Tsaghkavet in Tsaghkotn province and led an ascetic life for about 40 years. Being led by the divine message, they came to the Armenian royal court to preach Christianity to the Armenian king Artashes and the queen Satenik. In the royal court, only the relatives of Queen Satenik followed the Voskians. 12 servants of the royal court who had come with the queen Satenik to Armenia from Alans’ country were baptized in the river Euphrates and left together with the Voskians for the mountains.

Sts. Voskians are among the first martyrs and hermits of the Armenian Apostolic Church.