Page 27 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

28 The Armenian Church

tian faith when, at the border of Armenia, he
refused to render thanks to the pagan gods.
Drtad failed to convince Gregory to join in
the ritual. When he was told that Gregory
was the son of his father's assassin, he
ordered him thrown into a dark dungeon
known as Khor Virab (Xor Virap), meaning
deep pit, which was destined for criminals
condemned to death. According to tradition,
Gregory remained in the pit for about
thirteen years, during which time a woman,
following the command of an angel in a
dream, threw a loaf of bread into the pit
every day. The church of Khor Virab at the
foot of Mount Ararat, where biblical tra-
dition holds that Noah's ark came to rest
after the floods, is one of Armenian Church's
sacred sites.
King Drtad III (298-330), after taking firm
control of his kingdom, issued a royal edict
urging the followers of Christ to give up
the Christian faith and adhere to pagan
polytheism. At this time, a group of pious
Christian women, running from Roman re-
ligious persecution and led by Gayane, ar-
rived in Armenia. One of them, Hripsime,
was known for her great beauty. Drtad
desired her to be his wife, and when she
refused, all members of the group were tor-
tured and martyred. According to legend,
after their martyrdom, Drtad took on the
behavior of a boar. In a dream, Khosrovi-