1. Catalogue Of Canonical Books In The Armenian Bible

The growth of the Armenian canon is quite complex. This is because the evidence available is far from complete and there is a no clear and consistent conception of canonicity. It is quite evident when one goes through various canons and recensions of the Armenian Bible.

The list below represents various canons and recensions of the Armenian Bible. The canons are of Anania Shirakatsi from 7th century CE, Mechitar of Ayrivank` (or Mkhitar Ayrevanetsi) from 13th century CE and Gregory Tat`ew (or Grigor Tat`evatsi) from 14th century CE. The recensions are of Erznka (1269 CE), Cilicia (1319 CE) and Baberdatsi, Lvov (1619 CE).

This list, by no means, is a complete collection of various canons and recensions. There are others which we will add on a later date.

P Present

.Not present or not listed

OLD TESTAMENT

Name of the Book / Canon or Recension	Canons	Recensions
	Anania Shirakatsi (7th century CE)	Mechitar of Ayrivank` (13th century CE)	Gregory Tat`ew (14th century CE)	Erznka (1269 CE)	Cilicia (1319 CE)	Baberdatsi, Lvov (1619 CE)
Pentateuch	P	P	P	P	P	P
Joshua	P	P	P	P	P	P
Judges	P	P	P	P	P	P
Ruth	P	P	P	P	P	P
Samuel	P	P	P	P	P	P
Kings	P	P	P	P	P	P
Chronicles	P	P	P	P	P	P
Ezra (1 Ezra)	P	P	P	P	P	P
Nehemiah (2 Ezra)	P	P	P	P	P	P
Tobit	P	P	P	P	P	P
Judith	P	P	P	P	P	P
Esther	P	P	P	P	P	P
Job	P	P	P	P	P	P
Psalms	P	P	P	P	P	P
Proverbs	P	P	P	P	P	P
Qohelet	P	P	P	P	P	P
Song of Songs	P	P	P	P	P	P
Wisdom of Solomon	P	.	P	P	P	P
Sirach	P	P	P	P	P	P
Isaiah	P	P	P	P	P	P
Jeremiah	P	P	P	P	P	P
Lamentations	P	P	P	P	P	P
Baruch	P	P	P	P	P	P
Letter of Jeremiah	P	P	P	.	P	.
Ezekiel	P	P	P	P	P	P
Daniel	P	P	P	P	P	P
Minor Prophets	P	P	P	P	P	P
1 Maccabees	P	P	P	.	P	P
2 Maccabees	P	P	P	.	P	P
3 Maccabees	P	P	P	.	P	P
4 Maccabees	P	.	.	.	.	.
Prayer of Manasseh	.	.	.	.	.	.
3 Ezra	.	P	P	.	.	.
4 Ezra	.	.	P	.	.	.
Psalms 151	.	.	.	.	.	.
Testament of 12 Patriarchs	.	P	P	P	P	P
Prayer of Asenath	.	P	.	.	.	.
Death of the Prophets	.	P	.	.	.	.
Jubilees	.	.	.	.	.	.
Enoch	.	.	.	.	.	.
Letters of Baruch	.	.	.	.	.	.

NEW TESTAMENT

Name of the Book / Canon or Recension	Canons	Recensions
	Anania Shirakatsi (7th century CE)	Mechitar of Ayrivank` (13th century CE)	Gregory Tat`ew (14th century CE)	Erznka (1269 CE)	Cilicia (1319 CE)	Baberdatsi, Lvov (1619 CE)
Gospel of Mark	P	P	P	P	P	P
Gospel of Mark (add.)	P	P	P	P	P	P
Gospel of Matthew	P	P	P	P	P	P
Gospel of Luke	P	P	P	P	P	P
Gospel of John	P	P	P	P	P	P
Gospel of John (add.)	P	P	P	P	P	P
Acts	P	P	P	P	P	P
10 Letters of Paul	P	P	P	P	P	P
Pastoral Epistles	P	P	P	P	P	P
Hebrews	P	P	P	P	P	P
III Corinthians	.	P	P	.	P	P
Epistle of Corinthians	.	P	.	.	P	P
James	P	P	P	P	P	P
I Peter	P	P	P	P	P	P
II Peter	P	P	P	P	P	P
I John	P	P	P	P	P	P
2 John	P	P	P	P	P	P
3 John	P	P	P	P	P	P
Jude	P	P	P	P	P	P
Revelation	P	P	P	P	P	P
Plea of Euthalius	.	P	.	P	P	P
Repose of St. John	.	P	.	.	.	P
Taddeus	.	.	P	.	.	.
Reading from James	.	.	P	.	.	.
2nd Apostolic Canons	.	.	P	.	.	.
Words of Justus	.	.	P	.	.	.
Dionysius Aeropagite	.	.	P	.	.	.
Preaching of St. Peter	.	.	P	.	.	.
Poem by Ghazar	.	.	P	.	.	P

A more exhaustive list of canons of various Christian churches is available in the article The Canons Of The Old Testament & The New Testament Through The Ages.

Further Reading

 Armenian Canon Lists IV – The List Of Gregory Of Tat^cew (14th Century), Michael E. Stone, Harvard Theological Review, 1979, Volume 72, No. 3-4, pp. 237-244.

 The Biblical Canon Of The Ethiopic Orthodox Church Today, R. W. Cowley, Ostkirchliche Studien, 1974, Volume 23, pp. 318-323.

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References

[1] V. Nersessian, The Bible In The Armenian Tradition, 2001, The British Library: London, pp. 81-88.

[2] M. E. Stone, “Armenian Canon Lists II – The Stichometry Of Anania Of Shirak”, Harvard Theological Review, 1975, Volume 68, No. 3-4, pp. 253-260; idem., “Armenian Canon Lists III – The Lists Of Mechitar Of Ayrivank^c (c. 1285 Century)”, Harvard Theological Review, 1976, Volume 69, No. 3-4, pp. 289-300; idem., “Armenian Canon Lists IV – The List Of Gregory Of Tat^cew (14th Century)“, Harvard Theological Review, 1979, Volume 72, No. 3-4, pp. 237-244.

[3] H. P. Rüger, “The Extent Of The Old Testament Canon”, in S. Meurer (Ed.) Translated by P. Ellingworth, The Apocrypha In Ecumenical Perspective: The Place Of The Late Writings Of The Old Testament Among The Biblical Writings And Their Significance In The Eastern And Western Churches, 1991, UBS Monograph Series No. 6, United Bible Societies: New York, pp. 150-160.