An Act of Remembrance as a Path to Salvation: Commemorations in Bodleian Armenian Manuscripts

fob event david zakarian
FRIENDS OF THE BODLEIAN
Lunchtime lecture series: Michaelmas term 2022

An Act of Remembrance as a Path to Salvation: Commemorations in Bodleian Armenian Manuscripts

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 Thursday 27 October 2022

 1–2pm

 Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre, Weston Library and online via Zoom

  Free event and open to all, booking required

Booking for this event is now closed.

About the event

Medieval manuscripts often contain inscriptions called colophons, which provide information about the circumstances of the production of the manuscript, such as the place, the people involved, and the date.

In the Armenian tradition, colophon writing developed into a separate literary genre, and one of its unique characteristics was the inclusion of a passionate plea for remembrance of certain people in one’s prayers. This act of remembrance was perceived to be a moral duty and was believed to increase the chances of salvation for both the person remembering and the person remembered.

This talk explores the commemorative element of medieval Armenian colophons by looking into several manuscripts from the Bodleian Library's collection.

 Speakers

David Zakarian is an Associate of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies in Oxford. He is the author of Women, Too, Were Blessed: The Portrayal of Women in Early Christian Armenian Texts (Brill, 2021).

Booking information

This event is available to attend in person at the Weston Library or online via Zoom. The event is free and open to all but booking is required. When you have booked your place, the ticketing system will send you an automated confirmation.

Details will be confirmed to registrants ahead of the event. If you have booked to attend online, you will receive a link to the Zoom webinar in the week before the event.

Friends of the Bodleian

This talk is supported by the Friends of the Bodleian. To enjoy closer access to the Bodleian, including exclusive events and priority access to online content, join the Friends today.

For more information email fob@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

 Location

Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre, Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG

 Wheelchair access

The Weston Library is wheelchair accessible.

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