[22] Sayce, Journal of Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. XIV, p. 393. [23] Chamich, “History of Armenia,” p. 22. [24] Brockhous, “Lexico II,” p. 60. [25] Sayce, “Cuneiform Inscriptions of Van,” Journal R.A.S., Vol. XIV, p. 392. [26] Rogers, “History of Babylonia and Assyria,” Vol. I, pp. 455-6 [27] Hincks, Journal Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. IX, p. 422. [28] Hastings’ “Dictionary of the Bible,” under the article _Ararat_. [29] From Sarduris, by dropping _d_ and by the exchange of _B_ for _S_, we have Baruris or Baruros, vice versa. [30] See II Kings, 24:11-16. This is the first captivity, about 597 B.C. [31] This friendship between Cyrus and Tigranes furnished Xenophon with a fertile subject to expand his romantic genius. “And you, Tigranes,” said he (Cyrus), “at what rate would you purchase the regaining of your wife?” Now he happened to be but lately married and had a very great love for his wife. “Cyrus,” said he (Tigranes), “to save her from servitude, I would ransom her at the expense of my life.” “Cyropædia,” Book III, Chapter I. [32] Rawlinson, “The Sixth Great Oriental Monarchy,” pp. 140-1. [33] According to Strabo, 12 Greek cities were depopulated to furnish Tigrancerta with inhabitants (XI, 14 Sect. 15). According to Appean 300,000 Cappadocians were translated thither (Methrice, page 216 C). Plutarch speaks of the population as having been drawn from Cilicin, Cappadocia, Gordyene, Assyria and Adeabeni (Lucu, 11 26). [34] Rawlinson, “The Sixth Great Oriental Monarchy,” XIII, p. 206. III THE RELIGION OF THE ANCIENT ARMENIANS “And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord.” Gen. 9:20. “Our earth owes the seeds of all higher culture to religious traditions, whether literary or oral.”--_Herdee._ The Bible, modern scholarship and Armenian traditions agree that the ark of Noah rested “upon the mountains of Ararat,” or Armenia. We learn from the Bible, that Noah came out of the ark and all those that were with him, and he builded an altar unto the Lord “and offered burnt offerings on the Altar.” This fact justifies Armenia’s claim to be the first country where a true and pure divine worship was again practised after the Deluge. The tradition of the Armenians coincides with the truth revealed in the Bible and with the results of modern scholarship, that the primitive religion of mankind was a pure and simple monotheism, in form patriarchal. Prof. Max Müller of Oxford, England, says “Religion is not a new invention. It is, if not as old as the world, at least as old as the world we know. As soon almost as we know anything of the thoughts and feelings of man, we find him in possession of religion, or rather possessed by religion.”