Elisæus of Albania

Elisæus of Albania Saint Yegishe
Icon of St. Elisæus (, Gabala, Azerbaijan)
Catholicos of Church of Caucasian Albania
Born	c.1st century AD
Died	74 or 79 AD Gelmets , Rutulsky District, Dagestan
Venerated in	Church of Caucasian Albania
Feast	July 20
Patronage	Azerbaijan

Saint Elisæus or Yegishe was the first patriarch of the Church of Caucasian Albania by local tradition.

Life[]

He was one of five disciples of St. Thaddeus (or, of Thaddeus of Edessa, who may have been the same person). He returned to Jerusalem after the martyrdom of Thaddeus, and was appointed as head of the church by James the Just.^[1] He began his preaching in  [ru] and then passed to Utik and Kish according to Armenian historian Movses Kaghankatvatsi, but this route is debated by some researchers^[who?] as passing such a long way with opposing directions^{[clarification needed]} wouldn't be comfortable.^[2] An alternative route would be via Utik, Kish, Chola, Akhty, Zrykh, and Gelmets.^[3] He was martyred by local pagans in the village of Kolmank, which is located in modern Gelmets village of Dagestan. His relics were discovered by local Christians and a pillar was erected by Vachagan III on the site, with the relics later buried in Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery.

Churches[]

Several churches named after Elisæus:

• Church of Saint Elisæus (Nij)
• Church of Kish
• Church of Saint Elisæus (Oghuz)
• Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery

References[]