Who adopted Christianity first Armenia or Ethiopia?

Armenia is considered the first nation to have adopted Christianity as the state religion, a fact of which Armenians are justifiably proud. The Armenian claim rests on the history of Agathangelos, who states that in 301 A.D., King Trdat III (Tiridates) was baptized and officially Christianized his people.

What was Armenia before Christianity?

Zoroastrianism in Armenia dates back to the 5th century B.C. during the Achaemenian and Parthian periods and was divided between Persia and the Roman Empire. Until Armenia’s conversion to Christianity, it was predominantly Zoroastrian.

Was Ethiopia the first Christian country?

The Kingdom of Aksum in present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea was one of the first Christian countries in the world, having officially adopted Christianity as the state religion in the 4th century. Ethiopia was the only region of Africa to survive the expansion of Islam as a Christian state.

What country first accepted Christianity?

Armenia
According to tradition, Armenia was evangelized by the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus. Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity about 300 ce, when St. Gregory the Illuminator converted the Arsacid king Tiridates III.

Who spread Christianity in Armenia?

king Tiridates the Great
330 CE). Gregory is credited with converting king Tiridates the Great (r. c. 298 to c. 330 CE) to the new religion, formally establishing the Armenian Church, and spreading Christianity throughout his country. For these achievements, Saint Gregory has become the patron saint of Armenia.

What is the history of Christianity in Ethiopia?

Ethiopia has the world’s second-largest Orthodox population – approximately 36 million people — and a Christian history that dates to the fourth century.

How did Christianity spread in Armenia?

As for the spread of Christianity in Armenia, historian Peter Brown argued that “Armenia became a nominally Christian kingdom” after the king’s baptism. The Armenian people in fact “did not receive Christianity with understanding and under duress.”

What happened to the Ethiopian Church in the 6th century?

By the beginning of the sixth century, there were Christian Churches throughout northern Ethiopia. King Kaleb, of the Aksumite Kingdom, led crusades against Christian persecutors in southern Arabia, where Judaism was experiencing a resurgence that led to persecution of Christians.

Is there an Ethiopian version of the Old Testament?

Judaism was practiced in Ethiopia long before Christianity arrived and the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible contains numerous Jewish Aramaic words. The Old Testament in Ethiopia may be a translation of the Hebrew with possible assistance from Jews.