E00108: According to the Conversion of Georgia, written in Georgian in the 7th c., during the rule of King Archil in the early 5th c., Stepancminda, or the church of *Stephen (The First Martyr, S00030) was built on the banks of the Aragvi River.

The Conversion of Georgia

The chronicle of the Conversion of Georgia lists Iberia's rulers and patriarchs together with their major achievements. This brief episode narrates the deeds of king Archil in the early 5th century:

მერვე არჩილ, და მთავარ ეპისკოპოსი იყო იონა. და დაეცა ქუემოჲ ეკლესიაჲ. და იონა მიიცვალა და სუეტი იგი ცხოველი თანა წარმოიღო. და მისსა შემდგომად აზნაურთა აღაშენეს სტეფან-წმიდა არაგუსა ზედა. მათ ჟამთა ოთხნი მთავარნ ეპისკოპოსნი გარდაიცვალნეს.

'Eighth [ruler was] Archil and the Archbishop was Jonah. And the lower church was destroyed. Then Jonah died and [was buried] in the church of the outskirts [?]. [He] brought with him the Living Pillar. After this, the noblemen built Stepancminda [i.e. the church of Stephen] on the banks of Aragvi river. After that four archbishops have died during the rule of Archil.'

Text: Abuladze 1963, 92. Translation: N. Aleksidze.