 |
Abgar VKing of Osroene from 4 BC to 7 AD and in 13-50 AD, with the nickname Ukkama or Ukhomo, that is, "black". The 15th representative of the Osroene dynasty of the Abgarids, rulers of Osroene, with the capital in Edessa (Asia Minor). The Osroene kingdom was founded
Country:
 Turkey |
Content:
- Abgar V Ukkama
- Legendary Correspondence with Jesus Christ
- The Non-Made Image of Christ
- Controversy and Legacy
Abgar V Ukkama
Reign: 4 BCE – 7 CE, 13 – 50 CEAbgar V, also known as Ukkama or Ukomo, was the 15th ruler of the Abgarid dynasty of Osroene, with its capital in Edessa (modern-day Turkey). Founded in 137 BCE, the Kingdom of Osroene endured until its demise under Caracalla in 216 CE.
Legendary Correspondence with Jesus Christ
Abgar V is renowned for his apocryphal correspondence with Jesus Christ. According to Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, Abgar was the son of Arsham, himself the son of Artashes and brother of Tigranes II the Great. In the 4th century, Eusebius of Caesarea claimed to have discovered a Syriac document in the Edessa archives detailing this correspondence.
In Eusebius' account, Abgar, stricken by a serious illness, pleaded for Christ's aid, recognizing him as God or the Son of God. He offered his residence as a refuge for the Word of God. Christ declined, stating that his mission was tied to Jerusalem but promised to send a disciple after his resurrection. Upon Christ's resurrection, the apostle Thomas dispatched Thaddaeus, one of the Seventy Apostles, to Edessa. Thaddaeus healed the king and spread Christianity there.
The Non-Made Image of Christ
Eusebius does not mention Abgar receiving an image of Christ. This narrative is closely related to the tradition of Christ sending his non-made image (acheiropoietos) to Edessa. From the 4th century onward, many copies of this image (known as the Abgar Images) were produced.
Controversy and Legacy
The Decretum Gelasianum, attributed to Pope Gelasius I and itself of disputed authenticity, classifies the Letter as apocryphal. Historians generally associate the adoption of Christianity in Osroene with Abgar IX the Great, who converted in 200 CE. It is possible that the dating of Osroene's Christianization was later revised to assert the status of the kingdom as the "first Christian state."
