One of the world's great art treasures is the collection of the Jerusalem Patriarchate of the Armenian Church, the richest and most important concentration of Armenian art in the world. Its wealth stems from the place held by Jerusalem in the minds and hearts of the Armenians throughout their existence as a Christian nation, since the fourth century A.D. Pilgrims brought to Jerusalem many of the outstanding creations of Armenian artists, which were deposited in the treasury and library of the Armenian Cathedral of St. James (S. Hakob). Here, for the first time, this collection has been photographed and described extensively. This volume unveils a dazzling variety of art objects--sumptuous medieval illuminated manuscripts, printed books, mosaic pavements, painted tiles and ritual objects. The book contains 194 illustrations, 131 in color. A full description of the collection and its background is provided, along with a detailed catalogue of the objects illustrated.--From publisher description.