Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Lord

On Saturday the church remembered the Placing of the Honorable Robe of the Lord, here is a brief history about the event:

The Holy Robe of Christ is not to be confused with His Seamless Chiton, as the difference between them is clearly described in the Holy Scriptures. “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did” (John, 19:23-24).

According to the tradition of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Jewish

rabbi Elioz brought the Chiton of God from Jerusalem to Mtskheta. It is now kept in the foundation of the Patriarch Cathedral in Mtskheta (the feast is celebrated on October 1). None of the Muslim conquerors did not dare to attack this place blessed by God with the Living Pillar. The Holy Robe of Christ or rather one of its four parts, was brought to Georgia as well. It is known that there are also part of it in Trier, Germany, and in Argenteuil, France.

Unlike the Chiton, which was kept in the ground, the Holy Robe was in the treasure house of the Mtskheta Cathedral till the XVII century, when the Persian shah Abbas I destroyed Georgia and moved the Holy Robe and all the treasures out. In 1625 Shah sent the Holy Robe as a gift to the Patriarch Philaret in order to conciliate Tsar Michail Fedorovich. The Bishop of Vologda Nectarius, Patriarch Feofan of Jerusalem and Ioannicus Grek proved the authenticity of the Robe. Miracles began to occur when it was brought out to the sick people. Later, two parts of the Chiton were placed in St. Petersburg: one was kept in the Cathedral of the Winter Palace, and the second one in the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral. The part of the Robe was also kept in Dormition Cathedral in Moscow, and some small parts were kept in St. Sofia’s Cathedral in Kiev and Ipatievsky Monastery near Kostroma, as well as in some other small cathedrals.

In Moscow the robe was brought from the sacrarium of the Dormition Cathedral annually on July 10. It was placed on the analogion for veneration during the liturgy. When the liturgy was finished, the Holy Robe was returned to its original place.