Elisæus of Albania

Eastern Orthodoxy Saint Elisæus, Ełišay, Yeghishe, Elishe or Ełišē (Armenian: Եղիշե) was the first patriarch of the Church of Caucasian Albania by local tradition.

First attested in the Classical Armenian work The History of the Caucasian Albanians, Elisæus was considered the illuminator of Albania.

The former version records the apostle's journey from Jerusalem to Maskut lands through Persia, reaching Saharn in Utik along with three disciples.

According to Aleksan Hakobyan, the legend was invented by Catholicos of Caucasian Albania, Yeghiazar (683–689) in order to establish his own church independent of the Armenian one.

Hieromonk Alexy (Nikonorov) suggested to identify Sahar̄n with Zrykh, Zergoyn with Yargun and Homēnk with Gelmets.

[7] Zaza Aleksidze identified the latter with Kurmukhi Church, explaining its name as combination of Udi: ḳur, lit.

In a letter dated to 20 March 1724 sent to Peter I by the Udi people of Shaki, he was identified as illuminator of "Albanian nation".