Eznik of Kolb

Travelling to Edessa and Constantinople, Eznik participated in the translation of the Bible and other Christian literature from Greek and Syriac into Armenian.

Eznik was born in approximately 380 in Kolb (modern-day Tuzluca, Turkey) in the district of Chakatk in the province of Ayrarat, in northern Greater Armenia.

At their request he went first to Edessa, then to Constantinople to perfect himself in the various sciences and to collect or copy Syriac and Greek manuscripts of the Bible, and the writings of the Church Fathers.

In addition to his labors in connection with the new version of the Bible and various translations, he composed several works, the principal of which is his remarkable apologetic treatise Against the Sects or On God.

His Armenian diction is of the choicest classical type, although the nature of his subject matter forced him to use quite a number of Greek words.

The book also contains many interesting asides, such as Eznik's refutation of astrology[2] and his diversion to the topic of animal behavior and psychology.