Oldest Armenian Bible

The earliest translation was Mesrop's early fifth century translation. According to Moses of Chorene, Isaac of Armenia made a translation of the Bible from the Syriac text about the year 411. This work was insufficient, and soon afterwards Mesrop's pupils were sent to Edessa to translate the scriptures. They journeyed as far as Constantinople and brought back with them authentic copies of the Greek text. With the help of other copies obtained from Alexandria, the Bible was translated again from the Greek according to the text of the Septuagint and Origen's Hexapla. This version, now in use in the Armenian Church, was completed around the year 434. The decrees of the first three councils — Nicæa, Constantinople, and Ephesus — and the national liturgy (so far written in Syriac) were also translated into Armenian, the latter being revised on the liturgy of St. Basil, though retaining characteristics of its own. Unlike the "west", these books have strong basis from Septuagint and Syriac versions, including the "Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs," "The History of Joseph and Asenath," and "3 Corinthians." The Matenadaran (Armenian: Մատենադարան), officially the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, is the largest center for the storage, study and popularization of Armenian manuscripts, combining the functions of a museum, archive and scientific institution. It is holds the most extensive collection of Armenian manuscripts in existence.

It was established in 1959 on the basis of the nationalized collection of the Armenian Church, formerly held at Etchmiadzin. Its collection has gradually expanded since its establishment, mostly from individual donations.

The first sentence in Armenian written down by St. Mesrop after he invented the Armenian alphabet is said to be the opening line of Solomon's Book of Proverbs:

Ճանաչել զիմաստութիւն եւ զխրատ, իմանալ զբանս հանճարոյ:

Čanačʿel zimastutʿiwn ew zxrat, imanal zbans hančaroy.

"To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding."

— Book of Proverbs, 1:2. The oldest gospel in Armenian preserved today is the "Etchmiadzin Gospel" dated to 989 AD but it's only the 4 Gospels.