THE MATINS OF GOOD FRIDAY IN THE GREAT IADGARES AND EARLY MANUSCRIPTS OF THE LENT BOOKS

Abstract

The hymnographic material preserved in the Great Iadgares plays a crucial role in tracing the historical development of the Matins service for Good Friday. These texts represent a transitional phase in the evolution of the ordo, forming a bridge between the early, processional structure of the service and its later, systematized form. Based on evidence from the Jerusalem Lectionary (6th–7th centuries) and the earliest Iadgar manuscripts (8th–9th centuries), the Good Friday service followed an outdoor liturgical procession, moving between sacred sites associated with Christ’s Passion. During these processions, seven micro-cycles of hymns (troparia) were performed alongside Gospel readings and psalm verses.

In contrast, later expanded Iadgares no longer preserve the Gospel reading tradition, and the seven-part hymn cycles are replaced by a complete nine-ode canon accompanied by Triodes and Praise cycles (Akebdeti). This study examines key manuscripts from the 10th–11th centuries, including Sin. 1, Sin. 14, Sin. 64, Sin. 34, as well as the Yale and Tzvirmi Iadgares—and early redactions of the Lent books (Sin. 5, Par. 5). These manuscripts are especially noteworthy for containing hymns by the only known Georgian author of Good Friday hymnography: the 10th-century hymnographer Ioane Minchkhi. Despite being cited in scholarly literature, Minchkhi’s hymns dedicated to Good Friday have not been the focus of detailed academic study. This paper presents new research on these texts, offering fresh insight into their structure, context, and liturgical significance.

Key words: Good Friday; Matin service; Canon; Heirmos.