Information on Western Armenia and the Armenians Presented by the American Protestant Missionary Moses Parmelee

Abstract

As a result of the missionary activities carried out by American Protestant missionaries, numerous Protestant communities were established in various settlements of Western Armenia during the 19th century. In the second half of the 19th century, Moses Payson Parmelee arrived in the Ottoman Empire intending to conduct missionary work among Western Armenians. He documented his activities in two volumes, published in the United States in 1868 and 1888, entitled Life Scenes Among the Mountains of Ararat and Home and Work by the Rivers of Eden, respectively.

In these works, the author primarily focuses on his missionary endeavors. In addition, they provide a wealth of valuable information concerning the social and cultural life, daily practices, customs, and various other aspects of Western Armenia and the Armenians. From this perspective, these publications hold significant historical and source-critical value for the study of the spread of Protestantism among Armenians, as well as for the investigation of numerous issues pertaining to 19th-century Armenian history.

This article examines the two aforementioned works. The study aims not only to assess their scholarly significance but also to highlight the subjective and ideological interpretations they contain, which are shaped by the author’s theological perspectives and personal worldview.