20 - [ARMENIA - BIBLE]. GIRK SRBOY ARETARANI TERN MERO YISUSIN CHRIST. [BOOK OF THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST]. Venice, Antonio Bortoli, August 8, 1732. In-12 brown calfskin, covers decorated with gilded fillet and scroll borders, with a medallion in the center surrounded by foliage and fleurons; the front cover depicts the Crucifixion and the back cover depicts the Virgin and Child, spine with flat raised bands decorated with gilt fillets and small fleurons, traces of clasps, gilt and chiseled edges (period binding); 552 pages [f. A1 is missing; folios A2 (which corresponds to the illustrated title page) and A3 have been glued together]. Upper cap torn off, scuffs and snags on the binding, small areas of leather missing (notably on the central medallion of the front cover, where Christ’s face is missing), clasps missing, water stains on the book block, more pronounced on the first and last leaves; a tear with a loss of paper in the upper left corner of the title page, affecting the engraved border; a gap in the lower part of the last leaf [errata?] with several missing words. An old handwritten inscription at the bottom of the title page and a black-inked stamp at the top of page 13, repeated on page 550, both unidentified. VENETIAN EDITION FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY OF THE FOUR GOSPELS IN ARMENIAN, published by Antonio Bortoli as part of the publishing activities of Mekhitar of Sebaste, founder of the Mekhitarist Congregation of Saint Lazarus. Printed on laid paper in Armenian type, with woodcut headpieces, running titles, headers, footers, and illuminated initials; title within an engraved architectural frame. The edition includes FOUR COPPER-ENGRAVED PORTRAITS OF THE EVANGELISTS, placed at the beginning of their respective Gospels: Saint Matthew accompanied by an angel, Saint Mark with a lion, Saint Luke with an ox, and Saint John with an eagle. S. Sahag Djemdjemian indicates a print run of 1,470 copies and notes that this publication served as a preparatory trial run for Mekhitar’s Great Armenian Bible, particularly regarding the selection of paper, typefaces, and illustrations. This copy is preserved in an INTERESTING BINDING with gilded religious decoration, featuring GOLD-CHISELED EDGES with repeated motifs of scrolls and dotted lines. ¶ National Library of Armenia, Catalog of Ancient Armenian Books, entry “Աւետարան,” Venice, Antonio Bortoli Press, 1732, 552 pages—DJEMDJEMIAN (Sahag), The Editorial Apostolate of Father Mekhitar [work in Armenian], Venice-Saint-Lazare, 1980, Chapter XI, pp. 141–143, devoted to the 1732 edition of the Gospels.