The knowledge of Geometry was kept secret by them because they believed, like many other priests of pagan days, that by understanding Geometry they would be empowered to understand the secrets of the heavens and the intellect behind Godly creation. They believed that the structure of the universe was concealed within Geometry itself. Thus, by unlocking its secrets, one would be able to know God.
Their persistent quest for knowledge gave rise to the earliest form of Astronomy in the world. The first Astronomical observatory, Kar-Hunge (5,000 BC-4,000 BC), is located in the Armenian Highland.
At the Kar-Hunge, Armenian priests were able to predict the number of days in a year. This enabled them to establish the solar calendar widely practiced in Armenia and other ancient cultures of later periods. They measured the approximate distance around the earth and came to the realization that the Earth was round.
They also predicted solar eclipses, the Earth’s longitude and latitude, and the approximate distance between the Earth and the Moon 1,000 years earlier than the ancient Egyptians.
The scientific inquiry of Astronomy began to advance in Armenia under the leadership of a clergyman, Ananya Shirakatsi back in 700 AD, according to Dr. Benik Toumanyan. Based upon his observations, Ananya Shirakatsi adopted the spherical view of the world and engaged into a critical discourse of early works written by Greek scholars before him.
Furthermore, Dr. Toumanyan has written that Ananya Shirakatsi admitted “the beginning and the end of the earth and the sky” and identified the existence of antipodes. Moreover Dr. Toumanyan says that Ananya Shirakatsi “had cognizance of the limitedness of the velocity of light and of its being far greater than that of sound”.
Ananya Shirakatsi described the Moon as a solid object and referred to dark spots on the Moon as natural depressions. He also concluded that the Moon didn’t radiate light but only reflected the light coming from the Sun.
Ananya Shirakatsi had also correctly explained the origin of lunar phases and solar eclipses. He contemplated that there were two forces in the universe holding the Earth suspended in the air, one pulling Earth down while another force pulling the Earth up.
Among many other discoveries made by Ananya Shirakatsi was his conclusion that “the Milky Way is a multitude of faintly-gleaming stars” and that oceanic tides were the consequence of the Moon’s gravitational effect.
For more information, please refer to the following sources:
“The History of Astronomy in Armenia” by Dr. Benik Toumanyan.(Yerevan University Press-1985)
http://www.arminco-usa.com/tourarmenia/demo/geometry.htm
http://www.iatp.am/ara
http://www.iatp.am/ara/links/index.html
http://www.arminco.com/hayknet/
