Ukrainian Ambassador to Lebanon Ihor Ostash presented a copy of the facsimile edition of the Mazepa Gospel in Arabic to Lebanese President Michel Aoun.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported on the Facebook page of the Embassy of Ukraine in Lebanon.
"On November 1, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Lebanese Republic, Mr Ostash, was received by the president of the Lebanese Republic M. Aoun. During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of cooperation between the two countries. The head of the Lebanese state was presented with a facsimile copy of the Gospel in Arabic, published in 1708 for the Patriarchate of Antioch at the expense of Hetman Ivan Mazepa," the diplomatic mission said.
The ambassador stressed that this book is a testament to the long-standing relations between Ukraine and the Middle East and a concrete example of the support of Ukrainian leaders for Christians in the Arab world.
As reported, on August 27, a facsimile edition of the Mazepa Gospel, which belongs to the national historical heritage, was presented in the National Reserve "St Sofia of Kyiv" on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence.
Ukrainian specialists, with the involvement of Arab specialists, worked for several years on the reissue of the holy book. The project was implemented by the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Lebanon in cooperation with the foundation for the memory of blessed Metropolitan Volodymyr and the Vernadsky National Library.
The uniqueness of this book lies in the fact that it was the first printed Gospel in Arabic, published at the expense of Hetman Ivan Mazepa for the needs of the Patriarchate of Antioch, as evidenced by the extensive dedication to the Hetman written by Patriarch Athanasius III Dabbas of Antioch.
Ivan Mazepa donated 3,000 gold coins for the publication of the book, which was a gift to the Church of Antioch, and before that he allocated the same amount to support Antioch.