The work of completing the church was immediately taken in hand, and it was arranged so that the pillar should be left in its above mentioned place. In the meantime the ambassadors of Tsar Mirian had already related to the Emperor Constantine and the Empress Helen, his mother, about the conversion of their sovereign to the faith of the true God, and this filled their hearts with joy, for Mirian offered them his friendship and help in conquering and destroying the Persians.
They hastened to send Bishop John (upon the advice given by the Antiochian patriarch Evstafii) and with him two priests and three deacons. Upon this occasion Constantine wrote a letter of congratulation to Mirian, filled with blessings and expressions of thankfulness to God, and sent him some gorgeous presents, but above all an invaluable gift—namely: the image of Rouiz with five hundred pieces of holy relics. The Empress Helen also wrote a letter in which she highly praised the resolution of Mirian and encouraged him. The arrival of the bishop, priests, and deacons at Mtzkhet was a day of general feasting, for Tsar as well as people were equally thirsting to be baptized.
Immediately a proclamation was sent to all the kristavs, military commanders, and dignitaries of the monarchy to gather around the Tsar, and all started for Mtzkhet. Thereupon began the general baptizing: Saint Nina baptized the Tsar and the priests the Tsaritsa and princes.
Bishop John on the other hand blessed the Mtkouar, and together with the deacons having found a place near the bridge Mogoutka, opposite the house of the priest Elios, he baptized in these waters all dignitaries and courtiers; that is the reason why this spot is called Mtkavartka-Sanatklavi, i.e., “the place where the Mtkavares were baptized.”
Farther down the river, both priests, the deacon and the bishop, after having baptized the nobility and dignitaries, baptized the people, who hurried towards them as much as possible—begging to quickly receive the great favor. Just so the prophecies of St. Nina, who was constantly and uninterruptedly repeating to them that he who does not let himself be baptized, would never behold the real light, awakening in them the greatest enthusiasm. Thus nearly all Georgians and fifty Hebrew families from the house of Varrava were christened.
To the Hebrew-Christians the Tsar granted the suburb of Tsikhe Dide. This was in the year 327.
Alone the mountain inhabitants and Mirian’s brother-in-law, Pkeros, who had received the province of Ran as a dowry from his bride, beginning from Bard, did not pay attention to the Tsar’s summons and remained heathens, having respectfully remarked to the Tsar that his power over them could not be extended to their form of religion. When, through His great mercifulness, the Lord deigned to show to the holy Tsaritsa His living cross, Tsar Mirian hastened to send to the Emperor Constantine the Bishop John, asking him for a piece of the wood of the holy living cross. To this request he joined the wish to have many priests, in order to send them out not only into all provinces, but also to each single city of his government to educate, enlighten, and baptize the people all over Georgia.
At that time an invitation was also sent to architects, for it took a great many to erect and establish churches throughout the kingdom. The Emperor received the ambassador with great rejoicing and handed him the pieces of the holy living wood on which had lain the holiest legs of the Saviour of the world, and two nails from the Lord’s hands. The pieces of the holy living wood are called Nerkveli in Georgian. Emperor Constantine handed great riches to Bishop John, ordering him to erect a church with this money in the newly converted country, but to divide up the remaining treasures among the other Georgian churches. He also sent with him many priests and architects and having flattered and complimented the envoy and bishop, allowed them to start for home.
Having reached the province of Eroushatk, they left there one architect and a priest, ordering them to establish and erect a church, and giving them the necessary sum for that undertaking. The priest besides was given charge of the most holy nails, which were to be kept in this temple. When they again arrived at Mangliss, they did the same thing, leaving the holy Nerkvelis, and then soon reached Mtzkhet. But Mirian, who had been awaiting their arrival with such impatience, was deeply grieved by the fact that they had been staying out longer on the way than he had expected them to do, and besides—had left in the provinces both invaluable holy relics; but Saint Nina comforted him by the following words: “Quiet down, O Tsar! It was necessary that everywhere on their route they should proclaim and firmly establish the name of the Lord—while thou in the grand capital art in possession of quite as great a treasure, viz., the robe of the Lord!”
Then the Tsar sent for Abiatkar, and with him came quite a large number of Jews. When, however, he asked them questions about the robe they related how it was under the wonder-working pillar and added to this the whole report of Sidonia, which we have already told.