Sun, Children of

Sun, Children of (Armen. Arevurdis), an Armenian sect which originated with Sembat, a Paulician. They were also called Throntrakians (or Throndracians), from the village of Throntrake (Throndrac), where their Church was formed. Sernbat, who originated in the province of Ararat, having entered into some connection with a certain Medschusic, a Persian physician and astronomer, was led, under his influence, to attempt a new combination of Parseeism and Christianity. This sect, though it met with-no mercy from the bishops, continually revived, and spread widely in Armenia. About 1002 it made the most alarming progress, when it is said to have been joined by Jacob of Harkh. He gave a more distinctively Christian cast to its tenets; journeyed through the country, preaching repentance and inveighing against work-righteousness; and denounced the false confidence which was placed in masses, oblations, alms, and church-prayers for the forgiveness of sins. Finally, the Catholics of the Armenian Church, having secured his person, caused him to be branded with the heretical mark (a fox on the forehead), carried from place to place attended by a public crier to proclaim him a heretic, and finally killed him. See Kurtz, Church History, 1, 71, 2; Neander, Church History, 3, 587.