  At present it is considered that Christianity was declared a state religion
in Georgia in circa 326 AD, during the reign of King Mirian and Queen Nana. In
the Georgian Chronicle [1] (Kaukhchishvili, 1955) it is stated that this event
is connected with the adoption of Christianity by King Mirian. Once he was
hunting somewhere between Mtskheta (the ancient capital of Georgia) and
Khashuri, near Mt. Tkhoti in dense woodland. It rapidly got dark and the Sun
disappeared from the sky. Mirian began to ask his traditional pagan gods, but
to no avail. Then he addressed the god whom Nino from Cappadocia believed in
(subsequently she became Saint Nino, a woman whose name is inseparably linked
with the spread of Christianity in Georgia) and there was a miracle; the
darkness suddenly disappeared and the Sun began shining in the sky again. Then
Mirian turned to the East and thanked "Nino's god". In the authors' opinion,
the eclipse seen by King Mirian happened on the evening of 6 May, 319 AD.
Later, in May 320 AD, cypress crosses were made and raised. Thus, we have
answered the question raised 70 years ago by the Georgian historian Ivane
Javakhishvili about the occurrence of a total solar eclipse in Georgia in the
fourth century. The eclipse seen by King Mirian happened on the evening of 6
May, 319 AD. Later, in May 320 AD, cypress crosses were raised and Christianity
was become the state religion of Georgia.
