According to the priestly tradition, Masis is regarded as the center of Creation, or the primary axis of spiritual energy. Within this concept, the interpretation of the name “Artsakh” acquires a distinctive internal logic.

In this system, the world is divided not by political or geographical boundaries, but by sacred directions:

• Center – Masis,
• Right sphere,
• Left sphere.

According to this approach, “Artsakh” is interpreted not as a letter-by-letter analysis of the word, but as the designation of a direction: Ar + Tsakh (Left), meaning “the land to the left of the place of Creation” or “the world located on the left wing of the creative center.”

Within this interpretation, the concept of “left” carries not a geographical but a symbolic and energetic meaning. In the priestly cosmological system:

• Ar – the center of Creation, the primordial source,
• Right – the active or masculine creative flow,
• Left – the receptive or preserving creative flow.

According to this interpretation, “Artsakh” is viewed not only as the name of a territory but also as a part of the creative system with a specific function.

It is also noteworthy that, in the priestly tradition, the name is not divided into individual letters (A-R-T-S-A-K-H), but is understood as the union of two semantic wholes: Ar + Tsakh (Left). A similar approach appears in a number of ancient traditions, where sacred names are interpreted not letter by letter but as complete semantic structures.

Note: The above interpretation reflects a priestly worldview and should not be regarded as the generally accepted historical-linguistic etymology of the place name “Artsakh.” Historical linguistics offers other scholarly hypotheses regarding the origin of the name.

To be continued…