The Archdeacon Stephen is the first Christian martyr. Legend says that twelve Apostles nominated seven respectable men as deacons, i.e. their aides. Stephen was among the elected ones and was designated as Archdeacon, chief aide.
The sermons of Stephen always attracted many attendees. This stoked anger with representatives of another strain of Christianity – the Pharisees. One day they captured the deacon and led him to the Supreme religious court – Sanhedrin. At the hearings the Pharisees brought false witnesses who made a claim that in his sermons Stephen abuses God and Prophet Moses. With his vindicatory speech the deacon even more infuriated all those who were present at the court. Then he was grabbed, forced out of the town and stoned. Thus he became the first martyr.

Besides, the craftsmen of the Armory school, in addition to tempera, started using vanishes – semi-transparent paints that enabled to attain new tints. The Arch-priest Habakkuk was against such style calling the images not pious.