Saint Mesrop Mashtots (also Mesrob, Mashtotz, Armenian: Մեսրոբ Մաշտոց, 360 - February 17, 440) was an Armenian monk. He invented the Armenian alphabet in the year 406. He was a theologian and linguist. That was a basic and important step in strengthening three things: the Armenian Church, the government of the Armenian Kingdom, and connections between the Armenian Kingdom and Armenians living in the Byzantine and Iranian Empires. He is best known for inventing the Armenian alphabet c. 405 AD, which was a fundamental step in strengthening Armenian national identity. He is also considered to be the creator of the Caucasian Albanian and Georgian alphabets by some scholars.